For senior citizens, one of the largest things that are used to help calculate insurance cost is where you live in Buffalo. Larger areas will most likely have higher rates, whereas less populated areas have the luxury of cheap car insurance rates.
The illustration below ranks the highest-priced areas in New York for seniors to buy an auto insurance policy in. Buffalo ranks #13 with the yearly price of $1,548 on average, which is about $129 per month.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $2,654 |
| 2 | Hempstead | $2,279 |
| 3 | Freeport | $2,235 |
| 4 | Levittown | $2,061 |
| 5 | Mount Vernon | $1,938 |
| 6 | West Babylon | $1,932 |
| 7 | Yonkers | $1,920 |
| 8 | Hicksville | $1,919 |
| 9 | Brentwood | $1,910 |
| 10 | Coram | $1,714 |
| 11 | White Plains | $1,678 |
| 12 | New Rochelle | $1,659 |
| 13 | Buffalo | $1,548 |
| 14 | Cheektowaga | $1,253 |
| 15 | Niagara Falls | $1,237 |
| 16 | West Seneca | $1,201 |
| 17 | Tonawanda | $1,201 |
| 18 | Syracuse | $1,130 |
| 19 | Utica | $1,092 |
| 20 | Rochester | $1,067 |
| 21 | Schenectady | $1,062 |
| 22 | Albany | $1,056 |
| 23 | Troy | $1,053 |
| 24 | Irondequoit | $1,021 |
| 25 | Binghamton | $912 |
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Prices are comparative as specific Buffalo zip code can increase or decrease price quotes greatly.
Finding low-cost auto insurance is challenging, and figuring out which company quotes the best insurance rates for seniors requires a bit more work. Each auto insurer has a proprietary formula for setting rates, so we’ll take a look at the insurance companies with the most affordable rates in New York.
Best Auto Insurance Prices for Mature Drivers
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| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,187 |
| 2 | Erie | $1,255 |
| 3 | Progressive | $1,496 |
| 4 | Travelers | $1,513 |
| 5 | Utica National | $1,549 |
| 6 | Allstate | $1,603 |
| 7 | MetLife | $1,620 |
| 8 | Amica | $1,644 |
| 9 | Preferred Mutual | $1,686 |
| 10 | New York Central Mutual | $1,836 |
| 11 | GEICO | $1,869 |
| 12 | State Farm | $1,962 |
| 13 | Safeco | $1,966 |
| 14 | Liberty Mutual | $2,005 |
| 15 | Central Mutual | $2,028 |
| 16 | Hanover | $2,369 |
| 17 | Encompass | $2,610 |
| 18 | Nationwide | $3,054 |
| 19 | Mercury | $3,848 |
| 20 | 21st Century | $4,455 |
| Quote Your Rates Go | ||
USAA normally has some of the best car insurance rates in Buffalo at around $1,187 a year. Erie, Progressive, Travelers, and Utica National also rank well as some of the best Buffalo, NY auto insurance companies.
As illustrated above, if you buy coverage from Erie and switched to USAA, you could see a yearly savings of in the vicinity of $68. Policyholders with Progressive may save as much as $309 a year, and Travelers insureds might see rate reductions of $326 a year.
Understand that those policy prices are averaged across all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and do not take into consideration a vehicle location for seniors. So the auto insurance company that has the lowest price for you may not even be in the top 20 companies in the list above. That affirms the importance of why you need to get rate quotes using your own driver data and vehicle information.
The make and model of vehicle to be insured is one of the largest factors that determines the availability of the best cheap coverage for seniors. Vehicles with more horsepower, a lack of safety features, or high incidents of liability claims will cost more to insure than more modest models.
The next table features coverage rates for some of the most cost-effective automobiles to buy insurance for.
| Vehicle Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $1,662 |
| Ford Escape Limited 4WD | $1,765 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,804 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $1,817 |
| Honda Odyssey EX W/Rear Entertainment | $1,878 |
| Honda Civic DX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,888 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LS Regular Cab 2WD | $1,911 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,920 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $1,927 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $1,920 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $1,925 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $1,920 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS 2WD | $1,929 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $1,920 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 4WD | $1,959 |
| Ford F-150 Lariat Crew Cab 4WD | $1,966 |
| Ford Focus SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $1,978 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 4WD 4-Dr | $1,982 |
| Ford Edge Sport AWD | $2,020 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $2,029 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | |
Data rating is based on married female driver age 60, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and New York minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, homeowner, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Information does not factor in specific zip code location which can impact insurance rates greatly.
Looking at the numbers, you can conclude that vehicles like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, and Toyota Prius are most likely going to be some of the cheaper vehicles to insure for senior citizens.
Impact of violations and accidents on rates
One of the best ways to snag the most affordable insurance rates in New York for senior citizens is to drive carefully and not get tickets or have accidents. The diagram below demonstrates how citations and at-fault collisions increase auto insurance costs for different age groups of insureds. The prices are based on a single female driver, comp and collision included, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.
The data above shows the average cost of auto insurance per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $1,195. Receive two speeding tickets and the average cost jumps to $1,595, an increase of $400 each year. Now add in two accidents along with the two speeding tickets and the yearly cost of insurance for seniors jumps again to an average of $3,155. That’s an increase of $1,960, or $163 per month, just for not maintaining a clean driving record!
Liability only or full coverage
Lowering the price of insurance should be important to most vehicle owners, and one of the best ways to buy cheap insurance for seniors is to only buy liability coverage. The example below illustrates the difference between insurance rates with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying liability only. The premium estimates are based on a clean driving record, no claims, $1,000 deductibles, drivers are single, and no additional discounts are factored in.
Averaged out for all age groups, physical damage coverage on your policy costs an additional $1,488 per year more than buying just liability insurance. A very common question is when is it a good idea to stop buying full coverage. There is no set rule of when to phase out full coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can use. If the annual cost of having full coverage is more than around 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.
For example, let’s say your vehicle’s replacement value is $9,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most you would get paid by your company is $8,000 after the policy deductible has been paid. If you are paying more than $800 annually to have full coverage, then it might be time to buy liability only.
Buying coverage from the best auto insurance provider can be a challenge considering how many companies there are in New York. The company information below could help you decide which coverage providers you want to consider purchasing a policy from.
The rankings below include companies with a nationwide focus, so companies that have a smaller presence are not included in this list. If you wish to compare prices from the insurers below and more, just click here.
Top 10 Large Car Insurance Companies Overall in Buffalo
- The General
- Mercury Insurance
- The Hartford
- Progressive
- Travelers
- State Farm
- Farmers Insurance
- Erie Insurance
- Safeco Insurance
- USAA
Top 10 Large Car Insurance Companies in Buffalo Ranked by Claims Service
- Progressive
- USAA
- Liberty Mutual
- State Farm
- GEICO
- Nationwide
- Allstate
- The General
- The Hartford
- 21st Century
Why are you paying too much for Buffalo car insurance?
New York insurance rates are determined by lots of factors which can substantially decrease or increase the price of coverage. Simply improving your credit, having a teen driver, or getting a few speeding tickets can trigger price changes resulting in some rates now being much cheaper than others.
Not only may things change on your end, but insurers change their prices every year in order to maintain liquidity for claims. Unexpectedly high claims can cause additional premium costs, while lower claim expenses may cause cheaper Buffalo car insurance rates.
To illustrate this point, the chart below shows the company with the cheapest car insurance in Buffalo, NY for a 40-year-old female driver with no violations or accidents, and good credit. If we compare prices based on her current rating profile, USAA might offer the cheapest car insurance rates in Buffalo at $1,934 a year. This is $141 less than the average premium paid by New York drivers of $2,075. Erie, Utica National, Allstate, and Progressive are the rest of the cheapest Buffalo, NY auto insurance companies.
The chart below compares rates after we give the driver from the first example a chargeable claim, a lower credit rating, and a stop sign violation. Because every insurance company has their own formula for establishing rates, comparing rates could now result in a different ranking of the cheapest companies as shown below.
MetLife now has the best car insurance rate in Buffalo with Amica, Preferred Mutual, Erie, and GEICO now rounding out the top five. This example demonstrates why it is important to shop around with many companies to find the most budget-friendly auto insurance quotes for seniors. Insurance prices are made up of many risk factors and change frequently, so the best price a year ago may now cost much more than other companies.
The insurance agents in Buffalo listed below can probably answer your questions and help you decide which policy fits your needs best, since many people would rather get some professional advice when buying car insurance for senior citizens. It’s not always simple to find the best coverage on your own, and getting advice from a licensed New York insurance agent can provide peace of mind knowing your coverage gives you adequate asset protection.
To find an agent nearest to you, click the button after the list.
- New Buffalo Insurance Agency, Inc.
14 E Tupper St – Buffalo, NY 14203 – (716) 332-1570 - George Ihle III – State Farm Insurance Agent
7718 Buffalo Ave – Niagara Falls, NY 14304 – (716) 283-9100 - Vanner Insurance Agency
11 Pinchot Ct # 2 – Buffalo, NY 14228 – (716) 688-8888 - State Farm: Dan Hawrylczak
1335 Hertel Ave – Buffalo, NY 14216 – (716) 873-3771