The Best and Cheapest Home Insurance in South Carolina

Allstate has the cheapest rates for homeowners insurance in South Carolina, with an average rate of $976 per year. State Farm and Nationwide also have affordable quotes for most homeowners.

Best cheap home insurance in South Carolina

Cheapest homeowners insurance companies in South Carolina

The cheapest homeowners insurance company we found in South Carolina is Allstate, while the most expensive is Progressive.

As with most coastal states prone to hurricanes, the price of homeowners insurance in South Carolina is higher than the country's average, which is $1,495.

Allstate's rates are 37% cheaper than average, while State Farm, the second-cheapest company, is 22% less than the state average.

Best homeowners insurance for most people: Allstate

The most affordable homeowners insurance in South Carolina is Allstate, which offers a standard policy for an average price of $976 per year. That's about 19% cheaper than the next-best option, and that's before considering a wide range of discounts.

In addition to standard property protection, Allstate offers coverages such as water or sewer backup protection, identity theft restoration service and increased contents coverage for different property types. You can also get a green endorsement that helps you outfit your home with energy-efficient materials after a loss.

However, Allstate's customer service is just okay. The company gets an average number of complaints according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), along with an average score on J.D. Power's customer satisfaction survey. If you experience a loss and need to file a claim, you'll probably find a more streamlined claims process elsewhere.

Best for expanded coverage: Nationwide

Nationwide offers a wide range of coverage options while still delivering affordable rates.

Nationwide has cheaper-than-average rates, $1,364 per year, and has a low rate of complaints compared to other companies of the same size. In addition, homeowners can reduce rates with a number of discounts, including a home renovation credit, roof rating discount, home purchase discount and gated community discount.

South Carolina customers can add protections to their policies that include:

The combination of flood insurance and water backup coverage can be especially valuable in a state regularly impacted by hurricanes.

Best for military families: USAA

We recommend USAA for homeowners insurance for active or retired military service members and their families. USAA's standard coverage includes protections that aren't typically included in other companies' basic packages. And USAA's customer service is among the best in the industry.

A standard policy from USAA covers your uniform, with no deductible required, as long as the damage occurred on active or reserve duty. You also get replacement cost coverage without getting a separate endorsement, as is common with other providers. This may be particularly valuable for South Carolinians due to the state's exposure to destructive hurricanes.

Rates from USAA are just average — a policy costs $1,434 per year. In addition, not all homeowners can buy a policy from USAA. Coverage is only available for military members, veterans and their families.

Best rated homeowners insurance: State Farm

State Farm is the top-rated company available to most drivers that we found in South Carolina. According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, State Farm gets complaints at a rate 26% lower than average, and above-average marks from J.D. Power for customer service.

State Farm's homeowners insurance allows you to customize your policy to best fit your home’s needs. You can add water or sewer-backup protection, identity restoration services and an earthquake endorsement. State Farm is also among the most affordable companies in South Carolina, with an average rate of $1,209 per year, 22% cheaper than average.

South Carolina insurance rates: City-by-city

The city with the cheapest average cost of homeowners insurance in South Carolina is Pickens, while the most expensive is Briarcliffe Acres.

The best-rated homeowners insurance companies in South Carolina

We factored a company's home insurance complaint numbers from the NAIC, ratings from J.D. Power's survey for customer service and ValuePenguin's own editors rating. These were combined for a comprehensive home insurance rating.

Customer service is particularly important with home insurance because a smoother, quicker experience means more quickly returning to normal in your daily life. You should make sure to consider that alongside price when selecting your policy.

Most common homeowners insurance perils in South Carolina: Hurricanes and flooding

South Carolina is on the Atlantic Coast, which means that it tends to have tropical storms and hurricanes. The state's low elevation contributes to being prone to flooding. South Carolina can also experience hail storms that can damage homes and necessitate property owners to make insurance claims.

You should be sure you understand how your homeowners insurance policy treats these perils and others most common in your home's location. This is the best way to pick a provider that best fits with your needs.

Does homeowners insurance cover hurricane damage?

Tropical storms and hurricanes can affect South Carolina's homeowners with heavy winds, rains and flooding. Fortunately, if you're worried about the effects that a hurricane would have on your house, homeowners insurance usually includes damage from winds in its standard covered perils. To be sure that your property would be protected from the devastation a hurricane can cause, you might consider getting replacement cost coverage. However, this isn't the case with flood damage.

South Carolina's flooding isn't confined to the coast. Since the state is comparably low-lying to most of the rest of the United States, it's at risk of inland flooding near its waterways. If your home is in danger of flooding, you can buy a separate flood insurance policy from the National Flood Insurance Program or a private seller if a policy is offered in your area.

Flood insurance can be expensive and comes with a waiting period if it's a federal policy, but we recommend getting protection if your home is at risk.

Does your homeowners insurance cover hail damage?

Homeowners insurance often protects your home from hail damage. This is good news forSouth Carolina homeowners because the state has gotten approximately 104 hail storms per year since 2010. Typically, hail is named along with wind, fire, theft and other potential sources of damage in your policy's covered perils.

If you live in a part of the state that sees increased amounts of hail, your homeowners insurance policy may have special stipulations regarding hail. It's not uncommon for some companies to restrict when you can make claims for hail damage. For instance, you may be unable to make claims for any damage that's strictly cosmetic. You also may see higher rates after making hail claims, so it could be important to decide when it's worth it to repair damage and risk a rate increase.

Methodology

We collected homeowners insurance quotes from each of South Carolina's ZIP codes. The sample property was built in 1988, which is the median year owner-occupied homes were built in the state, and it was worth $162,300 to align with South Carolina's median home price.

This survey includes quotes from:

ValuePenguin's analysis used insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services. These rates were publicly sourced from insurer filings and should be used for comparative purposes only — your own quotes may be different.

Home insurance ratings combine NAIC complaint index ratings for home insurance, results from the most recent J.D. Power home insurance study and ValuePenguin's editors ratings.