Best Cheap Car Insurance in San Antonio, Texas

• Auto insurance in San Antonio costs around the Texas average. Full coverage in the city costs $2,318 per year on average, while minimum coverage costs an average of $846 annually.
• Texas Farm Bureau, State Farm, and USAA have the cheapest auto insurance rates in San Antonio and also have high customer satisfaction ratings.
• While average rates can help you get an idea of what you’ll pay, the rates you’re quoted will vary based on factors like where you live, the vehicle you drive, and your driving history.

Texas Farm Bureau offers the most affordable rates for full coverage auto insurance in San Antonio at $1,418 per year on average, which is 39 percent below the city average. USAA (for those eligible) and State Farm also have competitive full coverage rates.

Texas Farm Bureau also has the cheapest minimum coverage rates in San Antonio at only $585 per year on average. That’s 31 percent cheaper than the city average. USAA and GEICO’s average annual premiums are also below average.

Texas Farm Bureau, State Farm, and USAA offer some of the cheapest rates in San Antonio for both minimum and full coverage, and they also have excellent customer service ratings.

Here’s a look at the highlights:

Texas Farm Bureau

• Why we chose it: Texas Farm Bureau is a Texas-specific insurance company, although it’s affiliated with the national American Farm Bureau Federation. It relies on local agents to provide personalized service to policyholders, and its excellent customer satisfaction ratings reflect this. It also has the cheapest average rates in San Antonio for both full and minimum coverage, even beating out USAA, making it an excellent choice for auto insurance.
• Who it’s best for: Customers who want the cheapest rates and only need common add-on coverages like roadside assistance. Note that to purchase Texas Farm Bureau insurance, you must be a Farm Bureau member, which comes with an annual fee (typically $45 to $70).

State Farm

• Why we chose it: State Farm consistently has some of the highest customer satisfaction ratings of the major national providers, likely due in large part to its broad network of local agents. It ranked third in J.D. Power’s Auto Insurance Study for the Texas region specifically, and also ranked above average on J.D. Power’s Claims Satisfaction Study. State Farm offers a variety of coverages, as well as bundling opportunities and other discounts to help policyholders save even further.
• Who it’s best for: Safe drivers who want an insurer with affordable rates and local agents, without membership requirements. It’s also great for families with young drivers thanks to its Steer Clear telematics program. Note that State Farm does not offer standard gap coverage or accident forgiveness.

USAA

• Why we chose it: USAA is only available to active military members, veterans, and their families, but for those eligible, it offers excellent customer service and very competitive rates. It technically isn’t ranked on J.D. Power’s studies against other insurers due to its restrictive eligibility criteria, but it earned the highest score on all the most recent studies. It also offers great discounts to policyholders, including a telematics program (USAA SafePilot) that rewards safe driving.
• Who it’s best for: Members of the military community and their families who are eligible for membership and want to take advantage of USAA’s specialized offerings.

Summary

*USAA technically doesn’t qualify to rank on J.D. Power studies due to its eligibility restrictions.

Honorable mention

GEICO

GEICO is another insurer that has below-average rates in San Antonio — in fact, it has slightly cheaper average rates than State Farm for minimum coverage — but it falls a bit short of our top picks in terms of customer service. That said, it still ranked above average in J.D. Power’s study for the Texas region with a score of 653. GEICO has robust and user-friendly online tools, allowing for online quotes and purchasing, and offers a variety of coverage options, including accident forgiveness and mechanical breakdown insurance.

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, there were 40,450 total car accidents in San Antonio in 2023, the most recent year for which data is available.⁴ 166 of those were fatal crashes, which killed a total of 171 people.

There were 541 accidents that caused serious injuries, 5,434 that caused minor injuries, and another 25,951 that did not cause any injuries. The remaining crashes were of unknown severity.

While the total number of crashes increased slightly from 2022, the number of fatal crashes decreased from 186 in 2022.

Texas state law requires drivers to carry a minimum amount of car insurance in order to drive legally. The minimum limits are as follows:

• Bodily Injury Liability: $30,000 per person/$60,000 per accident
• Property Damage Liability: $25,000 per accident

While it’s not required by law, you may also consider including uninsured/underinsured motorist and personal injury protection coverage on your policy — insurers are required to offer these coverages, but you may reject them in writing if you wish.

We analyzed average premiums for full and minimum coverage in San Antonio, Texas, for good drivers with good credit. Full coverage averages use the following limits:

• Bodily injury liability: $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident
• Property damage liability: $100,000 per accident
• Uninsured and underinsured motorist bodily injury: $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident
• Comprehensive and collision: $500 deductible

We assess customer satisfaction and claims practices through third-party sources such as J.D. Power, CRASH Network, and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).