Cheapest Car Insurance in Arkansas (2004)
- Expertise: Auto insurance, home insurance and renters insurance
- Education: Sonoma State University (BA in English)
Aaron Besson has worked at LendingTree for more than seven years and has been a staff writer for the last five years. He specializes in producing research-backed content about auto, home and renters insurance. Aaron enjoys the deep dig into insurance data to get the right answers to hard questions. His work has been cited by CBS, iHeart Radio, the Sacramento Bee and Yahoo.
State Farm has the cheapest auto insurance in Arkansas for most drivers. However, Teen drivers and those with a DUI or poor credit might find more affordable rates with Farm Bureau.
And while USAA has the overall cheapest average car insurance in Arkansas, it only offers policies to active duty and veteran military, as well as their family members.
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Arkansas: State Farm
State Farm has the cheapest rate for full-coverage auto insurance for most Arkansas drivers, at an average of $1,209 a year.
USAA is the overall cheapest car insurance in Arkansas, with an average rate of $900 a month. However, they only provide coverage to members of the military and their families.
Farm Bureau is the next most affordable option for most drivers in Arkansas at $1,321 a year. To compare, Arkansas has an average car insurance rate of $1,879 a year.
Cheapest companies for full-coverage car insurance
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $1,209 |
| Farm Bureau | $1,321 |
| Shelter | $1,696 |
| Nationwide | $1,943 |
| Geico | $2,230 |
| Farmers | $2,316 |
| Travelers | $2,350 |
| Progressive | $2,412 |
| Allstate | $2,415 |
| USAA* | $900 |
Full-coverage car insurance is not an actual type of car insurance. Rather, it’s a combination of liability, collision and comprehensive coverage.
- Liability coverage covers injury and property damages to others if an accident was your fault.
- Collision coverage takes care of damage to your vehicle after an accident.
- Comprehensive coverage handles noncollision damage, like a falling tree limb or theft.
While Arkansas doesn’t require drivers to carry full-coverage car insurance, auto lenders will likely require you to carry it if you financed your car.
Cheapest Arkansas liability coverage: State Farm
State Farm is the cheapest option for most Arkansas drivers looking for liability car insurance, with an average of $377 a year. Farm Bureau is the second cheapest, at $418 a year.
Cheapest companies for liability car insurance
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $377 |
| Farm Bureau | $418 |
| Progressive | $606 |
| Shelter | $646 |
| Nationwide | $671 |
| Geico | $682 |
| Farmers | $801 |
| Allstate | $863 |
| Travelers | $916 |
| USAA* | $243 |
Liability car insurance covers injury and property damage costs to others if you’re found legally responsible for the accident. Unlike full-coverage car insurance, it doesn’t include damage to you or your car.
Cheapest rates for young drivers in Arkansas: Farm Bureau
Farm Bureau typically has the cheapest car insurance for teen drivers in Arkansas, with an average of $1,095 a year for liability coverage. State Farm is the next cheapest at $1,299 a year.
Cheapest liability car insurance for young drivers
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Farm Bureau | $1,095 |
| State Farm | $1,299 |
| Shelter | $1,624 |
| Geico | $1,726 |
| Travelers | $2,465 |
| Nationwide | $2,859 |
| Progressive | $2,890 |
| Allstate | $3,242 |
| Farmers | $3,343 |
| USAA* | $643 |
Because of their inexperience with driving, teens usually pay the highest rates for car insurance of any age range. If you’re looking to save money on car insurance for a teen in your home, put them on your current policy. While this will raise your annual premium, it should still come out cheaper than if you each had your own policies.
Cheapest rates after a speeding ticket in Arkansas: State Farm
If you have a speeding ticket on your insurance record, State Farm has the lowest rate for car insurance, at $1,286 a year. Farm Bureau has the next cheapest rate at $1,434 a year.
Cheapest car insurance companies after a ticket
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $1,286 |
| Farm Bureau | $1,434 |
| Shelter | $1,781 |
| Nationwide | $2,548 |
| Geico | $2,596 |
| Allstate | $2,808 |
| Travelers | $3,026 |
| Farmers | $3,160 |
| Progressive | $3,172 |
| USAA* | $1,070 |
A speeding ticket can stay on your record for three years. You’ll probably see increased car insurance rates during that time.
Cheapest rates after an accident in Arkansas: State Farm
After an accident, Arkansas drivers typically find the cheapest rates for car insurance with State Farm, with an average rate of $1,383 a year. Farm Bureau has the next lowest average rate of $1,715 a year.
Cheapest car insurance companies after an accident
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $1,383 |
| Farm Bureau | $1,715 |
| Shelter | $2,893 |
| Farmers | $3,193 |
| Nationwide | $3,278 |
| Travelers | $3,333 |
| Geico | $3,481 |
| Allstate | $3,584 |
| Progressive | $4,014 |
| USAA* | $1,260 |
An accident usually stays on your record between three and five years. Higher auto insurance rates are probable during that time.
Best rates after a DUI in Arkansas: Farm Bureau
If you’re looking for car insurance with a DUI (driving under the influence) conviction on your record, Farm Bureau has the cheapest rates in Arkansas at $1,587 a year. Shelter is the next cheapest choice at $2,606 a year.
Cheapest car insurance companies after a DUI
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Farm Bureau | $1,587 |
| Shelter | $2,606 |
| Progressive | $2,747 |
| Farmers | $3,079 |
| Allstate | $3,216 |
| Travelers | $3,526 |
| Geico | $3,969 |
| Nationwide | $4,188 |
| State Farm | $5,068 |
| USAA* | $1,712 |
If your license is suspended in Arkansas due to a DUI, you’ll need to file an SR-22 with the DMV to get your license reinstated. Arkansas typically requires you to carry the SR-22 for at least three years. If you fail to carry it for the full period, the DMV will be notified and your license will be suspended again.
Best Arkansas rates for bad credit: Farm Bureau
For Arkansas drivers looking for car insurance with bad credit, Farm Bureau has the lowest rate at an average of $2,390 a year. Nationwide is the next cheapest choice, at $3,026 a year.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with poor credit
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Farm Bureau | $2,390 |
| Nationwide | $3,026 |
| Shelter | $3,260 |
| Geico | $3,401 |
| Farmers | $3,501 |
| Progressive | $3,913 |
| Allstate | $3,972 |
| Travelers | $4,059 |
| State Farm | $5,962 |
| USAA* | $1,557 |
Car insurance companies see a correlation between credit score and an increased chance of a person filing a claim. Poor credit typically means you have a score ranging from 300 to 579.
Credit-based car insurance quote calculation is still a controversial topic, and the practice has been restricted or prohibited in some states.
Insurance rates by city in Arkansas
Of the 25 largest cities in Arkansas, Bella Vista residents enjoy the cheapest rates in the state at an average of $1,684 a month.
Little Rock is the most expensive at $2,099 a year.
Cheapest car insurance rates by city
| City | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Bella Vista | $1,684 |
| Benton | $1,929 |
| Bentonville | $1,689 |
| Bryant | $1,958 |
| Cabot | $1,960 |
| Centerton | $1,714 |
| Conway | $1,814 |
| Fayetteville | $1,760 |
| Fort Smith | $1,759 |
| Hot Springs | $1,971 |
| Jacksonville | $1,922 |
| Jonesboro | $1,862 |
| Little Rock | $2,099 |
| Maumelle | $2,003 |
| North Little Rock | $1,979 |
| Paragould | $1,810 |
| Pine Bluff | $2,062 |
| Rogers | $1,689 |
| Russellville | $1,727 |
| Searcy | $1,883 |
| Sherwood | $1,937 |
| Springdale | $1,740 |
| Texarkana | $1,959 |
| Van Buren | $1,787 |
| West Memphis | $2,000 |
Where you live is only one of the factors car insurance companies consider when calculating your quote. Other factors may include:
- Make and model of your car
- Your age, gender and marital status
- Driving record
- Claim history
- Annual mileage
Minimum coverage for car insurance in Arkansas
Arkansas’s required liability coverage limits are:
- $25,000 bodily injury coverage per person
- $50,000 bodily injury coverage per accident
- $25,000 property damage coverage
Methodology
Unless stated otherwise, we looked at thousands of car insurance quotes in Arkansas for a 30-year-old man with good credit and no tickets, accidents or convictions for driving under the influence, using a 2015 Honda Civic EX.
The following coverage limits were used:
- Bodily injury liability: 50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
- Property damage liability: $25,000
- Uninsured motorist: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident, where required by law
- Personal injury protection: minimum limits, where required by law
- Collision: $500 deductible
- Comprehensive: $500 deductible
*USAA only available to active duty military, veterans and their families.