Jessica is a freelance writer, professional researcher, and mother of two rambunctious little boys. She specializes in personal finance, women and money, and financial literacy. Jessica is fascinated by the psychology of money and what drives people to make important financial decisions. She holds a Masters of Science degree in Cognitive Research Psychology.
15+ years in content creation
7+ years in business and financial services content
Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.
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Updated October 30, 2024
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Table of contents
Car insurance is relatively affordable in Santa Fe, with average monthly rates that are comparable to New Mexico's state average and well below national averages. The city's moderate weather and walkability may contribute to its comparatively low car insurance rates of $169 per month for full coverage and $71 for minimum coverage.
But auto insurance costs have been rising in New Mexico in the past year, as well as across the country. Comparing quotes from multiple insurers is the best way for Santa Fe drivers to ensure they continue finding the best rates and coverage available to them.
State Farm, USAA, and GEICO offer the lowest car insurance quotes for Santa Fe drivers.
In 2022, Santa Fe had the third-highest crash rate in the state – 22.2 crashes per 1,000 residents.[1]
The city also had a high number of alcohol-related crashes in 2022, at a rate of 10.2 per 1,000 residents.
Best car insurance companies in Santa Fe
The cost of car insurance varies between insurers, as each company uses a slightly different formula to determine insurance rates. Insurance companies can consider factors like your driving record, the car you drive, your marital status, and your age to determine the price of insurance they offer.
Ultimately, the insurance company that’s right for you will depend on your specific situation. Here are three of the best insurers offering coverage in Santa Fe.
Insurance Company ▲▼ | IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. ▲▼ | Full Coverage ▲▼ | Liability Only ▲▼ | Best For ▲▼ |
---|---|---|---|---|
State Farm | 9.3 | $64 | $32 | Full coverage |
GEICO | 9.0 | $79 | $39 | Families |
USAA | 9.4 | $77 | $38 | Military community |
Our editorial team spent more than 350 hours developing the Insurify Quality (IQ) Score and scoring insurance companies. The IQ Score objectively analyzes and calculates a score for insurers using more than 15 crucial criteria. The team weighted criteria by importance to the consumer — factors such as customer reviews and affordability influence the score more than availability and third-party ratings.
We rate each company on a 1 to 10 scale based on five categories: financial ratings, customer satisfaction, affordability, customer support and transparency, and availability. Insurify updates ratings once a year or as more recent information becomes available.
- Third-party financial ratings: Insurify uses data from AM Best, S&P, Moody’s, and more to compare insurance companies’ credit and ability to pay out future claims.
- Customer satisfaction: To calculate this score, Insurify analyzed more than 28,000 customer reviews across 155 car insurance companies. We also consider third-party ratings from J.D. Power, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and Trustpilot.
- Affordability: Our data scientists analyzed more than 90 million real-time auto insurance rates from our partners across the U.S., as well as available discounts, to calculate an affordability score.
- Customer support and transparency: This measures coverage options, ease of claims filing, and the insurer's transparency surrounding discounts, coverages, and claims process.
- Availability and reach: Insurify scores availability and reach by identifying the number of states in which insurers offer coverage and company size by market share.
Best insurer for full coverage: State Farm
User Reviews | 3.2 |
---|---|
IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. | 9.3/10 |
Liability Only Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages. | $29/mo |
Full Coverage Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible. | $58/mo |
For more than 100 years, State Farm has been providing car, homeowners, and life insurance. The company offers a variety of discounts, including good driver and teen driver discounts. Available in all 50 states, State Farm is ranked No. 1 for market share, according to the most recent data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
Strong AM Best and S&P Global financial ratings
Rideshare insurance available
No gap insurance
More expensive for drivers with violations
Good
Friendly agents!
I also have my homeowners insurance with them. I had a fire in my hot water heater and a year later, someone stayed in my house while I was gone for 2 months. I came home to a floating kitchen floor. After these incidents, StateFarm cancelled my policy.
Best insurer for families: GEICO
User Reviews | 3.1 |
---|---|
IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. | 9.0/10 |
Liability Only Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages. | $36/mo |
Full Coverage Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible. | $72/mo |
GEICO offers competitive rates for Santa Fe drivers, and families with multiple drivers and vehicles may qualify for several discounts that can lower their costs further. Among the family friendly discounts GEICO offers are ones for having multiple vehicles and policies, being a good student, taking a driver's education course, and for being a member of one of more than 500 discount-eligible groups.
Good rates for good drivers, seniors, and young drivers
Accident forgiveness available
High rates for drivers with certain violations, like DUIs
No rideshare or new car replacement coverage available
Excellent
It's Expensive
Unpleasant Experience on Cape Cod
Best insurer for military members: USAA
User Reviews | 3.6 |
---|---|
IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. | 9.4/10 |
Liability Only Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages. | $35/mo |
Full Coverage Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible. | $70/mo |
USAA has been serving military members and their families for more than 100 years. The company offers several insurance products, as well as banking, investing, and retirement services. Qualifying members can also take advantage of several discounts and savings opportunities, such as legacy discounts for customers whose parents have a USAA auto insurance policy and discounts if you garage your car on base.
Low premiums
Ability to save up to 30% with safe driving program, SafePilot
Not available to non-military members
No 24/7 customer phone support
Excellent
Significant Increase in Policy Payment
My Opinion
How to get the cheapest car insurance in Santa Fe
If you’re trying to secure the cheapest car insurance in Santa Fe, a variety of factors can affect the cost of insurance. To find the best value, consider the following tips:
Comparison shop. Spend some time researching and comparing various companies to find the best auto insurance rate for your needs.
Drive a safer car. The type of vehicle you drive matters. If you own an expensive car or truck, it can cost more to insure. How safe your car is also matters. Some insurance companies offer discounts if you have a car with high-quality safety features.
Keep a clean driving record. Speeding tickets, at-fault accidents, and other incidents can drive up the cost of insurance. If you want to find the best deal on car insurance, don’t speed, don’t text and drive, and don’t drive under the influence.
Improve your credit score. When you apply for car insurance, lenders in Santa Fe might look at your credit score as a way to assess how likely you are to make your payments. A good or excellent credit score can help you secure the lowest rates.
Cheapest liability-only car insurance in Santa Fe: State Farm
If you get into a car accident and it’s your fault, liability car insurance will cover the medical expenses and damages you cause to the other party. However, liability insurance won’t cover your own medical bills or damages. As such, liability-only insurance is usually the most affordable type of coverage.
The below table shows a list of insurance companies with low quotes for liability-only car insurance in Santa Fe.
Insurance Company ▲▼ | Average Monthly Quote ▲▼ |
---|---|
State Farm | $29 |
USAA | $35 |
GEICO | $36 |
National General | $50 |
Midvale Home & Auto | $52 |
The General | $54 |
Hallmark | $55 |
Allstate | $57 |
Progressive | $62 |
Farmers | $68 |
Dairyland | $70 |
Nationwide | $70 |
Safeco | $71 |
Bristol West | $78 |
GAINSCO | $78 |
Foremost | $95 |
Liberty Mutual | $106 |
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Santa Fe: State Farm
Full-coverage car insurance provides the same protections as liability but also covers damages sustained by your vehicle. Full-coverage car insurance typically includes collision and comprehensive coverages. Collision coverage applies to an accident with another vehicle or object. Comprehensive coverage includes protection for damage caused by fire, earthquakes, hitting a deer, or other acts of God.
The insurers below offer the best quotes for full-coverage car insurance in Santa Fe.
Insurance Company ▲▼ | Average Monthly Quote ▲▼ |
---|---|
State Farm | $58 |
USAA | $70 |
GEICO | $72 |
Allstate | $114 |
Midvale Home & Auto | $115 |
Progressive | $124 |
Safeco | $130 |
Farmers | $138 |
National General | $138 |
Nationwide | $139 |
The General | $139 |
Hallmark | $144 |
Dairyland | $172 |
GAINSCO | $192 |
Liberty Mutual | $219 |
Bristol West | $230 |
Foremost | $266 |
Cheapest recent rates near Santa Fe, New Mexico
Drivers using Insurify have found quotes as cheap as $32/mo for liability only and $57/mo for full coverage in Santa Fe and other New Mexico cities.
*Quotes generated for Insurify users in and around Santa Fe, New Mexico within the last 10 days. Last updated on October 30, 2024
*Quotes generated for Insurify users in and around Santa Fe, New Mexico within the last 10 days. Last updated on October 30, 2024
Car insurance requirements in New Mexico
To drive legally in New Mexico, you must have coverage that meets the following minimum requirements:[2]
Coverage ▲▼ | Minimum Requirements ▲▼ |
---|---|
Bodily injury liability |
|
Property damage liability |
|
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an incident
An incident can include a speeding ticket, an at-fault accident, or a driving under the influence (DUI) conviction. Some insurance companies in Santa Fe will refuse you coverage if you have too many incidents on your record. Others specialize in writing car insurance policies for drivers with multiple accidents and are referred to as high-risk or non-standard companies.[3]
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a speeding ticket: State Farm
If you have a speeding ticket on your driving record, you’re likely to pay higher insurance premiums. The amount your insurance will increase depends on your insurer, your location, and how many speeding tickets you have.
Santa Fe drivers with a speeding ticket pay an overall monthly average of $169 for car insurance. The table below provides you a look at quotes from top insurers in Santa Fe for drivers with speeding tickets.
Insurance Company ▲▼ | Average Quote: Full Coverage ▲▼ | Average Quote: Liability Only ▲▼ |
---|---|---|
State Farm | $74 | $37 |
USAA | $91 | $45 |
GEICO | $93 | $47 |
Allstate | $148 | $74 |
Progressive | $160 | $80 |
Safeco | $171 | $93 |
Farmers | $178 | $88 |
National General | $180 | $65 |
Nationwide | $182 | $92 |
The General | $182 | $71 |
Dairyland | $223 | $91 |
GAINSCO | $269 | $109 |
Bristol West | $298 | $101 |
Liberty Mutual | $307 | $149 |
Foremost | $373 | $133 |
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident: State Farm
If you get in an accident and it’s your fault, you can expect your premium to increase. How much it increases will vary between companies, but you can expect the increase to remain for three years following your insurance claim. If you have multiple accidents or other incidents on your record, your insurance company may decide not to renew your policy.[4]
In Santa Fe, you might pay an overall average of around $185 per month for car insurance if you have an at-fault accident on your record. The table below lists the cheapest insurance companies for Santa Fe drivers with an at-fault accident.
Insurance Company ▲▼ | Average Quote: Full Coverage ▲▼ | Average Quote: Liability Only ▲▼ |
---|---|---|
State Farm | $81 | $40 |
USAA | $98 | $49 |
GEICO | $101 | $51 |
Allstate | $160 | $80 |
Progressive | $176 | $88 |
Safeco | $178 | $97 |
Farmers | $193 | $95 |
National General | $194 | $70 |
Nationwide | $196 | $99 |
The General | $198 | $77 |
Dairyland | $240 | $98 |
GAINSCO | $258 | $105 |
Bristol West | $320 | $109 |
Liberty Mutual | $328 | $159 |
Foremost | $398 | $142 |
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a DUI: State Farm
Alcohol-related fatalities are the largest contributor to traffic deaths in New Mexico, and alcohol is involved in 40% of all fatal crashes.[5] In Santa Fe, it’s illegal to drive with a blood alcohol level of 0.02% if you’re younger than 21 or 0.08% if you’re older than 21. Driving while under the influence can result in fines, loss of license, higher insurance rates, and possible jail time.
If you have a DUI on your record, your insurance premiums will rise dramatically, and some insurers may drop you altogether. If you have a DUI on your record, you could pay as much as $209 per month for car insurance, on average.
The table below lists different monthly quotes from companies who insure drivers with a DUI.
Insurance Company ▲▼ | Average Quote: Full Coverage ▲▼ | Average Quote: Liability Only ▲▼ |
---|---|---|
State Farm | $98 | $49 |
USAA | $119 | $59 |
GEICO | $122 | $61 |
Allstate | $193 | $97 |
Progressive | $210 | $105 |
Safeco | $221 | $120 |
Farmers | $234 | $115 |
National General | $234 | $85 |
Nationwide | $236 | $119 |
The General | $236 | $92 |
Dairyland | $292 | $119 |
GAINSCO | $326 | $132 |
Liberty Mutual | $371 | $180 |
Bristol West | $390 | $132 |
Foremost | $451 | $161 |
Cheapest car insurance for seniors: State Farm
Driver age is one of the key factors that determines the cost of auto insurance. Teenagers and drivers younger than 25 typically pay higher insurance rates, and once you’re in your 30s, you can expect rates to go down.
However, as drivers age into their 70s, rates begin to rise again since older drivers have higher crash rates than middle-aged drivers and are more likely to need additional medical assistance than younger drivers.
Senior drivers in Santa Fe pay an overall monthly average of $87 for car insurance. This table lists the cheapest car insurance quotes for seniors.
Insurance Company ▲▼ | Average Quote: Full Coverage ▲▼ | Average Quote: Liability Only ▲▼ |
---|---|---|
State Farm | $30 | $15 |
GEICO | $41 | $21 |
USAA | $41 | $21 |
Progressive | $57 | $29 |
Allstate | $66 | $33 |
Nationwide | $69 | $35 |
Farmers | $75 | $37 |
National General | $78 | $28 |
Safeco | $87 | $48 |
The General | $87 | $34 |
Dairyland | $103 | $42 |
GAINSCO | $134 | $54 |
Bristol West | $138 | $47 |
Liberty Mutual | $138 | $67 |
Foremost | $159 | $57 |
Cheapest car insurance for teens: State Farm
Teens have crash rates nearly three times as high as drivers 20 and older.[6] As a result, teens also pay some of the highest car insurance rates. Car insurance costs $237 per month overall for teens and young drivers in Santa Fe.
To try to keep insurance costs down, you can look for insurers that offer good student discounts or reward teens who take a driver’s training course. If you have a teen driver, adding them to your policy is also typically cheaper than your teen purchasing their own policy.
Here are the most affordable car insurance quotes for teen drivers.
Insurance Company ▲▼ | Average Quote: Full Coverage ▲▼ | Average Quote: Liability Only ▲▼ |
---|---|---|
State Farm | $106 | $53 |
GEICO | $122 | $61 |
USAA | $125 | $62 |
Allstate | $215 | $107 |
Progressive | $235 | $118 |
The General | $238 | $92 |
Nationwide | $256 | $129 |
Farmers | $258 | $127 |
Safeco | $275 | $150 |
National General | $288 | $104 |
Dairyland | $302 | $123 |
GAINSCO | $357 | $145 |
Liberty Mutual | $413 | $200 |
Bristol West | $415 | $141 |
Foremost | $503 | $180 |
Santa Fe car insurance quotes by credit tier
The state of New Mexico allows insurers to consider credit history as part of the car insurance application process. Having a good or excellent credit score can help reduce the cost of car insurance. A poor credit score can make it more challenging to find cheap car insurance, but if you’re willing to shop around, you can still find reasonable coverage.
The chart below lists the average monthly quotes in Santa Fe according to credit tiers.
Rates by Credit Tier
Is car insurance more expensive in Santa Fe?
Santa Fe customers enjoy lower rates for car insurance than the national average, and rates that are comparable to the New Mexico state averages. In Santa Fe, full-coverage auto policies average $169 per month, while liability-only coverage averages $71 monthly.
By comparison, the state averages are $185 for full coverage and $69 for liability only. National averages are $211 and $104 per month, respectively.
Location is an important factor in insurance rates as it relates to traffic congestion, population density, accident rates, weather patterns, and vehicle crime rates.
More cities in New Mexico
Car insurance rates can also vary between cities in the same state. On average, Santa Fe residents pay $169 per month for full-coverage insurance. The table below highlights how Santa Fe’s monthly insurance prices stack up to other cities in New Mexico.
City ▲▼ | Full Coverage ▲▼ | Liability Only ▲▼ |
---|---|---|
Albuquerque | $238 | $91 |
Farmington | $143 | $52 |
Las Cruces | $168 | $65 |
Rio Rancho | $209 | $79 |
Roswell | $203 | $61 |
Santa Fe car insurance FAQs
If you still have questions about how to find the cheapest car insurance in Santa Fe, the answers below can help.
How much is car insurance in Santa Fe?
The average price for car insurance in Santa Fe is $71 for liability-only coverage and $169 for full coverage. These rates are lower than the national averages and also lower than those in many other cities around New Mexico.
Who has the cheapest car insurance in Santa Fe?
State Farm offers Santa Fe drivers the lowest auto insurance rates, with liability quotes starting at $29 per month. USAA, and GEICO also offer cheap insurance in Santa Fe. Their liability-only rates are as low as $35 and $36 per month.
But the cheapest insurance company for you will depend on many factors, including your age, ZIP code, type of car you drive, and more.
What are the best car insurance companies in Santa Fe?
State Farm, GEICO, and USAA rank as three of the top insurers in Santa Fe. All three insurers offer some of the lowest rates in the region, and each has been recognized for its financial stability, discounts, or customer service.
What factors affect the cost of car insurance in Santa Fe?
Many things influence car insurance rates in Santa Fe, including the size of the community, the rate of crime, and the cost of living, which can affect the cost to repair a vehicle when necessary.
How much car insurance do you need in New Mexico?
To drive legally in New Mexico, you must carry insurance that meets the state’s minimum requirements for bodily injury liability ($25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident) and property damage liability ($10,000).
Is New Mexico a no-fault state?
No. New Mexico is an at-fault (or tort) state. This means if you’re in an accident that’s judged to be your fault, the other party may have the right to pursue legal action against you to recover compensation for the damages they suffered.
Methodology
Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 90 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 50+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.
Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).
Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:
- Bodily injury limits between state-minimum rates and $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
- Property damage limits between $10,000 and $50,000
- No additional coverage
- Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible
- Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible
Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.
Related articles
More cities in New Mexico
Sources
- New Mexico Department of Transportation. "New Mexico Traffic Crash Annual Report 2022."
- New Mexico MVD. "Insurance."
- Office of Superintendent of Insurance. "Consumer FAQs."
- Insurance Information Institute. "Do auto insurance premiums go up after a claim?."
- NM Department of Public Safety. "DWI Prevention."
- IIHS. "Fatality Facts 2021 Teenagers."
Jessica is a freelance writer, professional researcher, and mother of two rambunctious little boys. She specializes in personal finance, women and money, and financial literacy. Jessica is fascinated by the psychology of money and what drives people to make important financial decisions. She holds a Masters of Science degree in Cognitive Research Psychology.
15+ years in content creation
7+ years in business and financial services content
Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.
Featured in