The make and model of vehicle you are seeking coverage for is one of the biggest factors that determines whether or not you find affordable coverage for welfare recipients. Vehicles with high performance engines, a lack of advanced safety features, or a history of substantial liability claims will cost much more to insure than more modest models.
The next table ranks insurance rates for a handful of the most affordable vehicles to buy coverage for.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLS 2WD | $1,412 |
| Ford F-150 STX Regular Cab 2WD | $1,549 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,560 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 2WD | $1,579 |
| Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,635 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $1,665 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan | $1,674 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 2WD | $1,665 |
| Hyundai Elantra GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $1,751 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 2WD | $1,765 |
| Volkswagen Jetta SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $1,784 |
| Dodge Ram Quad Cab TRX4 Off Road 2WD | $1,819 |
| Hyundai Sonata Limited 4-Dr Sedan | $1,905 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Hero | $1,910 |
| Ford Fusion S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,918 |
| Start Your Quote Go | |
Data variables include single female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Oregon minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, homeowner, and claim-free. Estimates do not factor in specific zip code location which can lower or raise rates greatly.
Based upon these rates, we can infer that models like the Ford Escape, Ford F-150, Toyota Prius, Ford Explorer, and Ford Focus are most likely to be some of the cheaper vehicles to insure for drivers on welfare.
For drivers on welfare, one of the big criteria that are looked at to determine the price you pay for insurance is where you live in Portland. Areas with more people or higher crime rates are more likely to pay higher prices, whereas areas with less congestion profit from lower rates.
The following table sorts the highest-priced areas in Oregon for welfare recipients to buy car insurance in. Portland is ranked at #2 having an annual price of $1,529 for the average insurance policy, which is around $127 per month.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gresham | $1,574 |
| 2 | Portland | $1,529 |
| 3 | Oregon City | $1,444 |
| 4 | Hillsboro | $1,380 |
| 5 | Lake Oswego | $1,364 |
| 6 | Newberg | $1,364 |
| 7 | Forest Grove | $1,360 |
| 8 | Beaverton | $1,356 |
| 9 | Keizer | $1,351 |
| 10 | Aloha | $1,349 |
| 11 | Woodburn | $1,346 |
| 12 | McMinnville | $1,338 |
| 13 | Tigard | $1,322 |
| 14 | Tualatin | $1,312 |
| 15 | West Linn | $1,308 |
| 16 | Salem | $1,306 |
| 17 | Redmond | $1,260 |
| 18 | Bend | $1,236 |
| 19 | Roseburg | $1,196 |
| 20 | Grants Pass | $1,191 |
| Compare Prices Now Go | ||
Table data uses comparative as the specific zip code location can lower or raise auto insurance rates significantly.
Deciphering which company has the cheapest auto insurance rates for welfare recipients calls for a little more work in order to find the lowest price quote.
Every car insurance company uses their own formula for filing rates in each state, so let’s look at the rankings for the overall cheapest auto insurance companies in Portland. Keep in mind that Oregon auto insurance rates are impacted by many things that control the price you have to pay. Simply getting older, getting married, or getting a ticket for careless driving can trigger changes in premium that can cause some rates to be cheaper than competitors.
Cheapest Insurance Rates in Oregon
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grange | $694 |
| 2 | Country | $831 |
| 3 | Oregon Mutual | $853 |
| 4 | Travelers | $914 |
| 5 | USAA | $970 |
| 6 | State Farm | $1,029 |
| 7 | Amica | $1,159 |
| 8 | Allied | $1,179 |
| 9 | GEICO | $1,179 |
| 10 | Mutual Enumclaw | $1,188 |
| 11 | California Casualty | $1,194 |
| 12 | Progressive | $1,235 |
| 13 | MetLife | $1,288 |
| 14 | 21st Century | $1,350 |
| 15 | American Family | $1,474 |
| 16 | Encompass | $1,622 |
| 17 | Allstate | $1,722 |
| 18 | Farmers | $1,954 |
| 19 | Safeco | $2,172 |
| 20 | Liberty Mutual | $2,508 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | ||
Grange has some of the lowest car insurance rates in Portland at around $694 per year. This is $784 less than the average premium paid by Oregon drivers of $1,478. Country, Oregon Mutual, Travelers, and USAA are also some of the cheapest Portland, OR auto insurance companies.
As depicted above, if you buy coverage from Country and switched to Grange, you may realize a yearly price reduction of upwards of $137. Drivers with Oregon Mutual could save as much as $159 a year, and Travelers customers might lower prices by $220 a year.
These policy prices are averaged across all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and do not factor in an exact location for welfare recipients. So the auto insurance company that fits you best may not even be in the top 22 companies in the list above. That points out the importance of why you need to compare as many prices as possible using your own driver data and vehicle information.
Full coverage versus liability only rates
Saving money on auto insurance is the goal of most people, and one way to lower the cost of insurance for welfare recipients is to not buy comprehensive and collision coverage. The example below illustrates the difference between yearly insurance costs with and without full coverage. The rate quotes are based on no accidents or driving violations, $250 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
If we average the cost for all age groups, physical damage coverage on your policy costs an extra $2,245 per year more than just insuring for liability. Many of you may wonder if full coverage is worth the money. There isn’t a written rule for excluding comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is 10% or more of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.
The diagram below demonstrates how choosing different deductibles can change annual premium costs when researching cheap insurance for welfare recipients. The rates are based on a single female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
The chart above illustrates that a 40-year-old driver could lower their policy premium by $342 a year by switching from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $516 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Even younger insureds, like the Age 20 chart data, could lower their rates $880 annually just by using higher deductibles. If you do decide to increase your deductibles, it will now be necessary to have plenty of discretionary funds to enable you to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense that comes with higher deductibles.
Here’s why you should shop around
Portland, OR auto insurance rates are determined by lots of factors which can significantly increase or decrease the price of your policy. Simply turning a year older, buying another vehicle, or getting a reckless driving citation may prompt premium changes that can now make some companies affordable when they were higher priced. In addition to those changes, auto insurance companies file new Oregon auto insurance rates multiple times each year in order to remain profitable. Significantly higher losses may cause more expensive premiums, while a lower level of claims can result in lower-priced Portland car insurance rates.
The chart below shows the company with the cheapest car insurance in Portland, OR for a 35-year-old male driver with no accidents or violations, and a decent credit rating. Based on his current risk factors, Grange might quote the lowest car insurance rates in Portland at $954 each year. This is $524 less than the average rate paid by Oregon drivers of $1,478. Oregon Mutual, Country, USAA, and Travelers are also included in the cheapest Portland, OR auto insurance companies.
In this next rate comparison, we will give the driver from above a claim surcharge, a lower credit score, and a traffic citation. Because every insurance company has a proprietary method for establishing rates, comparing insurance quotes could result in a significantly different list of cheap Portland auto insurance companies as shown below.
Amica now has the cheapest car insurance in Portland, OR with GEICO, Mutual Enumclaw, Oregon Mutual, and Country completing the list. This example shows why it is important to perform a complete rate comparison to find affordable car insurance quotes for welfare recipients.
Insurance prices consist of many risk factors and can increase or decrease at any time, so the best company three years ago may now be wasting a lot of money.