Key takeaways
- The average cost of home insurance in South Carolina is $2,502 a year.
- We saw rates as cheap as $758 a year.
- Allstate offers the cheapest average rate in South Carolina.
In this article, we’ll cover
How much is home insurance in South Carolina?
South Carolina homeowners pay $209 a month for standard homeowners insurance, on average. That's about 27% higher than the national average home insurance rate of $159 a month. Reasons for the higher rates are in part due to the state's high crime rate and the frequency of hurricanes and floods.
| Region | Average annual rate | |
|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | $2,502 | |
| U.S. | $1,903 | |
| Note: Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | ||
The deductible you choose also affects your home insurance rate. The higher your deductible, the lower your rate. Increasing your deductible from $500 to $2,000 can drop your monthly rate by 19%. Below are average home insurance rates for different deductibles in South Carolina.
| Deductible | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| $500 | $2,700 |
| $1,000 | $2,502 |
| $1,500 | $2,381 |
| $2,000 | $2,199 |
| Note: Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | |
Insurance rates by dwelling coverage
The dwelling coverage amount you need for home insurance considerably affects your rate. The dwelling coverage amount should equal the cost of rebuilding your home. We listed average annual rates based on dwelling coverage in the table below.
| Dwelling coverage amount | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| $200,000 | $2,016 |
| $275,000 | $2,502 |
| $350,000 | $3,081 |
| $425,000 | $3,687 |
| $500,000 | $4,304 |
| Note: Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | |
South Carolina's cheapest home insurance companies
Among the major home insurance providers operating in South Carolina, Allstate has the cheapest average rate of $84 a month.
This is significantly less than the rest of the home insurance companies in South Carolina. The second-cheapest rates are from USAA and State Farm, at $167 and $168 a month, respectively.
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Allstate | $1,008 |
| Progressive | $3,227 |
| Farmers | $3,414 |
| Nationwide | $2,685 |
| SC Farm Bureau | $2,983 |
| State Farm | $2,010 |
| Travelers | $2,892 |
| UPC Insurance | $2,288 |
| USAA | $2,009 |
| Note: Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | |
Find your best rate on home insurance in South Carolina
Best home insurance companies in South Carolina
After looking at the pricing, policy offerings and customer satisfaction rankings of the top insurers operating in South Carolina, we picked the following homeowners insurance companies as the best in the state.
Cheapest rates: Allstate
Allstate has the cheapest average homeowners insurance rate in South Carolina, at $1,008 a year. This is less than half the average state rate of $2,502. The table below shows Allstate's average rates in South Carolina's biggest cities.
| City | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Charleston | $758 |
| Columbia | $1,081 |
| North Charleston | $758 |
| Mount Pleasant | $758 |
| Greenville | $1,089 |
| Note: Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | |
Along with cheap rates, Allstate offers a variety of discounts. You can save up to 25% if you bundle your home and auto policies. You can also save up to 20% when you switch to Allstate without a recent home insurance claim. Allstate also offers a loyalty discount, a new home or recent home buyer discount and a protective device discount.
Best for customer service: USAA and State Farm
We recommend USAA and State Farm because of their positive customer service reputations. USAA earned an overall customer satisfaction rating of 884 out of 1,000 in J.D. Power's 2022 U.S. Home Insurance Study. This is the highest score in the study. However, USAA is only available to military personnel, veterans and their families.
USAA also offers replacement cost coverage, which covers your personal belongings based on today's replacement cost with no depreciation if they're damaged or destroyed.
We also recommend State Farm for South Carolina homeowners due to its high customer satisfaction rating. State Farm earned an overall customer satisfaction rating of 829 out of 1,000 in J.D. Power's 2022 Home Insurance Study, which is higher than the average score of 819.
Home insurance rates in South Carolina by city
Greer has the cheapest home insurance among South Carolina's largest cities, at an average rate of $1,710 a year. Mount Pleasant has the highest home insurance rate, at $3,550 a year.
| City | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Charleston | $3,508 |
| Columbia | $1,991 |
| North Charleston | $2,899 |
| Mount Pleasant | $3,550 |
| Greenville | $1,834 |
| Rock Hill | $1,995 |
| Summerville | $2,731 |
| Goose Creek | $2,803 |
| Greer | $1,710 |
| Sumter | $2,133 |
| Note: Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | |
Home insurance rates in South Carolina by county
Of the 10 largest counties in South Carolina, residents pay the cheapest rates for home insurance in Greenville County, at $1,760 a year. Horry County has the most expensive annual rate, $4,099.
| County | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Greenville | $1,760 |
| Richland | $2,018 |
| Charleston | $3,396 |
| Horry | $4,099 |
| Spartanburg | $1,874 |
| Lexington | $1,899 |
| York | $1,805 |
| Berkeley | $2,795 |
| Anderson | $1,835 |
| Beaufort | $3,128 |
| Note: Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | |
Common home insurance perils in South Carolina
Since South Carolina borders the Atlantic Ocean, it's susceptible to hurricanes. South Carolina has the fifth-most hurricanes in the U.S., according to the National Hurricane Center. South Carolina also has a high risk of flooding.
A standard home insurance policy doesn't cover flooding, but you can purchase a separate flood insurance policy. There are two main options if you want to get flood coverage: flood insurance through the NFIP, which is backed by the U.S. government, or through a private flood insurance company.
According to USA Today, South Carolina is in the top 10 states for most violent crimes per capita. Crime rates in your area can affect how much you pay for home insurance.
Methodology
We obtained quotes for a standard HO-3 homeowners insurance policy on a typical home in every ZIP code in South Carolina. Unless otherwise noted, standard policies included the following limits and deductibles.
- Dwelling: $275,000
- Other structures: $27,500
- Personal property: $137,500
- Loss of use: $55,000
- Liability: $100,000
- Medical payments: $5,000
- Deductible: $1,000
Sources:
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