Updated January 7th, 2021
Here I am going to detail the least expensive auto insurance carriers in South Dakota by price.
Overall, the most cost-effective choices are with State Farm, Farmers Mutual of Nebraska, and Buckeye.
Each carrier is 10 to 16% less than the median quote for drivers of similar age and profile.
Other insurers that you would want to put on your list to get quotes are Progressive, Western National, and MetLife.
All three can offer quotes 10 to 12% lower than the median quote depending on the city you reside in.
Another insurer that did really well by offering low quotes in South Dakota is Allied.
Depending on the location, Allied can offer quotes from 10 to 15% lower than the median rate.
Allied is under the umbrella of Nationwide.
This article will cover the minimum auto insurance requirements, a few cost-saving strategies, and the cheapest insurance carriers by age.
If you would like to skip to a certain portion of the article, there is a table of contents provided for you down a little and to the right.
Note: As illustrated, the cheapest carriers by price for a 25-year old are with State Farm, GEICO, and Buckeye. Progressive and Dakota Farmers Mutual are $100 more than Buckeye. All 5 insurers would be worth getting quotes to find the most savings.
South Dakota’s Auto Insurance Minimum Requirement
| Coverage | South Dakota Minimum Liability Coverage | Recommended Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily Injury Protection | $25,000 / $50,000 | $100,000 / $300,000 |
| Property Damage | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Uninsured Motorist Coverage | $25,000 / $50,000 | $25,000 / $50,000 |
| Underinsured Motorist | $25,000 / $50,000 | $25,000 / $50,000 |
| Comprehensive Coverage | Optional | $250 - $1,000 deductible |
| Collision Coverage | Optional | $250 - $1,000 deductible |
Bodily Injury Liability
Bodily injury liability protection pays the doctor’s expenses of the other driver and their passengers when the insured individual is revealed to be at-fault during the car accident.
Under the minimum coverage, the insurer will pay up to $25,000 for a single person and up to $50,000 for multiple passengers who may be injured during the accident.
Note: For a 30-year-old driver, the best options for a lower premium are with State Farm, GEICO, and Buckeye. Progressive is competitive, with quotes approximately 14% higher than State Farm. Dakota Farmers Mutual is significantly higher than the cheapest quotes from State Farm and GEICO.
Property Damage Liability
To cover damages to the other driver’s automobile, personal property, and public property, such as traffic signs or guard rails.
At least $25,000 of property damage liability coverage must be maintained for each vehicle in South Dakota.
The state also requires a minimum of 25,000/50,000 of uninsured motorist protection (UM) for each vehicle on the policy.
Note: For a 35-year-old driver with a good driving history, the best options are with State Farm, GEICO, and Progressive. Each carrier clustering between $933 and $967. Buckeye and Dakota Farmers Mutual are competitive as regional carriers with prices at $987 and $1,005.
Uninsured Motorist protection will cover the amount in the event you are in an accident with another driver who does not have coverage.
Since the number of uninsured motorists has increased over the years, South Dakota requires this coverage.
Carrying the minimum coverage gives you the basic coverage to be legal to drive.
However, you may want to look at other optional coverage available in South Dakota to ensure your assets are fully protected.
Note: A 40-year-old driver can find quotes clustering between $855 and $908. The cheapest is State Farm at $855. Both GEICO and Buckeye are well below the median quote for drivers with prices at $867 and $879, respectfully.
South Dakota is a state following the tort system.
If you are in a car accident and the expenses are higher than the minimum coverage, you could be held accountable to pay what the insurance company will not cover.
Before committing to a policy, you want to be sure you are well informed of South Dakota laws.
Most importantly, you want to be sure you can get the most cost-effective premium available while maintaining the same coverage amount.
Note: For a 45-year-old driver, the quotes clustered under $800. The least expensive is with State Farm, Progressive, and GEICO. The national carriers dominated for an older driver. However, Buckeye and Dakota Farmers Mutual are very competitive with quotes at $798 and $799, respectfully.
Cheapest Auto Insurance Companies
Below I queried 17 national and local companies in South Dakota to find which company can offer the least expensive quotes for drivers from 25 to 55.
State Farm, GEICO, and Buckeye Group offer quotes from 14 to 22% lower than the median rate for similar age and profile drivers.
Drivers over the age of 35 national companies can provide the lowest quotes.
For drivers under 30, Buckeye can provide competitive quotes every single time.
Progressive, Farmers Mutual of Nebraska and Allied are competitive across various cities in South Dakota.
All three carriers can provide quotes from 10 to 18% lower than the median quote.
Western National is another company that you should put on your list to get quotes.
They are ranked lower overall in the list below.
However, in numerous cities, Western National can provide competitive quotes for middle age and senior drivers.
Allied is a regional company in South Dakota offering quotes from 12 to 19% lower than the median rate.
You would want to put them on your list to get quotes to find the most savings.
With the companies listed below, you have a blend of national and regional companies to help you find the lowest premium possible.
| South Dakota Company | Annual Rate 25 Y/O Driver | 30 Y/O | 35 Y/O | 40 Y/O | 45 Y/O | 55 Y/O |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Farm | $1,211 | $1,099 | $933 | $855 | $767 | $611 |
| GEICO | $1,265 | $1,132 | $945 | $867 | $787 | $614 |
| Buckyeye | $1,287 | $1,167 | $987 | $879 | $798 | $615 |
| Progressive | $1,387 | $1,199 | $967 | $903 | $784 | $609 |
| Farmers Mutual | $1,389 | $1,292 | $1,005 | $908 | $799 | $623 |
| Allied | $1,405 | $1,299 | $1,021 | $909 | $800 | $645 |
| MetLife | $1,443 | $1,307 | $1,054 | $912 | $799 | $678 |
| Amica | $1,578 | $1,309 | $1,087 | $915 | $812 | $689 |
| Nationwide | $1,578 | $1,347 | $1,099 | $954 | $821 | $703 |
| Western National | $1,598 | $1,376 | $1,132 | $967 | $843 | $701 |
| 21st Century | $1,576 | $1,389 | $1,143 | $980 | $865 | $709 |
| Allstate | $1,599 | $1,402 | $1,154 | $995 | $867 | $699 |
| Liberty Mutual | $1,600 | $1,405 | $1,198 | $1,005 | $898 | $743 |
| Esurance | $1,623 | $1,409 | $1,200 | $1,032 | $904 | $765 |
| Farm Bureau | $1,634 | $1,409 | $1,204 | $1,054 | $898 | $785 |
| American Family | $1,655 | $1,432 | $1,234 | $1,067 | $909 | $723 |
| North Star | $1,689 | $1,465 | $1,201 | $1,087 | $910 | $765 |
Best Carriers by Consumer Rating, Complaints, & Rate Change
Below is a list of 12 insurers in South Dakota with the consumer rating, written premiums, complaints, and the rate change over a 12 to 18 month period.
State Farm and Progressive, by far, have the most written premiums. This is expected.
With that, both companies have more complaints, which is normal.
Buckeye comparatively has a smaller amount of written premiums and a low amount of complaints.
There wasn’t enough data for Farmers Mutual to compile into an average for this study.
The rate change over a 12 to 18-month period averages from 1.8 to 4.6%.
This is normal for most insurers.
Larger companies such as State Farm normally have a lower rate change than smaller regional companies such as Western National.
The amount of complaints is included in the list.
Which should be compared against the number of written premiums.
Nothing below is out of the ordinary for any of the insurers.
The consumer rating is an average from data compiled from reputable online sources.
Typically the large national companies have a higher rating than the regional or local companies. I have found this to be the norm.
Local companies such as Buckeye and Western National can add personalized and tailored coverage in some cases.
Any other data is from the Insurance Information Institute (III.org), JD Power & Associates, and AM Best.
| South Dakota Company | Written Premiums | Rate Change | # of Complaints | Consumer Rating out of 5 Stars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Farm | $43,659,344 | +1.8% | 17 | 4.5 |
| GEICO | $6,783,594 | +2.7% | 7 | 4.5 |
| Buckyeye | $1,976,015 | +3.8% | 2 | 3.9 |
| Progressive | $34,275,206 | +2.8% | 14 | 4.6 |
| Farmers | $19,702,542 | +2.6% | 12 | 4.3 |
| Allied | $5,972,410 | +3.3% | 6 | 4.0 |
| MetLife | $3,765,043 | +4.1% | 2 | 4.0 |
| Nationwide | $7,158,600 | +4.6% | 2 | 4.2 |
| Allstate | $13,720,689 | +3.8% | 4 | 4.5 |
| Farm Bureau | $9,788,138 | +3.9% | 12 | 4.1 |
| American Family | $20,715,033 | +1.9% | 15 | 3.8 |
| North Star | $4,707,901 | +3.1% | 1 | 3.8 |
Note: For a 55 y/o driver, I found quotes clustering near the $600 mark. The least expensive option for an older driver is with Progressive. I queried Progressive at $609 or 18% lower than the median rate for similar profile drivers. State Farm and GEICO are equally competitive with low quotes queried at $611 and $614 respectfully.
Fines and Penalties for driving without insurance in South Dakota
-
First Offense – $100 fine and/or 30 days in jail
-
Second Offense – $500 fine and/or 60 days in jail
-
Third Offense – $1000 fine and 180 days in jail
-
All offenders are required to file an SR-22 form, which is on file for three years.
It is important to note that once the SR-22 is on file, your auto insurance rates will likely double what they would be if you did not have to file.
Average Premium by City
Below is a table of 27 cities across South Dakota and the average premium.
The average is data for all ages of drivers, from 18 to 65, including any traffic violations.
Therefore the average is probably higher than a driver with a clean driving history.
The average quote is from $1,064 to $1,366. Location is a primary factor when determining your quote.
One of the reasons you may see the same driver with a higher premium in one location than the other.
If you are a driver 30 years of age or older and your quotes are significantly higher, you may have either low credit, a poor driving record, or a lapse premium.
Or a combination of all three.
Each factor is weighted differently by each insurer.
Which is the reason you want to compare quotes.
If you would like a detailed comparison of quotes by city, please read further below.
| City | Avg Rate | Population | City | Avg Rate | Population | City | Avg Rate | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | $1,233 | 28,415 | Huron | $1,199 | 13,117 | Rapid City | $1,333 | 74,048 |
| Belle Fourche | $1,154 | 5,655 | Lennox | $1,199 | 2,386 | Sioux Falls | $1,341 | 174,360 |
| Brandon | $1,176 | 9,923 | Marion | $1,076 | 771 | Spearfish | $1,279 | 11,531 |
| Brookings | $1,198 | 23,895 | Milbank | $1,105 | 3,203 | Sturgis | $1,205 | 6,832 |
| Centerville | $1,277 | 879 | Mitchell | $1,267 | 15,729 | Vermillion | $1,303 | 10,844 |
| Dell Rapids | $1,190 | 3,705 | North Sioux City | $1,366 | 2,731 | Worthing | $1,194 | 978 |
| Harrisburg | $1,247 | 5,734 | Pierre | $1,303 | 14,008 | Yankton | $1,211 | 14,566 |
Sioux Falls, SD
Residents in the biggest city in South Dakota can find cheaper auto insurance rates by getting quotes from State Farm, Buckeye, and Progressive.
I queried each at $1,076, $1,143, and $1,265 per year for a 30-year-old driver.
Which is 12 to 18% lower than the median rate for similar profile drivers.
A 45-year old can find the best options with State Farm, Buckeye, and Progressive.
I queried each at $865, $909, and $987 per year for full coverage.
Or more than 15% lower than the average premium for drivers in Sioux Falls.
All carriers illustrated are at least 10% below the average rate.
An older driver would do well by getting quotes from GEICO, State Farm, Buckeye, and Progressive.
| Sioux Falls Company | 30 Y/O Driver | 45 Y/O Driver |
|---|---|---|
| GEICO | $1,009 | $812 |
| State Farm | $1,076 | $865 |
| Buckyeye | $1,143 | $909 |
| Progressive | $1,265 | $987 |
| Farmers Mutual | $1,288 | $1,043 |
| Allied | $1,299 | $1,076 |
Aberdeen, SD
Residents of Aberdeen can find the cheapest quotes with State Farm, Buckeye, and Allied.
I queried each at $987, $1,032, and $1,054 per year for a 30-year-old driver.
All three carriers are 19 to 23% below the median quote for similar age drivers in Aberdeen.
A 45-year-old driver can find rates just under $800 with State Farm and Buckeye.
It would be wise to get quotes from all insurers illustrated to optimize coverage and maximize savings.
| Aberdeen Company | 30 Y/O Driver | 45 Y/O Driver |
|---|---|---|
| State Farm | $987 | $765 |
| Buckyeye | $1,032 | $789 |
| Allied | $1,054 | $800 |
| GEICO | $1,143 | $812 |
| Progressive | $1,198 | $854 |
| Farmers Mutual | $1,203 | $976 |
Brookings, SD
Residents of Brookings can find affordable auto insurance with State Farm, Buckeye, and Progressive.
Each queried at $1,008, $1,043, $1,098 respectfully per year for a 30-year-old driver.
Western National and GEICO would be worth getting quotes from since below are below the average rate.
The only insurer in the table provided above the “mean” rate was Farmers Mutual.
However, it would be smart to get quotes from Farmers Mutual too.
A 45-year old can get low quotes with Buckeye, Progressive, and Western National.
I queried each at $814, $876, and $932 per year for full coverage.
Or more than 19% lower than the average premium for drivers in Aberdeen.
| Brookings Company | 30 Y/O Driver | 45 Y/O Driver |
|---|---|---|
| State Farm | $1,008 | $813 |
| Buckyeye | $1,043 | $814 |
| Progressive | $1,098 | $876 |
| Western National | $1,165 | $932 |
| GEICO | $1,187 | $987 |
| Farmers Mutual | $1,208 | $980 |
Watertown, SD
Watertown residents can find inexpensive car insurance by getting quotes from State Farm, Buckeye, and Progressive.
Each of them clustered at the $1,000 range.
This is more than 12% below the “mean” rate of $1,194 per year.
A 45-year old can find the best options with State Farm, Buckeye, and Progressive.
I queried each at $799, $798, and $865 per year for full coverage.
Which is 14% lower than the “mean” quote for similar age drivers in Watertown.
A family of 4 would be wise to get quotes from all insurers since Progressive and Farmers Mutual have been known to give lower rates when married.
| Watertown Company | 30 Y/O Driver | 45 Y/O Driver |
|---|---|---|
| State Farm | $967 | $799 |
| Buckyeye | $987 | $798 |
| GEICO | $1,008 | $843 |
| Progressive | $1,076 | $865 |
| Farmers Mutual | $1,143 | $890 |
| Western National | $1,176 | $909 |
Rapid City, SD
Getting low rates in Rapid City is easy if you start with Buckeye, State Farm, and Allied.
All of the insurers illustrated are more than 13% below the average rate of $1,333.
A 30 & 45-year-old driver should start with Buckeye and State Farm.
Each queried at $1,054 and $1,056 for a 30-year-old driver and $809 and $811 for a 45-year-old driver.
| Rapid City Company | 30 Y/O Driver | 45 Y/O Driver |
|---|---|---|
| Buckyeye | $1,054 | $811 |
| State Farm | $1,056 | $809 |
| GEICO | $1,098 | $854 |
| Progressive | $1,132 | $921 |
| Allied | $1,156 | $954 |
| Western National | $1,187 | $987 |
Mitchell, SD
Drivers in Mitchell can find the cheapest quotes with Buckeye, State Farm, and Allied.
I queried each at $990, $1,022, and $1,097 for a 30-year-old driver.
Buckeye is 19% lower than the median quote for drivers.
While Allied is over $100 more or approximately 12% lower than the “mean” quote.
Western National and Progressive are competitive with quotes at $1,176 and $1,235, respectfully.
A 45-year-old can find the least expensive quotes with Buckeye, State Farm, and Allied.
I queried each at $799, $811, $844.
Or approximately 14 to 17% lower than the “mean” rate for drivers of similar age and profile.
Western National and GEICO offer low quotes with prices at $900 and $912 respectfully.
Or a full 10% lower than the median quote for similar profile drivers.
| Mitchell Company | 30 Y/O Driver | 45 Y/O Driver |
|---|---|---|
| Buckyeye | $990 | $799 |
| State Farm | $1,022 | $811 |
| Allied | $1,097 | $844 |
| Western National | $1,176 | $900 |
| GEICO | $1,211 | $912 |
| Progressive | $1,235 | $925 |
Yankton, SD
If you don’t have the cheapest premium in Yankton, you will probably be looking in the wrong spot.
Start by getting quotes from Buckeye, Western National, and State Farm.
I queried each at $988, $1,066, and $1,100 for a 30-year-old driver.
Buckeye is approximately 19% lower than the median quote.
While Western National and State Farm are 14 and 16% respectfully.
A 45-year old can find inexpensive premiums with Buckeye, Western National, and State Farm.
I queried each at $760, $820, and $844. Buckeye is the cheapest, with quotes 20% lower than the “mean” rate.
Allied and GEICO offer quotes of $868 and $908 respectfully.
Both are over 10% lower than the median rate, making them good options when shopping for auto insurance.
| Yankton Company | 30 Y/O Driver | 45 Y/O Driver |
|---|---|---|
| Buckyeye | $988 | $760 |
| Western National | $1,066 | $820 |
| State Farm | $1,100 | $844 |
| Allied | $1,122 | $868 |
| GEICO | $1,187 | $908 |
| Progressive | $1,211 | $932 |
Department of Transportation & DMV
| Department of Insurance | Department of Transportation | Department of Motor Vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| 124 S Euclid Ave, Pierre, SD 57501 (605) 773-3563 | 2131 34th Ave, Brookings, SD 57006 (605) 688-5001 | 2501 W Russell St, Sioux Falls, SD 57104 (800) 952-3696 |
| Website | Website | Website |
Final Thoughts
At AutoInsureSavings, you can find auto insurance rates that will fit within your budget without losing the necessary coverage.
Using the advance tool at the top of the page, you can compare quotes, chat with a broker online, or request them to call you back at your convenience.
It is important to comparison shop since each insurer weighs determining factors, such as age, driver history, marital status, and credit scores, differently.
Sources
https://dlr.sd.gov/insurance/auto.aspx
https://www.iii.org/publications/
