Acuity vs. Progressive: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for car insurance, Progressive offers significantly more affordable rates than Acuity
• Progressive has less expensive prices for policyholders who are looking to purchase insurance with a spouse
• Progressive offers cheaper average premiums for drivers with a DUI

Acuity or Progressive: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you considering a new insurance policy? After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering big savings. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to Acuity or Progressive as your top options, but which company has more affordable prices for auto insurance?

Looking at nationwide averages, Progressive has average rates that are around 40% a month cheaper than those from Acuity.

Even so, Progressive may not be the lowest or best option for each driver out there. Insurance carriers vary their rates depending on things like how old you are, how clean your driving record is, where you live, how good your credit score is, and a ton of other factors, so premiums could change drastically from person to person.

Luckily, we've broken down average prices from both Acuity and Progressive by a variety of different rate factors, so read on to find out which company is the best for you.

Acuity vs. Progressive: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Acuity and Progressive only compete against each other in two states, with Progressive offering less expensive rates to the average driver in all of them. Wisconsin has the most noticable difference, where Progressive premiums are $141 more affordable than car insurance prices at Acuity.

But there's more to auto insurance than just where you call home. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how car insurance companies determine your rates. Read on to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive insurance premiums of any other group of drivers out there on the road. That's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in an auto insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

However, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high auto insurance rates. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of over 55% less per month by choosing Progressive over Acuity.

But both carriers will offer you dramatically lower prices by the time you turn 25. For example, average rates for Acuity policyholders decrease more than 75% and Progressive's prices lower almost 70% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to car insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the cheapest premiums you'll ever see.

When looking at Acuity and Progressive specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? Progressive gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older $52 cheaper than the national average for Acuity.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married couples tend to get slightly less expensive insurance prices than those who are single. That's because policies for married drivers usually cover more than one vehicle, which several companies will give you a discount for.

For single policyholders, the difference in average premiums between these two carriers is significant, with Progressive prices coming in at about half of Acuity's. The advantage for married policyholders with Progressive is also obvious, where drivers save around $70 a month.

Acuity or Progressive: Average Rates by Gender

Did you know men tend to pay more for auto insurance than women? That's because men are more likely to get into collisions and get tickets, which increases the chances of filing a claim with insurance.

Typically, men see premiums nearly $20 per month higher with Acuity, and about $5 more with Progressive.

Looking at overall affordability, Progressive offers the most affordable average rates for both men and women, with average premiums 43% less for men and 41% cheaper for women.

Acuity vs. Progressive: 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.

It's no secret that car insurance can be a complicated subject for most people. There are so many different terms and coverages that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

The two most common policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (which covers the other party's property damage and injuries if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, alongside what you get with a liability policy).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability insurance, Progressive has the significant edge, with average monthly prices coming in at $111. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Progressive again has the edge, with policies averaging around $250 a month to Acuity's $454.

Is Acuity or Progressive 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.

You'll probably end up paying more with collisions and speeding tickets on your record, but which of these two companies offers the cheapest rates to drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Acuity for their auto insurance can generally expect their monthly bill to go up about 29% after getting a speeding ticket. Progressive policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of around 17%.

That being said, Progressive tends to offer the best prices for both drivers who have a recent ticket and those with clean records. With Progressive, drivers with a clean record can save about $80 per month and drivers with a speeding ticket can save around $143 a month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Acuity drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their premiums increase by just under 35%, while those who have insurance through Progressive will see about a 30% increase.

At the end of the day, Progressive offers the most affordable rates for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average prices coming in at $214 compared to Acuity Insurance's $344.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge, you can expect some pretty significant increases in your monthly insurance bill -- normally a lot more than a collision or ticket. On average, Acuity will raise your premiums around 36% after a DUI, while Progressive's average rates climb by more than 15%.

How does Credit Score Impact Acuity and Progressive Rates?

Did you know many car insurance carriers take into account your credit score when determining prices? This isn't true for everyone (for example, Hawaii and California are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect quite a few policyholders out there.

The reasoning auto insurance companies use is that drivers with good credit will be more likely to pay their bills on time; so they'll reward them with cheaper premiums, while those with poor credit will typically be forced to pay more.

Looking at Acuity and Progressive specifically, which one has the lowest rates for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is Acuity or Progressive Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

The amount of time you spend behind the wheel of your car plays a big role in how much insurance carriers will charge for coverage. That's because the fewer miles you put on your vehicle each year, the less likely you are to be in an accident and file an insurance claim.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Progressive charges. However, there's a pretty significant difference in monthly prices for Acuity, with policyholders who drive 6,000 miles every year paying about $33 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly. Still, for drivers in both categories, Progressive is the more affordable company.

Acuity or Progressive: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you park your car can play a big role in how much you pay for car insurance. Normally, those who live in urban areas will pay more than drivers in rural areas since there are a lot more vehicles on the roads where they live.

Progressive tends to offer the most affordable prices for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save around $99 with Progressive compared to Acuity. People who live in suburban areas pay about $134 less with Progressive compared to Acuity. For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Progressive's average rates are around $167 less than Acuity Insurance.

Acuity vs. Progressive 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 insurance discounts as possible.

The difficult part is finding all of the discounts you qualify for, since it can feel sometimes like every company has different discounts and each one is advertised differently.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and broke down all of the different discounts offered by both Acuity and Progressive so that you can find the carrier that has the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

Progressive knocks Acuity out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 25 more discounts than Acuity.

Both companies offer a lot of the same discounts -- like discounts for being a defensive driver, distant student discounts, and group discounts -- but Progressive also offers discounts for ABS, advance quote, advanced safety feature, and more.

On the other hand, Acuity has a proprietary discount of their own -- a college graduate discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Acuity or Progressive Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average premiums for many of the variables car insurance carriers look at, and walked through the different discounts each carrier offers, too. But, at the end of the day, which company is the best one for you and your specific needs?

Progressive might be best for you if....

• You've been pulled over for speeding recently.
• You want the most robust protection via a "full coverage" policy.
• You don't spend much time in your car.

Acuity might be best for you if...

• You have a more unique driver profile than those we mentioned above.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Acuity and Progressive and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your auto insurance.

But, at the end of the day, there's only one way to know for sure that you're getting the best possible deal on car insurance -- comparing quotes from several companies, not just Acuity and Progressive. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get free quotes from dozens of top insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Acuity vs. Progressive FAQs

Is Acuity or Progressive cheaper?

Progressive is the cheaper of the two companies when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $180 per month with Progressive and $313 for Acuity. However, that doesn't mean Progressive will be the lowest carrier for everyone, since there are many different factors that are considered when it comes to your car insurance bill.

Who is better, Acuity or Progressive?

Unfortunately, the real answer is "it depends.". Neither company is "better" for every policyholder -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique insurance profile.

Why do Acuity and Progressive offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers use many different variables when calculating the rates they charge. Things such as age, your driving record, where you call home, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Acuity and Progressive use different formulas, 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 a bunch of different companies.

How do I know if Acuity or Progressive is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from a handful of carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance companies for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best price. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Acuity or Progressive 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.