Allstate vs. Auto-owners: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for insurance, Auto-owners offers more affordable prices than Allstate
• Allstate may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Auto-Owners Insurance
• Auto-owners offers cheaper average rates for policyholders whose driving record contains an at-fault collision

Allstate or Auto-owners: 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 hefty savings. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Allstate or Auto-owners as your top options, but which one will save you the most?

Looking at nationwide averages, Allstate has average rates that are around 10% a month more expensive than those from Auto-owners.

That being said, that doesn't necessarily mean Auto-owners will be the more affordable option for each driver. Car insurance carriers use tons of complex algorithms to determine prices, so depending on how good your credit score is or how clean your driving record is (among a bunch of other factors), you could see wildly different premiums from the ones above.

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

Allstate vs. Auto-owners: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Allstate and Auto-owners compete against each other in 22 states, with Allstate offering cheaper premiums to the average driver in all but six of them. If you live in Arkansas, Missouri, South Carolina, South Dakota, or Utah, Allstate is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at the overall average rates, but Auto-owners is the cheaper option in most of the others.

But there's more to insurance than just the state you live in. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how auto insurance carriers calculate your prices. Continue reading to see how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive car insurance rates of any group out there on the road. The reason is that teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in a car insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

Even so, that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their auto insurance. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of 10% less per month by choosing Auto-owners over Allstate.

But with both companies, you'll see your premiums drop significantly by the time you turn 25. Auto-owners offers the steepest decrease, with 25-year-olds paying less than a third of what 18-year-old drivers are charged. Allstate's average prices decrease almost 65% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll normally enjoy the most affordable car insurance premiums 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 insurance.

When looking at Allstate and Auto-owners specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? Auto-owners gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older $19 cheaper than the national average for Allstate.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

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

For single drivers, the difference in average rates between these two carriers is not very significant, with Auto-owners prices coming in at about 10% less than Allstate's. The advantage for married policyholders is more obvious, where drivers who use Auto-owners save over 10% a month.

Allstate or Auto-owners: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get pulled over for speeding or get into a collision. That means when it comes to auto insurance men will generally end up paying a little more.

Usually, men see premiums around 4% per month higher with Allstate, and about 6% more with Auto-owners.

Looking at overall affordability, Auto-owners offers the cheapest average prices for both men and women. On average, male drivers save about $18 a month and women save around $20 with Auto-owners compared to the average Allstate policyholder.

Allstate vs. Auto-owners: 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.

Insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are so many different limits and terms 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 an accident) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, in addition to liability).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, Auto-owners has the slight edge, with average monthly rates coming in at $99. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Auto-owners again has the edge, with policies averaging about $260 per month to Allstate's $289.

Is Allstate or Auto-owners Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

It's no secret secret that speeding tickets and collisions lead to higher prices, but which company -- Allstate or Auto-owners -- has the lowest rates for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Allstate for their car insurance can usually expect their monthly bill to go up around 15% after getting a speeding ticket. Auto-owners policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of about 27%.

However, Auto-owners tends to offer the best prices for drivers both with clean records and with a ticket, offering premiums that are $35 and $18 more affordable, respectively, compared to Allstate.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both companies will raise rates pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault accident with Allstate climbing by around 32%. Auto-owners has a less extreme climb, but you can still expect to pay nearly 30% more than you were prior to your first collision.

At the end of the day, the less expensive prices come from Auto-owners, with average premiums coming in at $168 compared to Allstate's $229.

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. On average, Auto-owners will raise your prices about 54% after a DUI, while Allstate's average premiums rise by more than 30%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable rates, Allstate tends to be more affordable for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at around $227 to Auto-owners's $264.

How does Credit Score Impact Allstate and Auto-owners Rates?

In many cases, your credit score can be used as one of the factors to determine your monthly auto insurance prices. This isn't true for everyone (Michigan, for example, has banned the use of credit score as an insurance factor) but it does affect several drivers out there.

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

Looking at Allstate and Auto-owners specifically, which company has the best rates for drivers at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have solid credit, Auto-owners will typically reward you the most. For policyholders with "excellent" credit scores, Auto-owners comes in just under 34.48 less expensive. Drivers with "good" credit scores usually save about 25% with Auto-owners compared to average premiums from Allstate.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

If you have less-than-perfect credit, it can be somewhat of a toss-up as far as which company offers you the best prices. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 13% less with Auto-owners than Allstate, but those whose credit is considered "poor" have it flipped -- saving about 13% a month with Allstate.

Is Allstate or Auto-owners 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 companies 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 a collision and file an insurance claim.

For both remote workers and those taking short commutes, Auto-owners tends to be the more affordable option. Allstate's average rates for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in around 9% more expensive than Auto-owners. Those who drive 12,000 miles yearly can expect to pay about 10% more with Allstate over Auto-owners.

Allstate or Auto-owners: 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 auto insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a large impact as well. Normally, those who live in urban areas will pay more than drivers in rural areas because of the number of cars that are on the roads where they live.

Auto-owners tends to offer the most affordable premiums 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 6% with Auto-owners compared to Allstate. People who live in suburban areas pay about 15% less with Auto-owners compared to Allstate. For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Auto-Owners Insurance's average rates are around 8% less than Allstate.

Allstate vs. Auto-owners Discounts

You want to save as much money as you can, right? 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 compared all of the different discounts offered by Allstate and Auto-owners so that you can see which carrier can save you the most money each month.

Allstate blows Auto-owners away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 16 more discounts than Auto-owners.

Both carriers offer a lot of the same discounts -- like advance quote discounts, COVID-19 relief discount, discounts for being a defensive driver, and discounts for being a good driver -- but Allstate also offers discounts for agency transfer, alert driving, annual mileage, and more.

On the other hand, Auto-owners has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like company car discounts, education discounts, group discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Allstate or Auto-owners Best for You?

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your car insurance premiums. We've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers, too. But, when it comes down to it, which company is the right company for you and your specific driver profile?

Auto-owners might be best for you if....

• You have an at-fault collision on your record.
• You're looking for the best rates on liability only coverage.
• You want to save money while purchasing insurance for a teenager.

Allstate might be best for you if...

• Your driving record includes a DUI charge.
• You're looking for discounts -- Allstate has the most.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Allstate and Auto-owners and that it aids in making a more informed 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 several companies, not just Allstate and Auto-owners. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of the top car insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Allstate vs. Auto-owners FAQs

Is Allstate or Auto-owners cheaper?

Auto-owners is the cheaper of the two companies when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $179 per month with Auto-owners and $199 for Allstate. That being said, that doesn't mean Auto-owners will be the lowest carrier for every policyholder, since there are multiple different factors that come into play when it comes to your insurance cost.

Who is better, Allstate or Auto-owners?

Unfortunately, the real answer is "it depends.". No one company is "better" for each policyholder -- it all comes down to what your unique auto insurance profile looks like. For example, Auto-owners is less expensive for drivers with excellent credit, while Allstate offers more affordable rates for drivers with a recent DUI.

Why do Allstate and Auto-owners offer me different rates?

Insurance carriers use quite a few different variables when determining the premiums they charge. Things such as gender, age, your driving record, where you live, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Allstate and Auto-owners calculate prices using different factors, 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 range of different companies.

How do I know if Allstate or Auto-owners is right for me?

The only way to find the auto 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 area information and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top car insurance companies for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best price. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Allstate or Auto-owners 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.