One of the more important criteria that are looked at to help calculate the cost of insurance is the neighborhood you call home in Buffalo. Areas with more people or higher crime rates will most likely have higher rates, whereas areas with lower vehicle theft rates and fewer weather claims have the benefit of cheaper auto insurance prices.
The illustration below lists the highest-priced places in New York for state employees to purchase auto insurance in. Buffalo ranks #13 with an annual rate of $1,548 for the average insured, which is approximately $129 each month.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $2,735 |
| 2 | Hempstead | $2,301 |
| 3 | Freeport | $2,235 |
| 4 | Levittown | $2,001 |
| 5 | Yonkers | $1,920 |
| 6 | Mount Vernon | $1,919 |
| 7 | West Babylon | $1,913 |
| 8 | Hicksville | $1,862 |
| 9 | Brentwood | $1,853 |
| 10 | Coram | $1,766 |
| 11 | White Plains | $1,678 |
| 12 | New Rochelle | $1,627 |
| 13 | Buffalo | $1,548 |
| 14 | Niagara Falls | $1,225 |
| 15 | Cheektowaga | $1,216 |
| 16 | Tonawanda | $1,201 |
| 17 | West Seneca | $1,189 |
| 18 | Utica | $1,092 |
| 19 | Syracuse | $1,086 |
| 20 | Albany | $1,067 |
| Find Cheaper Insurance Go | ||
Prices are approximated as vehicle location can revise rates greatly.
The vehicle model you are trying to insure is one of the main factors when looking for affordable insurance for state employees. Vehicles with economical engines, excellent safety ratings, or a low likelihood of liability claims will cost substantially less to insure than adrenaline junky models.
The information below features auto insurance prices for a selection of the most economical vehicles to buy coverage for.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX 2WD | $2,186 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 2.5 Station Wagon | $2,371 |
| Ford Edge SEL 2WD | $2,539 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LT AWD | $2,589 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LTZ Crew Cab 4WD | $2,774 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LT Regular Cab 2WD | $2,780 |
| Nissan Rogue S AWD | $2,774 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $2,814 |
| Dodge Ram 3500 Crew Cab ST 2WD | $2,874 |
| Honda Odyssey EX W/Rear Entertainment | $2,915 |
| Ford Escape Limited 4WD | $2,918 |
| Hyundai Sonata Limited 4-Dr Sedan | $2,958 |
| Toyota Prius | $2,982 |
| Ford F-350 Crew Cab Lariat Turbo Diesel 2WD | $3,012 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LT | $3,025 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Sport Package 4WD | $3,030 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $3,113 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $3,126 |
| GMC Sierra 2500HD SLT Crew Cab 2WD | $3,146 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $3,177 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $3,187 |
| Toyota Camry LE | $3,177 |
| Ford Fusion Sport 4-Dr Sedan | $3,180 |
| Compare Cheap Rates Go | |
Data assumes single female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and New York minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, homeowner, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and safe-driver. Prices do not factor in Buffalo, NY location which can lower or raise coverage rates considerably.
Based on these rates, makes and models like the Honda CR-V, Volkswagen Jetta, Ford Edge, and Chevrolet Equinox will be some of the less-costly vehicles to insure for state workers.
Buying budget car insurance is not always easy, and figuring out which company has the most affordable insurance rates for state employees calls for even more diligence.
Each auto insurer uses their own method to set premium rates, so let’s take a look at the most competitive insurance companies in Buffalo.
Best Cheap Insurance Rates in New York
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,199 |
| 2 | Erie | $1,255 |
| 3 | Progressive | $1,496 |
| 4 | Utica National | $1,549 |
| 5 | Allstate | $1,556 |
| 6 | Travelers | $1,559 |
| 7 | Amica | $1,580 |
| 8 | MetLife | $1,636 |
| 9 | Preferred Mutual | $1,703 |
| 10 | GEICO | $1,869 |
| 11 | New York Central Mutual | $1,874 |
| 12 | Safeco | $1,888 |
| 13 | State Farm | $1,924 |
| 14 | Central Mutual | $2,008 |
| 15 | Liberty Mutual | $2,087 |
| 16 | Hanover | $2,323 |
| 17 | Encompass | $2,610 |
| 18 | Nationwide | $3,147 |
| 19 | Mercury | $3,848 |
| 20 | 21st Century | $4,281 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||
USAA has some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Buffalo at around $1,199 each year. This is $876 less than the average premium paid by New York drivers of $2,075. Erie, Progressive, Utica National, and Allstate would also be considered some of the more affordable Buffalo, NY car insurance companies.
In the above rates, if you are a customer of Utica National and switched to USAA, you could earn savings of around $350. Drivers with Allstate might save as much as $357 a year, and Travelers insureds might lower prices by up to $360 a year.
If you want to see how much you could save, click here to get quotes or quote prices from the following companies.
These policy rates are averages for all insureds and vehicles and are not factoring in a specific zip code for state employees. So the insurer that can offer you the best rate may not even be in the list above. That underscores the importance of why you need to compare as many prices as possible using your own specific driver information and vehicle.
Selecting the top insurance company can be a challenge considering how many different companies sell coverage in Buffalo. The company ratings shown below may help you select which car insurance companies to look at shopping your coverage with.
The ratings below include insurance companies that insure vehicles in the majority of U.S. states, so companies that focus mainly on New York business are not factored into the list. To get price quotes from these and other companies in New York, click this link.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The General | 96 | 100 | 92 | 91% | A- | 95 |
| Mercury Insurance | 87 | 96 | 100 | 87% | A+ | 93.4 |
| The Hartford | 88 | 96 | 91 | 93% | A+ | 92.6 |
| Progressive | 84 | 94 | 99 | 90% | A+ | 92.4 |
| Travelers | 84 | 93 | 100 | 87% | A++ | 92.3 |
| State Farm | 84 | 93 | 95 | 87% | A++ | 91 |
| Farmers Insurance | 87 | 92 | 90 | 85% | A | 90.6 |
| Erie Insurance | 92 | 90 | 82 | 88% | A+ | 88.5 |
| Safeco Insurance | 85 | 91 | 87 | 86% | A | 88.4 |
| USAA | 71 | 93 | 98 | 87% | A++ | 88 |
| GEICO | 73 | 93 | 95 | 85% | A++ | 87.1 |
| 21st Century | 85 | 85 | 91 | 89% | A | 86.9 |
| Liberty Mutual | 72 | 91 | 97 | 83% | A | 86.4 |
| AAA Insurance | 85 | 85 | 88 | 86% | A | 85.8 |
| Nationwide | 71 | 90 | 93 | 83% | A+ | 84.9 |
| Allstate | 69 | 92 | 92 | 83% | A+ | 84.4 |
| American Family | 77 | 96 | 80 | 85% | A | 83.8 |
| Esurance | 70 | 80 | 89 | 77% | A+ | 79.2 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
The illustration below shows how different deductible levels can increase or decrease insurance costs when getting quotes for cheap insurance for state employees. The prices are based on a single female driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are applied.
In the chart above, a 30-year-old driver could pocket $242 a year by changing their physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $364 by choosing a $1,000 deductible. Youthful drivers, like the Age 20 chart data, could possibly save $532 every year by selecting a higher deductible. If you do decide to increase your deductibles, it will be required to have enough funds in savings to offset the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the one shortcoming of high deductibles.
How violations and accidents impact rates
The obvious way to earn the best insurance premiums for state workers is to drive safe and not get tickets or have accidents. The example below shows how violations and fender-benders can raise car insurance costs for each different age group. The data is based on a married male driver, full physical damage coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
The data in the chart shows the average cost of a car insurance policy per year with no violations or accidents is $1,173. Factor in two speeding tickets and the average cost rises to $1,613, an increase of $441 each year. Then add in two accidents along with the two speeding tickets and the annual cost of insurance for state employees jumps again to an average of $3,264. That’s an increase of $2,091, or $174 per month, just for not driving carefully!
Your cheap policy may actually be overpriced
New York insurance rates are impacted by many factors that control your annual premium. Improving your credit score, moving across town, or getting a couple of tickets can produce rate changes resulting in some companies being affordable when they were higher priced. In addition, car insurance companies file new New York car insurance rates as needed in order to offset underwriting gains or losses. An extended period of higher than normal claims may result in high rates, while better underwriting can cause cheaper Buffalo car insurance rates.
The data below shows the company with the cheapest car insurance in Buffalo, NY for a 30-year-old female driver with no prior claims, no tickets, and a decent credit rating. When comparing rates based on her current risk factors, USAA may offer the lowest car insurance rates in Buffalo at $2,012 each year. This is $63 less than the average price paid by New York drivers of $2,075. Erie, Progressive, Travelers, and Utica National round out the rest of the best Buffalo, NY auto insurance companies.
Let’s now give the driver from the first set of rates some claims, poor credit, and a traffic ticket or two. Due to the fact that every insurance company uses a different method for establishing rates, getting updated rate quotes may result in a significantly different list of companies as shown below.
Allstate now has the cheapest auto insurance in Buffalo, NY with MetLife, Erie, Preferred Mutual, and New York Central Mutual also being competitive. This example demonstrates why it is critical to shop around to find the lowest car insurance quotes for state employees. Insurance prices are impacted by many risk factors and can change substantially, so the cheapest company the last time you shopped your coverage around may now be costing you a lot of money.