Allstate vs. Sterling: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Allstate offers significantly cheaper rates than Sterling
• Allstate may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Sterling Insurance
• Sterling has less expensive prices in NY

Allstate or Sterling: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you in the market for a new insurance policy? With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering pretty big savings, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Allstate or Sterling, but between the two, which one has more affordable rates for insurance?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, Sterling has average rates that are around 35% a month more expensive than those from Allstate.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean Allstate will be the cheaper option for every single driver. After all, car insurance companies can offer drastically different rates to every driver depending on rating factors like where you call home, your credit score, your age, or even your driving record (among other things). So, at the end of the day, prices from each carrier will differ quite a bit from person to person.

Wanting to know if Allstate or Sterling is really the right company for you? Keep on reading to see how average premiums can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

Allstate vs. Sterling: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Allstate and Sterling only compete against each other in New York, where Sterling offers the cheaper average rates. Sterling drivers tend to pay about $75 per month less on average compared to drivers who use Allstate for their insurance.

There's a lot more that goes into your auto insurance cost than just the state you live in. Continue reading to see how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- usually pay a lot for car insurance compared to older drivers. That's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

That being said, that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their insurance. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Allstate for their auto insurance pay over 15% less than those who use Sterling. It's worth noting that Allstate offers insurance in 47 different states compared to Sterling's one, which can skew the average prices a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

But both carriers will reduce premiums once you turn 25. For example, average prices for Allstate policyholders decrease about $300 and Sterling's rates drop around $250 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 find.

But who has the best prices for retired drivers between Allstate and Sterling? Allstate gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older almost 35% less expensive than the national average for Sterling.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that auto insurance premiums are generally more expensive for single drivers than they are for married policyholders? That's because policies for married drivers typically cover multiple vehicles, which several companies will give you a discount for.

For single policyholders, the difference in average prices between these two carriers is significant, with Allstate rates coming in at a third less than Sterling's. The advantage is also clear for married couples - Allstate offers the lowest average premiums.

Allstate or Sterling: Average Rates by Gender

Because women are less likely to get into accidents and get speeding tickets, they run a lower risk of filing a claim with insurance. So, women tend to pay less for insurance than men.

On average, women see prices about 4% a month less with Allstate, and nearly 10% less with Sterling when compared to their male counterparts.

Looking at overall affordability, Allstate comes out as the most affordable option for both genders. On average, women save about $95 per month and men save around $111 with Allstate compared to the average Sterling policyholder.

Allstate vs. Sterling: 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 pretty complicated. Everyone needs auto insurance, but there are so many different terms and limits that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

Even so, the most common policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (which provides bodily injury and property damage coverage for other drivers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, in addition to liability).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability insurance, Allstate has the significant edge, with average monthly premiums coming in at $108. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Allstate again has the edge, with policies averaging about $289 a month to Sterling's $452.

Is Allstate or Sterling 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 at-fault collisions and speeding tickets on your record, but which of these two companies offers the cheapest rates to drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders with Sterling car insurance policies don't report seeing their prices increase after getting a ticket, but Allstate policyholders can expect to see their monthly bill increase by.

But Allstate has more affordable rates for drivers in both categories -- their rates are around 37% less expensive for drivers with clean records and 26% cheaper for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their auto insurance through Allstate can expect to see around an $73 -- or about 32% -- rise in their insurance premiums. Drivers who use Sterling for their auto insurance will see a monthly bill around $42 (or 15%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their car insurance carrier.

At the end of the day, Allstate offers the lowest rates for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average premiums coming in at $229 compared to Sterling Insurance's $289.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge on your record, it's probably going to cost you more than a simple speeding ticket or even a collision. Sterling drivers usually see a 42% climb in their insurance prices after a DUI charge, while Allstate will normally increase premiums by about 31%.

Allstate has the overall most affordable rates for drivers with a DUI on their records at $227 per month, but it's worth noting that Allstate's average rates come from 47 states compared to just one for Sterling, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Allstate and Sterling Rates?

Did you know many car insurance carriers take into account your credit score when determining prices? This isn't true for everyone (Massachusetts, for example, has banned the use of credit score as an insurance factor) but it will come into play for lots of drivers.

Auto insurance companies argue that someone with bad credit is less likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them riskier to insure. Because of that, policyholders with bad credit will often be forced to pay more.

So, which company offers the lowest rates for drivers with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a great credit score, Allstate will usually reward you the most. For policyholders with "excellent" credit scores, Allstate comes in nearly 34.98 more affordable. Drivers with "good" credit scores typically save around 36% with Allstate compared to average prices from Sterling.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Allstate typically offers lower premiums than Sterling when it comes to drivers with less-than-stellar credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about 32% per month less with Allstate compared to Sterling, and those with "poor" scores generally save an average of around 34% monthly.

Is Allstate or Sterling Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a substantial impact on your monthly car insurance bill. That's because the fewer miles you drive, 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 Sterling charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly rates for Allstate, with policyholders who drive the least paying about $3 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly. Still, for drivers in both categories, Allstate is the less expensive carrier.

Allstate or Sterling: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where your home is can have a big impact on your monthly auto insurance payment. Normally, if you live in an urban area with more cars on the road, you'll pay a little more for insurance, while the opposite is true for people in rural areas.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, Allstate generally comes out as the cheapest option for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save around 17% with Allstate compared to Sterling. People who live in suburban areas pay about 22% less with Allstate compared to Sterling. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Allstate's average prices are around 49% less than Sterling Insurance.

Allstate vs. Sterling 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. That's where car insurance discounts comes into play.

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

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and compared all of the different discounts offered by Allstate and Sterling so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

Allstate knocks Sterling out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 32 more discounts than Sterling.

Both companies offer quite a few of the same discounts -- like discounts for being a defensive driver, discounts for getting driver training, and multi-policy discounts -- but Allstate also offers discounts for advance quote, agency transfer, alert driving, and more.

Sterling's discounts come through just a few categories, including ABS, Anti-Theft, Defensive Driver, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Allstate or Sterling Best for You?

So, you've seen how different factors can affect your insurance premiums. We've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers, too. That's all well and good, but at the end of the day, which insurance company is the best fit for you?

Allstate 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're of retirement age and want to take advantage of lower prices.

Sterling might be best for you if...

• You like the personalized touch of a small, regional carrier.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Allstate and Sterling. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision when it comes to your car 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 insurance -- comparing quotes from a handful of carriers, not just Allstate and Sterling. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get free quotes from dozens of top auto insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Allstate vs. Sterling FAQs

Is Allstate or Sterling cheaper?

Allstate is the cheaper of the two carriers when looking at national average rates, with policies averaging $199 a month with Allstate and $301 for Sterling. However, that doesn't mean Allstate will be the most affordable company for each policyholder, since there are many different variables (things like driving record, age, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Allstate or Sterling?

Sadly, the answer truly is "it depends.". One carrier is not necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique car insurance profile.

Why do Allstate and Sterling offer me different rates?

Insurance companies use quite a few different factors when calculating the premiums they charge. Things like where you call home, where you live, age, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Allstate and Sterling calculate prices using different variables, so it's likely they'll offer different rates. The best way to determine which company is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from multiple different carriers.

How do I know if Allstate or Sterling is right for me?

The only way to find the auto insurance carrier 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 does all the hard work for you. Just enter your area information and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance carriers for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the lowest rate. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Allstate or Sterling 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.