For veterans, one of the largest things that are used to help calculate the cost of insurance is your address in San Jose. Regions with larger populations or more claims are more likely to pay higher prices, whereas areas with less crime or weather claims benefit from lower coverage costs.
The table below ranks the highest-priced places in California for veterans to purchase auto insurance in. San Jose is listed at #17 with an annual premium of $1,437 for the average policyholder, which is about $120 monthly.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,168 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,142 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,745 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,704 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,669 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,644 |
| 7 | Stockton | $1,588 |
| 8 | Long Beach | $1,562 |
| 9 | Fontana | $1,535 |
| 10 | Santa Clarita | $1,533 |
| 11 | Modesto | $1,532 |
| 12 | Garden Grove | $1,524 |
| 13 | Moreno Valley | $1,491 |
| 14 | Santa Ana | $1,483 |
| 15 | Riverside | $1,482 |
| 16 | Fresno | $1,472 |
| 17 | San Jose | $1,437 |
| 18 | Anaheim | $1,430 |
| 19 | Huntington Beach | $1,416 |
| 20 | Fremont | $1,389 |
| 21 | Irvine | $1,384 |
| 22 | Bakersfield | $1,353 |
| 23 | Oxnard | $1,344 |
| 24 | San Diego | $1,340 |
| 25 | Chula Vista | $1,337 |
| Compare Prices Now Go | ||
Table data uses estimated as the vehicle garaging location can decrease or increase coverage rates greatly.
Finding reliable, reasonably-priced car insurance is easier said than done, and deciding which companies quote the cheapest auto insurance rates for veterans takes a little more work. Each auto insurer has a proprietary formula for setting prices, so to begin we’ll rank the auto insurance companies with the most affordable rates in San Jose, CA.
Best Auto Insurance Prices for Vets
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,155 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,181 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,190 |
| 4 | Nationwide | $1,213 |
| 5 | CSAA | $1,234 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,338 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,433 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,488 |
| 9 | Allstate | $1,513 |
| 10 | Progressive | $1,542 |
| 11 | GEICO | $1,559 |
| 12 | Allied | $1,588 |
| 13 | MetLife | $1,606 |
| 14 | The Hartford | $1,623 |
| 15 | Unitrin | $1,682 |
| 16 | Esurance | $1,688 |
| 17 | State Farm | $1,750 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,777 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,806 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,946 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | ||
USAA quotes some of the lowest car insurance rates in San Jose at around $1,155 each year. Wawanesa, Century National, Nationwide, and CSAA also qualify as some of the more affordable San Jose, CA insurance companies.
As shown in the rates above, if you currently have a policy with Century National and switched to USAA, you may realize a yearly savings of upwards of $35. Insureds with Nationwide could save as much as $58 a year, and CSAA policyholders might cut rates by $79 a year.
Understand that those policy rates are averaged across all drivers and vehicles and and are not figured with an exact vehicle garaging location for veterans. So the auto insurance company that can offer you the lowest price may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That point stresses why you need to get quotes using your own specific driver and vehicle information.
The diagram below illustrates how your choice of deductibles can change insurance prices when researching cheap insurance for veterans. The data is based on a married male driver, full coverage, and no discounts are factored in.
A 50-year-old driver could pocket $308 a year by changing their physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $466 by changing to a $1,000 deductible. Young drivers, like the 20-year-old example, could save $1,026 or more just by choosing higher deductibles.
If you do raise deductibles, it will be important to have enough savings to allow you to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the primary disadvantage of high deductibles.
Comparison of full coverage and liability-only policies
Saving money when shopping for auto insurance is the goal of most people, and one common way to buy cheap insurance for veterans is to not buy full coverage. The diagram below illustrates the comparison of premium costs when comparing full coverage to liability only. The rates are based on a clean driving record, no claims, $100 deductibles, marital status is single, and no policy discounts are applied.
Averaged out for all age groups, comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy costs $3,444 per year over having just liability coverage. That is a large expense and it proposes the question if you should buy full coverage. There is no definitive guideline to exclude full coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can use. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is 10% or more of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then it could be time to drop full coverage.
For example, let’s assume your vehicle’s replacement value is $8,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most you would get paid by your company is $7,000 after you pay the deductible. If premium cost is more than $700 a year for physical damage coverage, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.
There are some situations where only buying liability is not a good plan. If you still have a lienholder on your title, you are required to maintain full coverage in order to prevent the bank from purchasing higher-priced coverage. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should keep full coverage in place.
Which auto insurance company is best in California?
Selecting a highly-rated auto insurance provider is difficult considering how many companies there are in California. The rank data below may help you pick which companies to look at shopping your coverage with.
The rankings below are only comprised of companies that insure vehicles nationwide, so smaller regional companies will not be included in these rankings. If you wish to compare rates from these and other companies in California, click here.
Top 10 Large Auto Insurance Companies in San Jose Ranked by Value
- USAA
- American Family
- The Hartford
- AAA of Southern California
- Titan Insurance
- The General
- AAA Insurance
- State Farm
- Mercury Insurance
- Nationwide
Top 10 Large Auto Insurance Companies Overall in San Jose
- USAA
- American Family
- AAA of Southern California
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- AAA Insurance
- GEICO
- The General
- Titan Insurance
- Progressive
The agents listed below can provide answers to your questions and help you determine which auto insurance policy would work best for you, since lots of people like to get some professional input when trying to find lower insurance rates for veterans. It can be hard to find the cheapest car insurance policy, and using a licensed agent can give satisfaction knowing your policy gives you adequate protection in case of an accident or claim. To locate a San Jose insurance agent in your neighborhood, click the button after the list.
- John Hong – State Farm Insurance Agent
1777 Saratoga Ave #100 – San Jose, CA 95129 – (408) 777-8700 - Nhut Ho – State Farm Insurance Agent
2048 Tully Rd – San Jose, CA 95122 – (408) 223-6163 - Allstate Insurance: Valentine Deleon
1425 Foxworthy Ave b – San Jose, CA 95118 – (408) 266-8500 - Allstate Insurance: David Tofig
6116 Camino Verde Dr Ste 9 – San Jose, CA 95119 – (408) 281-9190
View more San Jose, CA insurance agents
How to find economical insurance for veterans
The list below summarizes some thrifty ideas that can help California drivers get cheaper coverage.
- Drive vehicles with five-star safety ratings
- Drivers with good credit often pay less
- Save money by insuring your home and auto with the same company
- Full coverage may not be needed on older vehicles
- Avoid accidents and claims
- Look for cheaper rates once a year by shopping around
That last tip is particularly valuable, as was emphasized in the prior article. Prices charged by companies can change considerably in a year, so don’t be tentative to change to a new company if you find a better deal. Loyalty to a specific company is fine, but it’s not a good idea if that stubbornness costs you lots of money. In just a couple of minutes you could compare rates and find cheaper insurance for veterans in San Jose.