One of the more important considerations that are looked at to help calculate the cost of insurance is where you choose to live. Areas with a lot of weather claims or more people likely pay more, whereas more rural areas have the gratification of cheaper auto insurance rates.
The illustration below ranks the highest-priced places in New York for college students to purchase a policy in. Buffalo is ranked at #13 with an annual premium of $1,548 for car insurance, which is around $129 monthly.
Rank | City | Annual Rate |
---|---|---|
1 | New York | $2,708 |
2 | Freeport | $2,303 |
3 | Hempstead | $2,211 |
4 | Levittown | $2,061 |
5 | Mount Vernon | $1,978 |
6 | Yonkers | $1,978 |
7 | Brentwood | $1,929 |
8 | Hicksville | $1,919 |
9 | West Babylon | $1,913 |
10 | Coram | $1,714 |
11 | New Rochelle | $1,659 |
12 | White Plains | $1,629 |
13 | Buffalo | $1,548 |
14 | Cheektowaga | $1,216 |
15 | Niagara Falls | $1,201 |
16 | West Seneca | $1,189 |
17 | Tonawanda | $1,165 |
18 | Syracuse | $1,130 |
19 | Utica | $1,092 |
20 | Troy | $1,053 |
21 | Albany | $1,036 |
22 | Irondequoit | $1,031 |
23 | Rochester | $1,025 |
24 | Schenectady | $1,020 |
25 | Binghamton | $940 |
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Table data uses estimated as the vehicle garaging location can impact auto insurance rates considerably.
The make and model of vehicle on the policy is one of the primary factors when comparing quotes for cheaper car insurance for college students. Vehicles with limited speed and performance, good crash test ratings, or a low likelihood of liability claims will cost less to insure than higher performance models. The next list ranks coverage rates for a number of the most budget-friendly automobiles to buy coverage for.
Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
---|---|
Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $4,542 |
Ford Escape Limited 4WD | $4,900 |
Toyota Prius | $4,969 |
Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $5,093 |
Ford F-150 XL Crew Cab 4WD | $5,161 |
Chevrolet Impala LS | $5,314 |
Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $5,383 |
Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $5,389 |
Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $5,383 |
Dodge Grand Caravan Crew | $5,451 |
Ford Explorer Limited 2WD | $5,457 |
Ford F-350 XL Super Cab 2WD | $5,516 |
Honda Civic VP 4-Dr Sedan | $5,604 |
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Data assumes single female driver age 20, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and New York minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Premium amounts do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can change prices significantly.
Based upon these rates, you can conclude that models like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, and Toyota Prius will be the most affordable vehicles to insure for students in college. Car insurance rates will tend to be higher just because there is more exposure for college students, but in general those specific models will have the least expensive rates available.
Deciding which companies have the cheapest car insurance rates for college students takes a little more work in order to find the best price. Each auto insurer has their own unique process for filing rates in each state, so we need to take a look at the car insurance companies that tend to have lower prices in Buffalo.
It’s a good idea to know that Buffalo, NY car insurance rates are impacted by many factors which can substantially change the price you pay for coverage. Improving your credit rating, moving across town, or having an accident can trigger price changes resulting in some rates now being much cheaper than others.
Cheapest Insurance Rates for College Students
Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | USAA | $1,152 |
2 | Erie | $1,255 |
3 | Utica National | $1,549 |
4 | Allstate | $1,556 |
5 | Progressive | $1,558 |
6 | Travelers | $1,575 |
7 | MetLife | $1,588 |
8 | Amica | $1,628 |
9 | Preferred Mutual | $1,703 |
10 | New York Central Mutual | $1,836 |
11 | GEICO | $1,869 |
12 | Central Mutual | $1,948 |
13 | State Farm | $1,962 |
14 | Safeco | $1,966 |
15 | Liberty Mutual | $2,005 |
16 | Hanover | $2,323 |
17 | Encompass | $2,662 |
18 | Nationwide | $3,147 |
19 | Mercury | $3,809 |
20 | 21st Century | $4,455 |
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USAA may offer some of the best car insurance rates in Buffalo at around $1,152 annually. Erie, Utica National, Allstate, and Progressive also make the cut 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 earn an annual premium reduction of about $103. Policyholders with Utica National could save as much as $397 a year, and Allstate customers might reduce prices by as much as $404 a year.
To get a quick, customized rate comparison, click here to get quotes or feel free to get quotes from the companies below.
Understand that those prices are averages for all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and do not take into consideration an exact location for college students. So the insurer that fits your situation best may not even be in the list above. That helps illustrate why you need to compare rates from as many companies as possible using your own specific driver information and vehicle.
How careless driving impacts car insurance rates
One of the best ways to snag cheap car insurance prices in New York for students in college is to pay attention while driving and avoid traffic citations and accidents. The chart below illustrates how speeding tickets and fender-benders can influence yearly insurance costs for different ages of insureds. The rate quotes are based on a single male driver, comp and collision included, $250 deductibles, and no additional discounts are factored in.
The chart shows that the average cost of an auto insurance policy in Buffalo per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $1,396. Get written up for two speeding tickets and the average cost rises to $1,848, an increase of $452 each year. Now add two accidents along with the two speeding tickets and the yearly cost of car insurance for college students increases to an average of $3,509. That’s an increase of $2,113, or $176 per month, just for not driving carefully!
The information below highlights how deductible choice can impact insurance rates when trying to find cheap insurance for college students. The data is based on a married male driver, full coverage, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
The chart above illustrates that a 50-year-old driver could reduce rates by $250 a year by increasing from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $376 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Even younger drivers, like the 20-year-old, have the ability to save up to $838 annually by using a higher deductible.
When raising deductibles, it is necessary to have additional funds in a savings account to enable you to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense. That is the one drawback of using higher deductibles.
Finding a highly-rated auto insurance company can be a challenge considering how many different insurance companies sell coverage in Buffalo. The information in the next section can help you select which insurers you want to consider when shopping car insurance rates for college students.
The rankings below only include companies with a national presence, so companies without a large exposure are not taken into consideration for these rankings. If you wish to compare rates and find cheaper insurance for college students, just click here.
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 |
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Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
The professional agents shown below can help you determine which auto insurance policy fits you best, as some people prefer to have some advice when shopping around for cheaper insurance for students in college. It can be hard to find the best rates on your own, so getting advice from a licensed agent can give peace of mind knowing your coverage gives you suitable coverage if you ever need to use it.
To locate a Buffalo insurance agent using an interactive map, click the button after the list or click here to get price quotes now.
The Decker Agency, Inc.
37 Elmwood Ave – Buffalo, NY 14201 – (716) 883-1455
Charles P Faso, Inc.
860 Englewood Ave – Kenmore, NY 14223 – (716) 877-1702
Lou Santiago – State Farm Insurance Agent
557 Niagara St – Buffalo, NY 14201 – (716) 883-5500
C.N. Maranto Agency, Inc.
36 Hopkins Rd – Buffalo, NY 14221 – (716) 633-1818
Mesi Agency Inc
759 Dick Rd – Buffalo, NY 14225 – (716) 626-3355