21st Century vs. Travelers: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, 21st Century offers cheaper rates than Travelers
• 21st Century offers less expensive average premiums for policyholders whose driving record contains an at-fault collision
• Travelers may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than 21st Century Insurance

21st Century or Travelers: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you in the market for a new insurance policy? You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering hefty savings, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You might be considering 21st Century or Travelers, but between the two, which company will offer you more affordable rates?

As you can see, Travelers has average rates that are around 13% a month more expensive than those from 21st Century when looking at the national average rates for auto insurance.

That being said, that doesn't necessarily mean 21st Century will be the cheaper option for every driver. Car insurance carriers use a ton of complex algorithms to determine prices, so depending on where you live or how old you are (among a whole range of other factors), you could see wildly different premiums from the ones above.

So, if you want to find out which of 21st Century or Travelers is really the best for you, keep reading to see average rates for each carrier broken down by lots of different rate factors.

21st Century vs. Travelers: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

21st Century and Travelers only compete against each other in one states, with Travelers offering more affordable prices to the average driver in all of them. California has the most noticable difference, where Travelers premiums are $51 less expensive than insurance rates at 21st Century.

That being said, there are plenty of other factors that go into your auto insurance bill than just your home state. Read on to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive car insurance prices of any other group of drivers. It's usually 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 premiums, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of over 35% less per month by choosing 21st Century over Travelers.

However, both companies will offer you dramatically lower rates by the time drivers turn 25. Travelers offers the steepest reduction, with 25-year-olds paying less than a third of what 18-year-old drivers are charged. 21st Century's average premiums reduce almost 40% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll typically enjoy the cheapest insurance prices you'll ever see. You've been on the road for years, and all that experience pays off when it comes to your monthly rates for auto insurance.

So, which company offers the best prices to retired drivers? 21st Century gets the slight edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older $10 cheaper than the national average for Travelers.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Single policyholders tend to get offered slightly more expensive car insurance rates than married policyholders. This usually boils down to married drivers having multiple vehicles on their policy -- something a lot of auto insurance carriers will reward with discounts.

For those who are single, the difference in average prices between these two companies is significant, with 21st Century premiums coming in at about 15% less than Travelers's. It's not quite so glaring for married couples, where drivers who use 21st Century save around 5% a month.

21st Century or Travelers: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to cause a collision and get into accidents, which means they'll generally end up paying more for insurance than women.

With 21st Century, everyone ends up paying the same monthly prices regardless of gender, and about $10 cheaper with Travelers when compared to their male counterparts.

Looking at overall affordability, 21st Century offers the lowest average rates for both men and women, with average premiums $26 less for men and $15 cheaper for women.

21st Century vs. Travelers: 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 range of different coverages that account for multiple 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.

Even so, 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 includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, in addition to what you get with a liability policy).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, 21st Century has the significant edge, with average monthly prices coming in at $79. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, 21st Century again has the edge, with policies averaging around $212 per month to Travelers's $225.

Is 21st Century or Travelers Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no secret -- drivers with good records end up getting the best deals on their insurance. But that's not to say you can't save money if you don't have the best driving record, either.

Speeding tickets and at-fault collisions will most likely raise your premiums, but is 21st Century or Travelers less expensive for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use 21st Century for their auto insurance can normally expect their monthly bill to go up about 21% after getting a speeding ticket. Travelers policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of around 20%.

But 21st Century is typically the more affordable option for drivers both with a ticket and with a clean record -- their rates are around 27% cheaper for drivers with clean records and 27% less expensive for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their car insurance through 21st Century can expect to see about an $80 -- or around 46% -- rise in their insurance rates. Drivers who use Travelers for their auto insurance will see a monthly bill about $45 (or 26%) more expensive after reporting a collision to their insurance carrier.

At the end of the day, 21st Century offers the cheapest prices for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with average premiums coming in at $173 compared to Travelers's $173.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

On average, a DUI offense is going to cost you much more than a single collision or speeding ticket when it comes to your car insurance bill. For example, 21st Century increases average rates by more than $100 a month -- that's nearly a 55% increase.

How does Credit Score Impact 21st Century and Travelers Rates?

Did you know many auto insurance carriers take your credit score into account when determining premiums? Certain states and companies do not allow for credit score to be used as an insurance factor, but it might come into play for lots of drivers.

The reasoning insurance carriers use is that policyholders with good credit will be more likely to pay their bills on time; so they'll reward them with cheaper prices, while those with poor credit will normally be forced to pay more.

Looking specifically at 21st Century and Travelers, which one has the most affordable rates for drivers at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have fantastic credit, Travelers will generally reward you. With Travelers, improving your score from "good" to "excellent" will usually save you around $25. On the other hand, because 21st Century doesn't have data available for credit scores, they most likely don't use credit to calculate your premiums.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Having bad credit can cost you with Travelers. For drivers with less-than-stellar credit, at Travelers, you may pay about $60 per month more if you have "poor" credit compared to those with "fair" scores. It's an even larger difference when compared to drivers with "good" or "excellent" scores. On the other hand, because 21st Century doesn't have data available for credit scores, they could have better prices for drivers with bad credit over Travelers.

Is 21st Century or Travelers Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a large impact on your monthly rates. Typically, those who drive less will end up with more affordable prices since there's less of a chance of causing an accident and filing an insurance claim.

21st Century tends to be the less expensive option for both remote workers and those taking short commutes. 21st Century's average rates for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in more than 15% cheaper than Travelers. Those who drive 12,000 miles annually can expect to pay just under 10% less with 21st Century over Travelers.

21st Century or Travelers: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where your home is can have a sizable impact on your monthly auto insurance cost. Generally, those who live in urban areas will pay more than policyholders in rural areas since there are a lot more vehicles on the roads where they live.

Looking at these companies side-by-side, 21st Century usually comes out as the more affordable option for drivers in urban and suburban areas, while Travelers wins in rural areas.

Those in rural areas can expect to save around $5 with Travelers compared to 21st Century. People who live in suburban areas pay about $15 less with 21st Century compared to Travelers. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, 21st Century Insurance's average prices are around $53 less than Travelers.

21st Century vs. Travelers Discounts

No matter why you might be in the market for a new car 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 insurance discounts as possible.

But where do you even start? With what seems like a million different discounts out there, it may be hard to find all the ones you're eligible for.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and compared all of the different discounts offered by 21st Century and Travelers so that you can see which carrier can save you the most money each month.

Travelers blows 21st Century away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 25 different discounts to 21st Century's 13.

There are a couple discounts both carriers offer, but Travelers also offers discounts for alternative fuel, continuous insurance, COVID-19 relief, and more.

On the other hand, 21st Century has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like deluxe discounts, homeowner discounts, paperless discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is 21st Century or Travelers Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average premiums for many of the variables auto insurance companies look at, and walked through the different discounts each carrier offers, too. But, at the end of the day, which insurance company is the right fit for you?

21st Century might be best for you if....

• You have received a ticket within the last few years.
• You're of retirement age and want to take advantage of lower rates.

Travelers might be best for you if...

• Your credit is less-than-stellar.
• You care about discounts (Travelers offers the most).
• Your neighborhood is in a rural area.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between 21st Century and Travelers. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision about your car insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your auto insurance policy is to compare quotes from a handful of carriers, not just 21st Century and Travelers. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple quotes from some of the best insurance companies in your area, all for free.

21st Century vs. Travelers FAQs

Is 21st Century or Travelers cheaper?

21st Century is the less expensive of the two carriers when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $146 a month with 21st Century and $167 for Travelers. That being said, that doesn't mean 21st Century will be the cheapest carrier for everyone, since there are a variety of different factors (things like driving record, age, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, 21st Century or Travelers?

Unfortunately, the real answer is "it depends.". One company is not necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all comes down to what your unique car insurance profile looks like. For example, Travelers is more affordable for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit scores, while 21st Century offers cheaper premiums for policyholders with an at-fault accident on their record.

Why do 21st Century and Travelers offer me different rates?

Auto insurance companies use several different variables when calculating the rates they charge. Factors like your driving record, where you call home, gender, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both 21st Century and Travelers calculate prices using different variables, so it's likely they'll offer different premiums. The best way to determine which carrier is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from many different carriers.

How do I know if 21st Century or Travelers is right for me?

The only way to find the insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple companies 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 car insurance carriers for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the lowest rate. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't 21st Century or Travelers 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.