For a 40-year-old driver with a clean record, car insurance in Columbia, SC, averages about $196 a month ($2,352 a year) for full coverage, based on the rates insurers had filed with state regulators as of Aug. 31, 2026. That’s 4% above the South Carolina average of $189 a month. GEICO and Progressive are effectively tied for the lowest full-coverage average among the five major insurers we compared (Allstate, GEICO, Progressive, State Farm and Travelers), at about $172 and $173 a month.
Columbia costs a little more to insure than South Carolina as a whole. Our benchmark driver pays about $7 a month more here than the state average, about $12 a month less than in Charleston and about $15 a month more than in Greenville.
Our data covers 10 ZIP codes with a Columbia mailing address, the most of any South Carolina city in our data, and they’re priced within about $18 a month of each other. Use that average car insurance cost in Columbia, SC, as a benchmark when you compare car insurance quotes for your own address.
Cost data comes from the auto rates insurers file with state regulators, priced across all 10 Columbia 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 Oct. 7, 2026.
Car insurance in Columbia, SC, costs about $196 a month ($2,352 a year) for full coverage and $76 a month for liability-only coverage at South Carolina’s 25/50/25 minimum, for a 40-year-old driver with a clean record, in rates filed as of Aug. 31, 2026. That’s 4% above the South Carolina average of $189 a month.
GEICO and Progressive are effectively tied for the lowest full-coverage average among the five insurers in our Columbia rate data. The seven published 2026 statewide South Carolina rate studies we reviewed disagree on the cheapest insurer for full coverage, apart from USAA, which sells only to military families: three put American National first, two Auto-Owners and two put other insurers first. For liability-only coverage at 25/50/25 limits, GEICO has the lowest average among these five insurers, at about $60 a month, with Progressive close behind at $63.
Full-coverage averages by insurer in Columbia
Monthly, for the same driver and car. Insurers marked with an asterisk in the table below aren’t in 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 | $725 | $60 | $2,060 | $172 |
| Progressive | $753 | $63 | $2,080 | $173 |
| Travelers | $888 | $74 | $2,124 | $177 |
| State Farm | $1,101 | $92 | $2,473 | $206 |
| Allstate | $1,086 | $91 | $3,020 | $252 |
| American National* | $439 | $37 | $1,040 | $87 |
| USAA (military families)* | $471 | $39 | $1,495 | $125 |
| Auto-Owners* | $678 | $57 | $1,612 | $134 |
| South Carolina Farm Bureau* | $682 | $57 | $1,735 | $145 |
| Columbia average | $911 | $76 | $2,352 | $196 |
This table uses Columbia ZIP codes only. See how we calculated these rates. Your own price depends on your car, driving record and coverage, so compare auto insurance quotes before you buy.
Across the 10 Columbia ZIP codes we price, full coverage for our driver ranges from about $187 a month in 29212 to $205 in 29204, a gap of $219 a year.
Lowest-priced Columbia ZIP codes
Highest-priced Columbia ZIP codes
Search the table for your ZIP code. The last column shows how far each ZIP code is above or below Columbia’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: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29201 | $891 | $74 | $2,303 | $192 | -2% |
| 29203 | $928 | $77 | $2,420 | $202 | +3% |
| 29204 | $964 | $80 | $2,463 | $205 | +5% |
| 29205 | $893 | $74 | $2,315 | $193 | -2% |
| 29206 | $909 | $76 | $2,312 | $193 | -2% |
| 29209 | $907 | $76 | $2,359 | $197 | +1% |
| 29210 | $922 | $77 | $2,366 | $197 | +1% |
| 29212 | $869 | $72 | $2,244 | $187 | -5% |
| 29223 | $917 | $76 | $2,381 | $198 | +1% |
| 29229 | $905 | $75 | $2,352 | $196 | About average |
Your ZIP code matters
Raising liability limits from 50/100/50 to 100/300/100 adds about $197 a year on average in our Columbia data, with the same $500 deductibles. That’s about $16 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 Columbia ZIP codes, full coverage averaged $2,447 a year nine months earlier and $2,352 in rates as of Aug. 31, 2026, a 3.9% drop. State Farm cut its Columbia average 16.2%, while Allstate’s, GEICO’s, Progressive’s and Travelers’ averages were unchanged. Liability-only coverage at 25/50/25 limits fell 2.4%, led by State Farm, which cut its liability-only average 9.4%.
Richland County averages $2,353 a year for full coverage in our data, in the more expensive half of the 44 South Carolina counties we price. Nearby suburbs cost a bit less: West Columbia averages about $190 a month, Cayce $185, Irmo $187 and Lexington $192.
Travelers is close behind the two leaders at about $177 a month, so the three lowest averages among these five insurers sit within about $5 a month of each other in Columbia, while Allstate averages $252. Prices differ from one part of South Carolina to another because insurers price by rating territories, which the state Department of Insurance approves.
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.
Sumter, about 40 miles east, averages $198 a month, and Rock Hill, about 64 miles north, $181. Florence, about 74 miles east, averages $199, Charleston $208 and Greenville $181. For the statewide picture, see our guide to South Carolina car insurance rates.
Drivers in Columbia follow South Carolina’s rules. Every policy must include at least:
Insurers must also offer underinsured motorist coverage, which is optional, according to the South Carolina Department of Insurance. 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.
The tables in this section come from an additional InsuranceQuotes rate analysis. It uses its own driver profile and mix of insurers, so its prices differ from the averages above. Use them to compare categories with each other.
In this analysis, a 17-year-old pays about 2.9 times as much for full coverage as a 39-year-old. Prices keep falling into a driver’s 60s and rise again after that.
| Age: | Minimum Liability: | Monthly: | Full Coverage: | Monthly: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | $3,366 | $281 | $9,685 | $807 |
| 18 | $2,906 | $242 | $8,644 | $720 |
| 20 | $1,998 | $167 | $6,189 | $516 |
| 22 | $1,530 | $127 | $4,763 | $397 |
| 24 | $1,317 | $110 | $4,184 | $349 |
| 29 | $1,128 | $94 | $3,597 | $300 |
| 34 | $1,070 | $89 | $3,377 | $281 |
| 39 | $1,062 | $88 | $3,336 | $278 |
| 44 | $1,049 | $87 | $3,260 | $272 |
| 49 | $1,046 | $87 | $3,236 | $270 |
| 54 | $995 | $83 | $3,042 | $254 |
| 64 | $999 | $83 | $2,976 | $248 |
| 74 | $1,300 | $108 | $3,671 | $306 |
| 76 | $1,401 | $117 | $3,895 | $325 |
An SUV is the least expensive vehicle type to insure in this analysis, and a luxury coupe costs about 64% more for full coverage.
| Vehicle Type: | Minimum Liability: | Monthly: | Full Coverage: | Monthly: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Car (4door): | $1,625 | $135 | $4,294 | $358 |
| Hybrid Electric: | $1,598 | $133 | $4,721 | $393 |
| Luxury Coupe: | $1,520 | $127 | $5,939 | $495 |
| SUV: | $1,430 | $119 | $3,613 | $301 |
| Truck: | $1,708 | $142 | $4,785 | $399 |
New vehicles cost more to insure in every category, from about 4% more for a hybrid to 18% more for a luxury coupe.
| Vehicle Type: | Minimum Liability: | Monthly: | Full Coverage: | Monthly: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Car (4door): | $1,384 | $115 | $4,676 | $390 |
| Hybrid Electric: | $1,536 | $128 | $4,897 | $408 |
| Luxury Coupe: | $1,519 | $127 | $6,987 | $582 |
| SUV: | $1,319 | $110 | $3,899 | $325 |
| Truck: | $1,619 | $135 | $5,587 | $466 |
One speeding ticket raises full coverage about 17% in this analysis, an at-fault accident about 45% and a DUI about 47%.
| Driving Violation: | Minimum Liability: | Monthly: | Full Coverage: | Monthly: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clean Record: | $806 | $67 | $2,771 | $231 |
| 1 Speeding Violation: | $954 | $79 | $3,242 | $270 |
| 1 At-Fault Accident: | $1,208 | $101 | $4,007 | $334 |
| 1 DUI Violation: | $1,265 | $105 | $4,080 | $340 |
Car insurance in Columbia, SC, costs about $196 a month ($2,352 a year) for full coverage and $76 a month for liability-only coverage at South Carolina’s 25/50/25 minimum, for a 40-year-old driver with a clean record, in rates filed as of Aug. 31, 2026. That’s 4% above the South Carolina average of $189 a month.
GEICO and Progressive are effectively tied for the lowest full-coverage average among the five major insurers we compared in Columbia, at about $172 and $173 a month. Travelers’ average is next, at $177. American National*, which we price from published rate studies, comes in lower, at about $87 a month. For liability-only coverage, GEICO has the lowest average among the five major insurers we compared, at about $60 a month. Rates vary by driver, so compare quotes for your own car and ZIP code.
Yes, for our benchmark driver. Columbia full coverage averages about $196 a month and Charleston about $208, a difference of about $12 a month for the same driver and car.
In our data, 29212 has the lowest full-coverage average in Columbia, at about $187 a month, and 29204 the highest, at about $205. The ZIP code table on this page lists all 10.
In our Columbia data, full coverage (100/300/100 with $500 deductibles) averages about $196 a month and liability-only coverage at 25/50/25 limits about $76, a difference of about $120 a month ($1,441 a year). Liability-only coverage won’t pay to repair or replace your own car after a crash, a theft or a storm. South Carolina law doesn’t require full coverage, but a lender or leasing company may.
Drivers in Columbia must carry South Carolina’s minimums: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash in bodily injury liability, $25,000 in property damage liability (25/50/25) and uninsured motorist coverage at the same limits. Insurers must also offer underinsured motorist coverage, which is optional, and South Carolina doesn’t require personal injury protection.
Not for our benchmark driver. Comparing the same insurers and ZIP codes, Columbia full coverage fell 3.9% over the past nine months, from about $2,447 to $2,352 a year. State Farm cut its Columbia average 16.2%, and the other four insurers’ averages were unchanged. Liability-only coverage at 25/50/25 limits fell 2.4%.
For our benchmark driver, full coverage in Columbia averages about $196 a month. Nearby, Sumter averages about $198, Rock Hill about $181 and Florence about $199. Rock Hill is cheaper; prices depend mostly on ZIP code, so compare quotes for your own address.
