editorial team analyzed thousands of real car insurance quotes from drivers in the state of California and conducted a nationwide study of drivers to find out which insurance companies are best meeting drivers’ needs in the Golden State. Here’s what we found.

The award goes to

1. Best California car insurance company overall: Clearcover

2. Best company for customer service:

Mercury

3. Cheapest car insurance company in California:

GEICO

The best car insurance companies in California

To identify the best auto insurance companies in California, Jerry’s team looked at three major factors:

The cost of coverage, as determined by analyzing thousands of real insurance quotes. Because most drivers in California need full coverage car insurance, we focused on full coverage rates.

Customer service, as scored by real drivers in a survey of over 15,000 real drivers and reflected in complaint indexes from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

Claims handling, as scored by real drivers and reflected in AM Best financial strength ratings, which measure a company’s ability to pay back claims.

Cheapest car insurance companies in California

The cost of auto insurance coverage varies from driver to driver, depending on a broad set of calculations that take into account:

Your driving experience

Your driving record

Your previous insurance history

Your vehicle, its value, and its safety record

Other members of your household

As a result, every driver is eligible for different quotes from the same company—and different companies may quote an individual driver vastly different rates. However, our research showed the following trends in insurance pricing in California:

Insurance company	Overall score	Average cost of full coverage	Average cost of minimum coverage
GEICO	4.0	$1,669	$421
State Farm	4.0	$1,791	$655
Travelers	4.6	$1,874	$581
Allstate	4.4	$1,925	$679
Clearcover	4.7	$1,960	$627
Kemper	4.3	$1,993	$706
Progressive	4.4	$2,031	$678
Mercury	4.1	$2,059	$745
Aspire Advantage	4.6	$2,442	$1,192

While GEICO and State Farm are typically the cheapest car insurance companies in California, be cautious—since mid-2022, both companies have raised rates by close to 25% across the board.1 So, while you might be eligible for an attractive starting rate, it’s not uncommon to see that price go up over time.

The bottom line: Compare real quotes from California car insurance companies to find the most affordable option for your budget.

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Best car insurance companies in California for customer service

To measure the quality of customer service provided by California car insurance companies, we looked at two measures of customer satisfaction:

Real customer ratings gathered in a survey of 15,000 drivers. We heard from drivers across the spectrum, from devoted and delighted customers to people who had nothing good to say about their provider.

NAIC complaint indexes, which measure how many official complaints an insurer receives relative to the industry average (higher values = more complaints). While this only captures complaints serious enough to make it to the NAIC, it’s a helpful metric of a company’s success rate with resolving complaints.

Insurance company	Overall score	Customer service	2022 NAIC complaint index (private passenger)
Mercury	4.1	4.4	0.59
Progressive	4.4	4.4	0.98
Clearcover	4.7	4.4	3.91
Aspire Advantage	4.6	4.4	5.40
Allstate	4.4	4.3	1.02
Travelers	4.6	4.2	10.10
State Farm	4.0	4.1	0.75
Kemper	4.3	4.1	2.16
GEICO	4.0	4.0	0.75

Mercury Insurance shone in this arena, with one of the highest customer service ratings from real users as well as the lowest overall rate of customer complaints logged by the NAIC.

"Cheapest full coverage option for my car to find. It was easy to set up and the sales rep was very responsive even after purchasing."

Lauren, LA California

| Verified Jerry Customer

Best car insurance companies in California for claims handling

Ideally, you won’t have to use your California car insurance policy—but if you do, it’s important to know that your insurance company can handle the claim. To study this, we looked at:

Real customer ratings of each insurance company’s claims process, which indicate how easy it is to file a claim and have it both approved and paid.

AM Best financial strength ratings, which evaluate a company’s financial ability to pay back claims.

Insurance company	Overall score	Claims handling	AM Best financial strength rating
Clearcover	4.7	4.9	B++ (Good)
Aspire Advantage	4.6	4.8	B+ (Good)
Travelers	4.6	4.6	A++ (Superior)
Mercury	4.1	4.6	A (Excellent)
State Farm	4.0	4.0	A++ (Superior)
Progressive	4.4	4.0	A+ (Superior)
GEICO	4.0	3.9	A++ (Superior)
Allstate	4.4	3.8	A+ (Superior)
Kemper	4.3	3.6	A- (Excellent)

In this area, we saw some discrepancies between user ratings and expert scores. Some companies, like GEICO, received low ratings from customers despite superior AM Best scores, while others, like Clearcover and Aspire Advantage, got nearly perfect scores from customers and lower financial strength ratings from AM Best.

Ultimately, we put more weight on user ratings. While an AM Best score indicates the company’s financial ability to honor claims, it doesn’t take into account a company’s willingness to approve claims or their speed and transparency in handling them. Those metrics are better reflected in the ratings of actual users—which puts Clearcover at the top of the pack in this category.

"I was paying $350 with my old car insurance, but with Clearcover even when I bought a more expensive car that made the insurance more expensive, it's still almost half the price of what I was paying before for the exact same coverage!"

Roselyn, LA California

| Verified Jerry Customer

How to save on your California auto insurance

No single insurance company in California offers the cheapest

car insurance

for everyone. Your car insurance premiums will vary depending on a number of factors, including the car you drive, your driving history, where you live, and the coverage options you choose.

To ensure you’re getting the best rates, compare auto insurance quotes from at least 3 to 5 insurance providers before you buy a policy. Jerry’s convenient insurance comparison mobile app can make this process quick and easy—we search for the best rates from our network of more than 50 of the nation’s top insurers.

Other strategies to lower your rates include:

Looking for discounts: Are you a full-time student? A good driver? A homeowner? Check with your insurance agent to see what

car insurance discounts

you may be eligible for.

Raise your deductibles: If you have full coverage, you need to pay a certain amount—your deductible—on every claim. The average cost of car insurance goes down as your deductible goes up.

Drive safe: Avoiding distractions and practicing defensive driving can help avoid at-fault accidents, speeding tickets, and other violations that can raise your rates.

Cutting corners on your California car insurance can leave you vulnerable

While you can save on the cost of car insurance by sticking to

California's state minimum coverage

, you could end up unprotected in the event of a serious car accident. It’s almost always a good idea to increase your liability coverage limits, and if you drive a newer vehicle, you’ll be best protected by adding comprehensive coverage and collision coverage to your policy.

For even more protection, consider adding the following coverage types:

Uninsured motorist/underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM)

Roadside assistance

Rental car reimbursement

Medical payments (MedPay)

FAQ

What is the number 1 car insurance in California?

According to real ratings from drivers in California, Clearcover is the #1 car insurance company in California.

Who is the cheapest car insurance company in California?

GEICO typically offers the cheapest starting rates to drivers in California for both full coverage and minimum car insurance.

What is the recommended car insurance coverage in California?

All drivers in California must carry at least $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident of bodily injury liability insurance, along with $5,000 of property damage liability insurance. However, agents recommend going beyond the legally required minimum insurance to purchase a full coverage policy with at least 50k/100k/50k liability insurance.

What’s the best car insurance right now?

Car insurance rates are constantly changing in California, and they vary based on your individual driver profile. To find the best car insurance in California right now, you’ll need to compare actual quotes from insurance companies in your area.

Which car insurance providers offer the best customer service in California?

According to survey data and NAIC complaint indexes, Mercury, Progressive, and Clearcover offer the best customer service for car insurance in California.

Which car insurance provider in California offers the best value for money?

When considering the cost of coverage alongside claims handling and customer service ratings, Clearcover offers the best value for money of any car insurance provider in California.

Meet our experts

R.E. Fulton

Licensed Insurance Agent —Senior Content Writer

R.E. Fulton is an expert insurance writer specializing in car ownership topics from car shopping and loan advice to insurance and repair guides. R.E.’s mission is to create unique and accessible content that helps readers to become more successful and independent car owners. R.E. has written and edited over 900 high-performing articles for Jerry, with an average of 1 million+ views.

As a senior writer on Jerry’s editorial team, R.E. draws on over 10 years of experience as a professional writer and digital publishing specialist. Prior to joining Jerry’s editorial team in 2021, R.E. worked as a writing coach at Columbia University, the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), and the University of Rochester. They serve as a managing editor for peer-reviewed history publication Nursing Clio, where their work has appeared regularly since 2015.

Sarah Gray

Licensed Insurance Agent — Expert Insurance Writer and Editor

Sarah Gray is an insurance writer with nearly a decade of experience in publishing and writing. Sarah specializes in writing articles that educate car owners and buyers on the full scope of car ownership—from shopping for and buying a new car to scrapping one that’s breathed its last and everything in between. Sarah has authored over 1,500 articles for Jerry on topics ranging from first-time buyer programs to how to get a salvage title for a totaled car.

Prior to joining Jerry, Sarah was a full-time professor of English literature and composition with multiple academic writing publications.

SOURCES

https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/us-private-auto-insurance-rates-see-double-digit-jump-in-2023-77178794