12+ years writing about insurance and personal finance
Emily is a widely recognized expert on personal finance and has authored several personal finance books. She’s a frequent guest on national and regional media.
As Insurify’s home and pet insurance editor, Danny also specializes in auto insurance. His goal is to help consumers navigate the complex world of insurance buying.
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
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Most North Carolinians pay less for car insurance than the national overall average of $139 per month. Charlotte drivers, however, aren’t so fortunate. The overall cost of car insurance in Charlotte is about 25% higher than the state average, and 2% more than the national average.
Charlotte is North Carolina’s biggest city by population, having grown by more than 23,000 new residents since 2020, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Its population size and rapid commercial and residential growth likely contribute to higher car insurance rates in the Queen City.
But Charlotte drivers can still find affordable car insurance, especially if they have clean driving records and good credit. Here’s what you need to know to navigate the Charlotte car insurance market.
Quick Facts
Charlotte has the highest average monthly car insurance rates in North Carolina.
North Carolina requires all drivers to carry uninsured motorist insurance.
Insurers in North Carolina may consider your credit score when calculating your car insurance rates.
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Best car insurance companies in Charlotte
Finding the best car insurance companies in Charlotte depends on your coverage needs and driving history. You can find the right auto insurance coverage for your needs by comparing quotes from multiple insurers.
Below are some of the best auto insurance options in Charlotte.
The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-five scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores.
4.3
JD Power
J.D. Power data measures overall customer satisfaction and claims satisfaction based on a 1,000-point scale.
829
Liability Only
Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages.
$65/mo
Full Coverage
Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible.
$97/mo
Travelers was founded in 1864 and issued its first auto insurance policy in 1897, making it the first auto insurer in the United States. The company is one of the largest insurers in the country, offering affordable rates and robust coverage options.
Pros
Wide array of optional coverages, including gap insurance, roadside assistance, rental coverage, and more
Savings possible via many available discounts, including multi-policy, multi-car, continuous insurance, good driver, and more. Drivers can also save with a usage-based telematics program.
Cons
Below-average customer satisfaction score, according to the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Auto Insurance Study
Rideshare insurance not available
They have the lowest rates I could find.
Elise - September 11, 2023
Verified
They are one of the few companies writing policies for a full year. All these "discount companies " miss lead you by quoting 6 month policies.
The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-five scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores.
4.4
JD Power
J.D. Power data measures overall customer satisfaction and claims satisfaction based on a 1,000-point scale.
870
Liability Only
Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages.
$52/mo
Full Coverage
Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible.
$78/mo
Nearly 100 years old, Erie is a reliable and affordable auto insurer. J.D. Power’s 2023 U.S. Auto Insurance Study ranked Erie among the best for customer satisfaction in the Southeast region.
Pros
Erie Rate Lock feature allows for consistent premium costs
Accident forgiveness and diminishing deductibles available
Cons
Several complaints about Erie on the Better Business Bureau website
No usage-based insurance premiums
Over the years, they have always gone over and above what I would have expected. They are fair and prompt in customer service issues. They have always tailored my policy to meet my needs at a very fair price.
The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-five scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores.
3.2
A.M. Best
A.M. Best analyzes an insurer’s financials, operating performance, business profile, and other factors to generate an opinion-based rating of a company’s financial and credit strength. Ratings range from A++ (exceptional) to D (poor).
A
Liability Only
Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages.
$66/mo
Full Coverage
Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible.
$74/mo
Drivers in the Southeast who other insurers have turned down can access non-standard policies from Direct Auto. Since 1991, this Nashville-based insurer has offered affordable policies to drivers with adverse driving histories.
Pros
Offers affordable insurance to higher-risk drivers
Flexible payment options, including choice of payment date and schedule and choice of paying online, in person, or on the phone
Cons
No homeowners insurance, a common product to bundle with auto insurance
BBB website customer review average rating of 1.11/5, based on 72 reviews
Cheapest liability-only car insurance in Charlotte
Liability-only car insurance pays for the damage to another person’s property or their medical costs if you cause an accident. Liability-only insurance won’t pay for your own vehicle damage or medical care, however.[1]
Cost-conscious drivers might choose liability-only coverage since it has lower premiums. But at-fault drivers who only have liability insurance must pay out of pocket for their own repairs and medical bills. Charlotte drivers may want to consider liability-only coverage from the following insurers.
The below rates are estimated rates current as of: Monday, September 18 at 12:00 PM PDT.
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Charlotte
Many drivers may feel more comfortable with full-coverage car insurance than a liability-only policy. Full-coverage insurance generally includes collision and comprehensive coverage.
Collision coverage will pay to repair or replace your car if you cause an accident, while comprehensive coverage will pay when your vehicle is damaged by something other than an accident. For example, if a tree falls on your car, comprehensive coverage will pay to replace it.
Charlotte-area drivers may want to consider one of these full-coverage car insurance companies:
The below rates are estimated rates current as of: Monday, September 18 at 12:00 PM PDT.
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Car insurance requirements in North Carolina
North Carolina is an at-fault state, which means insurers determine who’s at fault in causing an accident. In other words, if you cause an accident, your insurance will pay to repair property damage and cover medical costs for the other party.
North Carolina also follows the pure contributory negligence rule, which specifies that a person even 1% at fault in contributing to an accident can’t sue for damages.
Finally, all drivers in the Tar Heel State also must carry uninsured motorist coverage, which pays out if a driver without insurance causes an accident that damages your car or causes an injury.[2]
Coverage
Minimum Requirements
Bodily injury liability
$30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident
Property damage liability
$25,000 per accident
Uninsured motorist coverage
Equal to a policy’s bodily injury liability limits but no higher than $1 million
Though the above liability levels are the minimum requirements to drive in North Carolina legally, many drivers increase their auto insurance coverage. That may mean purchasing higher liability limits or buying additional coverages, such as:
Collision coverage
Collision coverage will pay to repair or replace your vehicle if you cause an accident. Since North Carolina is an at-fault state that follows the pure contributory negligence rule, this type of coverage can be very important for drivers’ financial protection.
Comprehensive coverage
Comprehensive coverage pays to repair or replace your car if it’s damaged because of something other than an accident, such as vandalism, weather, flood, or theft.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an incident
Incidents on your driving record can make it tougher to find cheap car insurance in Charlotte, since any adverse incident in your driving history — such as speeding tickets, at-fault accidents, or DUIs — will increase your rates. Once you have a single incident on your record, insurers are more likely to see you as a potential risk and raise your rates or even drop you as a customer altogether.
This doesn’t mean drivers with a spotty history are totally out of luck. Some insurers specialize in higher-risk drivers, and many insurance companies will continue to cover you even after an incident. Here’s how you can find affordable insurance in Charlotte after a driving incident.
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Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a speeding ticket
Speeding may seem like a harmless way to shave a few minutes off your commute, but it’s a dangerous habit that can easily turn lethal. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 32% of traffic fatalities in North Carolina in 2020 were speeding-related.
This is why both law enforcement and insurance companies take speeding seriously. Receiving a speeding ticket indicates that you need to slow down, and your insurance company will likely raise your rates after you receive just one citation for speeding.
If you’ve received a speeding ticket, the following insurers offer the cheapest car insurance for Charlotte drivers.
The below rates are estimated rates current as of: Monday, September 18 at 12:00 PM PDT.
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident
It’s likely that your insurance company will raise your rates after you’ve been found at fault in an accident. Depending on the severity of the accident and your driving history, your insurance company may drop you after an at-fault accident, though this is uncommon.
Though finding an insurance policy you can afford after an at-fault accident may be more challenging, these insurance companies offer the cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident in Charlotte.
The below rates are estimated rates current as of: Monday, September 18 at 12:00 PM PDT.
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a DUI
Driving under the influence endangers everyone on the road, and the severity of a DUI is reflected in increased car insurance rates. “A DUI can make it very difficult for you to obtain standard auto insurance,” says Mark Friedlander, director of corporate communications for the Insurance Information Institute. “You could pay 100% or more for coverage compared to a driver with a clean record.”
If you have a DUI on your record, you will find the cheapest insurance for your circumstances from the following companies.
The below rates are estimated rates current as of: Monday, September 18 at 12:00 PM PDT.
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Age has its privileges, especially regarding lower car insurance rates. Car insurance premiums are generally at their highest for teens and young adults, with rates decreasing after age 35. Premiums tend to remain low for safe drivers until age 75, when slower reaction times and other physical and mental declines come into play and make senior drivers a little more likely to get into accidents, despite having decades of experience.
The following companies in Charlotte, North Carolina, offer the cheapest car insurance for senior drivers.
The below rates are estimated rates current as of: Monday, September 18 at 12:00 PM PDT.
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Cheapest car insurance for teens
Teenagers exhibit some seriously risky behavior on the road, so insurance companies typically charge higher rates to teenage drivers. Insurers know these drivers are among the most likely to get into accidents, so they account for the increased risk.
Teens and their parents can lower their insurance rates. Some common strategies include:
Stay on your parents’ insurance policy. This is generally cheaper than purchasing a separate policy for a younger driver.
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
How to get the cheapest car insurance in Charlotte
Getting the cheapest car insurance in Charlotte will depend on your specific situation. Insurers determine your premium costs based on a number of factors, including your driving record, the age, make, and model of your car, your annual mileage, and the level of coverage you choose.
You have several ways to reduce your auto insurance costs to make sure you’re getting the best coverage at the right price. Here’s how:
Drive safely. The most effective way to keep your car insurance costs low is to maintain a clean driving record.
Compare quotes. Each insurance company uses its own calculations to determine your rates. Comparing quotes from multiple companies can help you find the best price.
Take advantage of discounts. Discounts are a common way for insurance companies to entice and keep their customers. You may be able to get a discount by bundling your auto and home insurance, paying in advance, driving fewer miles than average, or driving a car with anti-theft devices.
Raise your deductible. Your insurance company will lower your rates if you increase your deductible. If you feel confident about your ability to pay a higher deductible, this can be an easy way to reduce your insurance costs.
Drivers with less-than-perfect credit scores should do what they can to improve their scores. Not only will that help their ability to qualify for credit, but it may also help lower their insurance costs.
This is the average monthly cost of full-coverage insurance in Charlotte by credit tier.
Rates by Credit Tier
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Is car insurance more expensive in Charlotte?
Both full-coverage and liability-only car insurance is more expensive in Charlotte compared to the average rate in North Carolina. The state average for full-coverage insurance is $159 per month, while Charlotte’s average cost is $192 per month. Liability-only coverage averages just $69 per month over the whole of North Carolina, while Charlotte residents pay an average of $92 per month for the same level of coverage.
The widely varying costs of insurance within a state — or even within the same city — generally have to do with geographical factors, population density, crime statistics, and even demographics. This is why some cities, like Charlotte, have higher average insurance rates than other cities within the same state.
More cities in North Carolina
Understanding the average insurance rates in other cities in the state can help Charlotte residents make the best decisions about their insurance coverage. Here’s how Charlotte compares:
City
Average Monthly Quote
Compared to Charlotte
Durham
$148
-23%
Greensboro
$155
-19%
High Point
$146
-24%
Raleigh
$137
-29%
Winston-Salem
$128
-33%
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Charlotte car insurance FAQs
Finding the best car insurance can be a challenge. Below, you’ll find answers to some commonly asked questions about how to find the best auto insurance in Charlotte.
How much is car insurance in Charlotte?
Car insurance in Charlotte costs $142 per month, on average. Drivers in the state pay $192 per month for full-coverage insurance and $92 per month for liability coverage. Your unique premium will depend on your insurer, driving record, age, credit history, vehicle type, chosen coverage level, and more.
What are the best car insurance companies in Charlotte?
With an Insurify Quality (IQ) Score of 4.2 out of 5 and an A.M. Best financial strength rating of A++ (Superior), Travelers is the best car insurance company in Charlotte. Of the insurers Insurify has rate data for, other top Charlotte choices include Erie and Direct Auto.
Is North Carolina a no-fault state?
No. North Carolina is an at-fault state, meaning that the driver at fault is responsible for paying the injured party’s expenses.
What are the penalties for driving without insurance in North Carolina?
Driving without insurance in North Carolina can lead to fines, a suspended license, and even jail time.
Methodology
Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 90 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 50+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.
Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).
Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:
Bodily injury limits between state-minimum rates and $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
Property damage limits between $10,000 and $50,000
No additional coverage
Full-coverage premium averages correspond to the same bodily injury and property damage limits in addition to:
Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible
Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible
Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.
Emily Guy Birken is a former educator, lifelong money nerd, and a Plutus Award-winning freelance writer who specializes in the scientific research behind irrational money behaviors. Her background in education allows her to make complex financial topics relatable and easily understood by the layperson.
Her work has appeared on The Huffington Post, Business Insider, Kiplinger's, MSN Money, and The Washington Post online.
She is the author of several books, including The 5 Years Before You Retire, End Financial Stress Now, and the brand new book Stacked: Your Super Serious Guide to Modern Money Management, written with Joe Saul-Sehy.
As Insurify’s home and pet insurance editor, Danny also specializes in auto insurance. His goal is to help consumers navigate the complex world of insurance buying.
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
Travelers
Erie Insurance
Direct Auto
