Best Homeowners Insurance in San Diego
As affordable homeowners insurance becomes more difficult to find in San Diego, it’s important to know your options. QuoteWizard analyzed rates for leading insurance companies throughout the region to show you the cheapest and best homeowners insurance in San Diego.
In this article:
What is the average cost of home insurance in San Diego?
The average cost of home insurance in the San Diego metropolitan area, which comprises all of San Diego County, is $942 a year, according to our research, or about $79 a month.
Among the county’s largest cities, the average annual cost of home insurance ranges from $861 in the city of San Diego to $942 in Escondido.
Rates have become considerably higher in areas with high wildfire risks. In one such community, east San DIego’s rural Descanso, the average rate is $1,175 a year.
| City | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| San Diego | $861 |
| Carlsbad | $875 |
| Chula Vista | $883 |
| El Cajon | $888 |
| Oceanside | $894 |
| Escondido | $942 |
| Descanso | $1,175 |
| County average | $942 |
| Note: Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | |
In our analysis, we obtained rates on a standard policy for a typical home. Here are the main reasons to compare quotes from multiple companies when you shop for homeowners insurance:
- Each company uses a slightly different formula to evaluate your rate factors, which include your insurance history as well as the location and qualities of your home.
- You may qualify for more discounts with some companies than you do with others.
Who offers the cheapest homeowners insurance in San Diego
Travelers, Allstate and AAA offer the cheapest average homeowners insurance rates in the greater San Diego area, according to our research. In California, you have to be a AAA member, which requires an annual fee, to buy AAA insurance.
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Travelers | $631 |
| Allstate | $675 |
| AAA | $764 |
| USAA | $820 |
| Nationwide | $885 |
| Mercury | $954 |
| State Farm | $1,022 |
| Farmers | $1,100 |
| Chubb | $1,628 |
| County average | $942 |
| Note: Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | |
Travelers also offers the best average rates in many of the county’s communities, including San Diego, Oceanside, Escondido and Descanso.
USAA, which offers the second best rates in the city of San Diego, is only available to members of the military and their families.
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Travelers | $610 |
| USAA | $648 |
| Auto Club | $659 |
| Allstate | $674 |
| Nationwide | $799 |
| Mercury | $909 |
| State Farm | $924 |
| Farmers | $1,029 |
| Chubb | $1,498 |
| City average | $861 |
| Note: Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | |
Allstate offers the second best rates in Oceanside and Escondido, behind Travelers, while AAA and USAA are competitive in both cities.
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Travelers | $668 |
| Allstate | $674 |
| Auto Club | $706 |
| USAA | $742 |
| State Farm | $903 |
| Nationwide | $914 |
| Mercury | $917 |
| Farmers | $1,088 |
| Chubb | $1,432 |
| City average | $894 |
| Note: Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | |
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Travelers | $631 |
| Allstate | $671 |
| Auto Club | $705 |
| USAA | $834 |
| State Farm | $900 |
| Nationwide | $914 |
| Mercury | $986 |
| Farmers | $1,163 |
| Chubb | $1,673 |
| City average | $942 |
| Note: Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | |
Our research shows that Travelers, Allstate and Nationwide offer the best rates in Descanso.
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Travelers | $622 |
| Allstate | $671 |
| Nationwide | $897 |
| Mercury | $1,026 |
| USAA | $1,258 |
| Auto Club | $1,279 |
| Farmers | $1,574 |
| State Farm | $1,581 |
| Chubb | $1,667 |
| Community average | $1,175 |
| Note: Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | |
Which insurance companies have the best customer service ratings?
Among the companies in our analysis, USAA, AAA and Allstate have the highest satisfaction rankings by J.D. Power. Chubb, USAA and Allstate have the lowest frequency of complaints, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
Based on a 1,000-point scale, J.D. Power’s customer satisfaction rankings are based on customer reviews evaluating companies on interaction, policy offerings, price, claims and other factors.
Of the insurance companies in our analysis, USAA had the highest customer service ranking, followed by AAA, State Farm and Allstate.
| Company | Index Ranking |
|---|---|
| USAA | 882 |
| AAA | 840 |
| State Farm | 835 |
| Allstate | 829 |
| Farmers | 813 |
| Nationwide | 812 |
| Chubb | 801 |
| Travelers | 800 |
| Mercury | Not available |
| Segment average | 825 |
| Source: J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Home Insurance Study | |
The NAIC Complaint Index compares insurance companies by the number of confirmed complaints they receive nationwide. A confirmed complaint is one in which an investigation leads to a finding of fault by the insurance commissioner in the state in which the complaint was filed.
The standard Complaint Index is 1.0. A company with a Complaint Index of 2.0 has twice as many confirmed complaints as would be expected for a company of its size. A company with a 0.5 Complaint Index has half as many as would be expected. A lower Complaint Index reflects better performance.
Chubb, which specializes in insuring high value homes, had the lowest Complaint Index among companies in our analysis, followed by USAA and Allstate.
| Company | Complaint Index |
|---|---|
| Chubb | 0.38 |
| USAA | 0.5 |
| Allstate | 1.22 |
| Farmers | 1.27 |
| Nationwide | 1.32 |
| Travelers | 1.88 |
| AAA< | 2.39 |
| State Farm | 2.63 |
| Mercury | 2.69 |
| Standard Complaint Index | 1.0 |
| Source: National Association of Insurance Commissioners, based on 2020 data. | |
Get cheap homeowners insurance in San Diego
Compare quotes from top home insurance companies
Which are San Diego’s best home insurance companies?
The best insurance company is one that offers reasonable prices, makes sure you have the right coverage for your home and responds to claims in a fair and courteous manner.
Based on their competitive rates, high satisfaction scores and low complaint frequency, Allstate and USAA are top choices for homeowners insurance in San Diego. Low rates and high satisfaction scores make AAA a great option, too, while Travelers offers the best rates countywide.
Here’s more information about each company.
Allstate: You can save up to 25% by bundling your homeowners insurance with a car insurance policy, and you can save up to 20% more if you haven’t had recent claims when you sign up. Allstate’s optional Claim Rateguard coverage blocks rate increases after a claim, while its Deductible Reward program reduces your deductible by $100 for each claim-free year.
USAA: You can save up to 10% by bundling your home and auto insurance, and up to 10% more by going claims free for at least five years. USAA also covers personal property on a replacement cost basis, with limits on certain valuables. Other insurance companies usually only cover personal property at actual cash value, which is the value of your items after depreciation, though many offer replacement cost upgrades for an extra fee.
AAA: The discounts available to AAA insurance customers include savings of up to 9% for burglar or fire alarms; up to 13.5% for homes with certain fire-resistant roofing materials and up to 21% for homes that have been repiped or received an epoxy treatment. You can save an additional 12% if at least one person on the policy is at least 50 years old.
Travelers: With Travelers, you can save up to 12% on home insurance if you bundle at least three policies. You can save up to 5% more for a LEED certified “green home.”
What are San Diego's home insurance requirements?
There is no state mandate to purchase homeowners insurance in San Diego, but if you have a mortgage, your lender is likely to require it.
San Diego’s earthquake risks are similar to those in other parts of seismically active California. Although the county’s flood risk is generally moderate, certain areas have been identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as high-risk flood zones.
Since standard homeowners insurance does not cover damage from earthquakes or floods, it’s worth considering purchasing separate policies for these specific perils.
Earthquake Insurance
Most of the companies in our analysis are authorized to sell earthquake insurance issued by the nonprofit California Earthquake Authority (CEA). CEA is the largest earthquake insurance provider in California, but earthquake insurance is also available from other companies.
Flood insurance
If your home is in a federally designated high-risk flood zone, your lender will require flood insurance, which is available through the government-backed National Flood Insurance Program and approved private insurance companies.
You can find the flood risk for your home, or a home you want to purchase, on FEMA’s website by following links to the agency’s Map Service Center.
Considering the potential costs of flood damage, flood insurance is highly recommended for any home in a high-risk flood zone, even if you own the home outright. It’s also available on an optional basis to homes outside of high-risk flood areas.
Methodology
In our analysis, we obtained non-binding quotes for homeowners insurance in every San Diego County ZIP code from nine leading insurance companies. For each quote, we selected the following coverages and policy specifications:
- Dwelling coverage: $275,000
- Personal property coverage: 50% of dwelling ($137,500)
- Other structures coverage: 10% of dwelling ($27,500)
- Loss of use coverage: 20% of dwelling ($55,000)
- Liability coverage: $100,000
- Deductible: $1,000
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