For a 40-year-old driver with a clean record, Charleston car insurance averages about $208 a month ($2,494 a year) for full coverage, based on the rates insurers had filed with state regulators as of Aug. 31, 2026. That’s 10% above the South Carolina average of $189 a month. GEICO has the lowest full-coverage average of the five insurers we price, at about $174 a month.
Charleston is one of the more expensive places to insure a car in South Carolina. Our benchmark driver pays about $19 a month more here than the state average, while Mount Pleasant, across the Cooper River, is priced right at that average ($189).
Our data covers seven ZIP codes with a Charleston mailing address, from about $197 a month in 29492 to $218 in 29406.
Cost data comes from the auto rates insurers file with state regulators, priced across all seven Charleston ZIP codes in our data, compiled by Quadrant Information Services and updated as new rates are filed.
Rates as of Aug. 31, 2026. Page reviewed Sept. 29, 2026.
Full coverage in Charleston averages $2,494 a year, or about $208 a month, for our benchmark driver. Liability-only coverage at South Carolina’s 25/50/25 minimum averages $963 a year ($80 a month), and 50/100/50 liability with comprehensive and collision averages $2,286 ($191 a month).
GEICO has the lowest full-coverage average among the five insurers in our Charleston rate data. USAA, Auto-Owners, American National, South Carolina Farm Bureau and Nationwide aren’t in the Quadrant rate data we analyze, so their rows in the table are estimates. The published 2026 statewide South Carolina rate studies we reviewed that compare insurers most often rank American National or Auto-Owners cheapest for full coverage, apart from USAA, which sells only to military families. For liability-only coverage at 25/50/25 limits, GEICO has the lowest average among the insurers we rank, at about $60 a month, followed by Progressive at $66.
Full-coverage averages by insurer in Charleston
Monthly, for the same driver and car. Estimated insurers are in the table below, not the chart.
Rates insurers filed with state regulators, compiled by Quadrant Information Services, as of Aug. 31, 2026. Benchmark 40-year-old driver, 100/300/100 with $500 deductibles.
| Insurance Company: | Minimum Liability 25/50/25 (Yearly): | Minimum Liability 25/50/25 (Monthly): | Full Coverage (Yearly): | Full Coverage (Monthly): |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEICO | $717 | $60 | $2,090 | $174 |
| Progressive | $790 | $66 | $2,161 | $180 |
| Travelers | $938 | $78 | $2,235 | $186 |
| State Farm | $1,209 | $101 | $2,726 | $227 |
| Allstate | $1,160 | $97 | $3,258 | $272 |
| American National* | $522 | $44 | $1,242 | $104 |
| Auto-Owners* | $700 | $58 | $1,600 | $133 |
| USAA (military families)* | $488 | $41 | $1,653 | $138 |
| Nationwide* | $1,151 | $96 | $1,988 | $166 |
| South Carolina Farm Bureau* | $902 | $75 | $2,155 | $180 |
| Charleston average | $963 | $80 | $2,494 | $208 |
This table uses Charleston ZIP codes only. See how we calculated these rates.
Across the seven Charleston ZIP codes we price, full coverage for our driver ranges from about $197 a month in 29492 to $218 in 29406, a gap of $247 a year. The highest-priced Charleston ZIP code, 29406, is priced close to North Charleston, which averages about $217 a month in our data.
Lowest-priced Charleston ZIP codes
Highest-priced Charleston ZIP codes
Search the table for your ZIP code. The last column shows how far each ZIP code is above or below Charleston’s average.
| ZIP Code: | Minimum Liability 25/50/25 (Yearly): | Minimum Liability 25/50/25 (Monthly): | Full Coverage (Yearly): | Full Coverage (Monthly): | Full Coverage vs. City Average: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29401 | $946 | $79 | $2,489 | $207 | About average |
| 29403 | $962 | $80 | $2,534 | $211 | +1% |
| 29406 | $1,024 | $85 | $2,612 | $218 | +5% |
| 29407 | $993 | $83 | $2,519 | $210 | +1% |
| 29412 | $937 | $78 | $2,429 | $202 | -3% |
| 29414 | $991 | $83 | $2,511 | $209 | About average |
| 29492 | $886 | $74 | $2,365 | $197 | -5% |
Your ZIP code matters
Raising liability limits from 50/100/50 to 100/300/100 adds about $208 a year in our Charleston data, with the same $500 deductibles. That’s about $17 a month for double the per-person injury limit, three times the per-crash limit and double the property damage limit, and the full-coverage package also raises uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage to 100/300.
Not for our benchmark driver. Comparing the same insurers in the same Charleston ZIP codes, full coverage averaged $2,600 a year in rates as of Nov. 30, 2025, and $2,494 as of Aug. 31, 2026, a 4.1% drop. All of it came from State Farm, which cut its Charleston average 16.3%, while Allstate, GEICO, Progressive and Travelers didn’t change theirs. Liability-only coverage at 25/50/25 limits fell 2.5%, again because State Farm cut its average, by 9.6%.
The Charleston area and nearby Lowcountry counties are the most expensive part of South Carolina in our data. Charleston County averages $2,521 a year for full coverage, the fourth-most expensive of the 44 counties we price, and neighboring Dorchester County ($212 a month) is the second-most expensive and Berkeley County ($208) the 5th-most.
Rates vary within South Carolina because insurers use rating territories approved by the South Carolina Department of Insurance.
More South Carolina cities and towns are in the South Carolina rates by city table, and you can compare states on our car insurance rates by state page.
Mount Pleasant, about five miles east, averages $189 a month, and Summerville, about 25 miles northwest, $210. North Charleston averages about $217 and Johns Island $207.
Drivers in Charleston follow South Carolina’s rules. Every policy must include at least:
Insurers must also offer underinsured motorist coverage, which is optional. South Carolina is an at-fault state and doesn’t require personal injury protection. Our South Carolina requirements guide covers the details and the penalties for driving uninsured.
Ready to compare
Insurers must file their rates and rating rules with each state’s insurance regulator. Quadrant Information Services uses those filings to calculate what each insurer would charge a specific driver, and InsuranceQuotes analyzes those prices. This page uses rates in effect on Aug. 31, 2026.
Coverage requirements come from South Carolina law and the South Carolina Department of Insurance. We refresh these figures when new rate data is released.
For our benchmark driver, full coverage in Charleston averages about $208 a month ($2,494 a year) and liability-only coverage about $80 a month, based on the rates insurers had filed with state regulators as of Aug. 31, 2026. Full coverage is 10% above the South Carolina average of $189 a month.
GEICO has the lowest full-coverage average in our Charleston rate data, at about $174 a month, with Progressive close behind at $180. For liability-only coverage, GEICO has the lowest average, at about $60 a month. USAA, Auto-Owners, American National, South Carolina Farm Bureau and Nationwide aren’t in the Quadrant rate data we analyze, but the published 2026 statewide South Carolina rate studies we reviewed most often rank American National or Auto-Owners cheapest for full coverage, apart from USAA. Rates vary by driver, so compare quotes for your own car and ZIP code.
In our data, Charleston full coverage averages about $208 a month, 10% above the South Carolina average. Charleston County is the fourth-most expensive of the 44 counties we price, and prices are highest in 29406, at about $218 a month.
In our data, 29492 has the lowest full-coverage average in Charleston, at about $197 a month, and 29406 the highest, at about $218. The ZIP code table on this page lists all seven.
In our Charleston data, full coverage (100/300/100 with $500 deductibles) averages about $208 a month and liability-only coverage at 25/50/25 limits about $80, a difference of about $128 a month ($1,531 a year). Liability-only coverage won’t pay to repair or replace your own car after a crash, a theft or a storm.
No, not for our benchmark driver. Comparing the same insurers and ZIP codes, Charleston full coverage fell 4.1% between November 2025 and August 2026, from about $2,600 to $2,494 a year, because State Farm cut its average 16.3%. The other four insurers didn’t change their prices. Liability-only coverage at 25/50/25 limits fell 2.5%.
