GEICO vs. The Hartford: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, GEICO offers significantly more affordable premiums than The Hartford
• GEICO has cheaper prices for policyholders who live in rural neighborhoods
• The Hartford has less expensive rates in CA

GEICO or The Hartford: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're thinking about switching to a new insurance policy. After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering large savings. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed it down to GEICO or The Hartford as potential options, but which company has cheaper prices for insurance?

Looking at nationwide averages, The Hartford has average rates that are around 30% a month more expensive than those from GEICO.

That being said, that doesn't necessarily mean GEICO will be the more affordable option for every single driver. After all, auto insurance carriers can offer drastically different rates to every driver depending on rating factors like where you call home, your age, your credit score, or even your driving record (among other things). So, at the end of the day, premiums from each company will differ quite a bit from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of GEICO or The Hartford is really the best for you, keep reading to see average prices for each carrier broken down by lots of different rate factors.

GEICO vs. The Hartford: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

GEICO and The Hartford only compete against each other in California, where GEICO offers the cheaper average premiums. GEICO drivers tend to pay about $123 per month less on average compared to drivers who use The Hartford for their car insurance.

That being said, there's a lot more that goes into your insurance payment than just where you live. Read on to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers usually pay a lot more for auto insurance than any group on the road. Typically, that's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

But still, even with seemingly sky-high rates, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. As you can see above, teens who use GEICO save over 15% a month compared to those who use The Hartford. It's worth noting that GEICO offers car insurance in 50 different states compared to The Hartford's one, which can skew the average prices a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

But with both companies, you'll see your premiums lower significantly once you turn 25. For example, average rates for GEICO policyholders reduce about $200 and The Hartford's premiums drop around $150 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll normally enjoy the most affordable insurance prices out there. You've been on the road for years, and all that experience pays off when it comes to your monthly rates for car insurance.

When looking at GEICO and The Hartford specifically, which company is best for retired drivers? GEICO gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older $44 less expensive than the national average for The Hartford.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Those who are single tend to get offered slightly more expensive auto insurance rates than married couples. That's generally because married policyholders tend to own and insure several vehicles, which can often earn you a discount.

For single drivers, the difference in average premiums between these two carriers is significant, with GEICO rates coming in at about 30% less than The Hartford's. The advantage is also clear for married drivers - GEICO offers the lowest average premiums.

GEICO or The Hartford: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into collisions and file an insurance claim, which means they'll typically end up paying more for insurance than women.

On average, women see prices almost $10 per month cheaper with GEICO; and with The Hartford, both genders end up paying the same monthly price.

Looking at overall affordability, GEICO comes out on top for both men and women, with average premiums 29% less for men and 32% cheaper for women.

GEICO vs. The Hartford: Compare State Minimum vs. Full Coverage Rates

*State minimum value indicates liability-only policies at each state's minimum bodily injury and property damage (BI/PD) limits

**Full coverage indicates state minimum BI/PD limits with collision and comprehensive coverages added to policy.

For most people, car insurance can be pretty complicated. There are a bunch of different coverages that account for a range of different things. Some protect you and your car, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause a collision.

However, most policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (which provides bodily injury and property damage coverage for other drivers and their passengers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which generally refers to having collision and comprehensive coverages alongside what you get with a liability policy).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, GEICO has the significant edge, with average monthly rates coming in at $101. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, GEICO again has the edge, with policies averaging around $269 a month to The Hartford's $394.

Is GEICO or The Hartford Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

You've probably seen plenty of commercials from insurance companies offering great prices for good drivers, but that doesn't mean people with less-than-perfect driving records can't save money, too.

Accidents and speeding tickets will most likely raise your premiums, but is GEICO or The Hartford less expensive for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use GEICO for their auto insurance can usually expect their monthly bill to go up about 23% after getting a speeding ticket. The Hartford policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of around 36%.

Even so, GEICO is normally the more affordable option for drivers both with a ticket and with a clean record, offering rates that are $11 and $47 less expensive, respectively, compared to The Hartford.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

GEICO drivers who get in a collision can expect to see their prices increase by just under 45%, while those who have insurance through The Hartford will see about a 50% increase.

At the end of the day, GEICO offers the cheapest rates for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average premiums coming in at $200 compared to The Hartford's $262.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

On average, a DUI offense is going to cost you much more than a single accident or speeding ticket when it comes to your insurance bill. The Hartford drivers usually see a 73% increase in their auto insurance prices after a DUI charge, while GEICO will generally climb rates by around 58%.

GEICO has the overall lowest prices for drivers with a DUI on their records at $275 per month, but it's worth noting that GEICO's average rates come from 50 states compared to just one for The Hartford, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact GEICO and The Hartford Rates?

You may not realized it, but your credit score can come into play when carriers determine your monthly bill. This isn't true for everyone (for example, Massachusetts and California are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it will come into play for several policyholders.

The reasoning car insurance companies use is that drivers with bad credit will be less likely to pay their bills on time; so normally, they'll be asked to pay more, while those with good credit will be rewarded with more affordable premiums.

Looking at GEICO and The Hartford specifically, which carrier has the best prices for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

You'll often be rewarded if you have excellent credit. With GEICO, improving your score from "good" to "excellent" will usually save you about $35. The Hartford, on the other hand, doesn't have data available for credit scores, which means they most likely don't use credit to calculate your premiums.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Having bad credit typically means you'll also see higher rates with GEICO. As you can see, GEICO customers with poor credit scores pay around $55 per month more than those with fair scores (and even more compared to drivers with good or excellent scores). On the other hand, The Hartford doesn't have data available for credit scores, which means drivers with bad credit could find better rates with The Hartford over GEICO.

Is GEICO or The Hartford Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a big impact on your monthly prices. Normally, the more milage you put on your car each year, the more you can expect to pay for coverage.

For both remote workers and those taking short commutes, GEICO offers cheaper premiums than The Hartford. GEICO average rates for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in more than $55 less expensive than The Hartford. Those who drive 12,000 miles every year can expect to pay over $100 less with GEICO over The Hartford.

GEICO or The Hartford: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

We've already mentioned how your home state can play a role in how much you pay for insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a pretty big impact as well. Usually, those who live in urban areas will pay more than drivers in rural areas since there are a lot more vehicles on the road where they live, which increases the chances of an accident.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, GEICO generally comes out as the cheapest option for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, GEICO's average prices are about $62 less than The Hartford. People who live in suburban areas pay around $80 less with GEICO compared to The Hartford. Those in rural areas can expect to save about $96 with GEICO compared to The Hartford.

GEICO vs. The Hartford Discounts

No matter why you might be in the market for a new auto insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as you can, and the best way to do that is by utilizing as many car insurance discounts as possible.

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be difficult to nail down the company that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile and to find all the discounts you can take advantage of.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts GEICO and The Hartford offer their customers so that you can see which one offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

GEICO knocks The Hartford out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 28 different discounts to The Hartford's 13.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like anti-theft discounts, distant student discounts, employee discounts, and group discounts. GEICO also offers discounts for commercial drivers license, COVID-19 relief, deployed driver, and more.

On the other hand, The Hartford has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like lay-up credit discounts, renewal discounts, and umbrella policy discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is GEICO or The Hartford Best for You?

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your auto insurance rates. We've broken down the different discounts each carrier offers, too. That's all well and good, but at the end of the day, which company is the best carrier for you and your specific profile and needs?

GEICO might be best for you if....

• You have a clean record.
• You're looking for the best prices on liability only coverage.
• Your neighborhood is in a rural area.

The Hartford might be best for you if...

• You're looking for the best rates in CA.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare GEICO and The Hartford and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your car insurance policy is to compare quotes from several companies, not just GEICO and The Hartford. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple quotes from some of the best insurance carriers in your area, all for free.

GEICO vs. The Hartford FAQs

Is GEICO or The Hartford cheaper?

GEICO is the more affordable of the two companies when looking at national average rates, with policies averaging $185 a month with GEICO and $265 for The Hartford. However, that doesn't mean GEICO will be the most affordable carrier for everyone, since there are several different factors (things like driving record, age, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, GEICO or The Hartford?

Unfortunately, the real answer is "it depends.". Neither company is necessarily "better" for each policyholder -- it all comes down to what your unique car insurance profile looks like.

Why do GEICO and The Hartford offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers use lots of different variables when determining the premiums they charge. Factors like gender, age, where you call home, your driving record, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both GEICO and The Hartford use different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different rates. The best way to determine which carrier is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a variety of different companies.

How do I know if GEICO or The Hartford is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your information once and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top auto insurance companies for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best premium. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't GEICO or The Hartford at all, but another you hadn't even thought of!

Methodology

All of the data referenced in this article has been gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. We analyzed more than 2.5 million rows of carrier-reported data to calculate the average rates referenced above. All rates are based on an insurance profile of a single-vehicle policy for a driver that owns a 2016 Honda Accord. For more information on how we calculate rates, please reference our data methodology.