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

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for insurance, Travelers offers cheaper rates than Allstate
• Allstate offers more discounts than Travelers
• Travelers offers more affordable prices for policyholders who live in suburban areas

Allstate vs. Travelers: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you in the market for a new insurance policy? After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering substantial discounts. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to Allstate or Travelers as potential options, but between the two, which carrier will save you the most?

Looking at nationwide averages, Travelers is about $32 per month more affordable than Allstate.

That being said, Travelers may not be the lowest or best option for each driver out there. Auto insurance companies use all sorts of complex algorithms to calculate premiums, so depending on how old you are or how clean your driving record is (among a whole bunch of other factors), you could see wildly different rates from the ones above.

Luckily, we've broken down average prices from both Allstate and Travelers by a range of different rate factors, so read on to find out which carrier is the best for you.

Allstate or Travelers: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Allstate and Travelers compete against each other in 29 states, with Travelers offering less expensive premiums to the average driver in all but two of them. If you live in New Jersey or New York, Allstate is the more affordable of the two carriers when looking at the overall average prices, but Travelers is the cheaper option in most of the others.

There are plenty of other factors that go into your car insurance payment than just where you call home. Read on to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive insurance rates of any other group of drivers. It's normally because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

But 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 $95 less a month by choosing Travelers over Allstate.

Even so, both companies will offer you dramatically lower premiums by the time you turn 25. For example, average rates for Allstate policyholders drop nearly 65% and Travelers's prices reduce more than 60% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age typically enjoy some of the most affordable insurance rates you'll ever see. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which usually decreases their chances of accidents and other infractions that can increase premiums.

When looking at Allstate and Travelers specifically, which company is best for retired drivers? Travelers gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older $20 less expensive 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 generally because married drivers tend to own and insure several cars, which can often earn you a discount.

When it comes to relationship status, Travelers is the clear winner for single drivers, with prices around $41 per month cheaper than Allstate, on average. The advantage for married policyholders with Travelers is also obvious, where drivers save almost $20 a month.

Allstate vs. Travelers: Average Rates by Gender

You may not know, but auto insurance is normally more expensive for men than for women. This is because men are more likely to get tickets and get into accidents, which increases the chances of an insurance claim.

Generally, women see rates about $10 per month more affordable with Allstate, and over $10 cheaper with Travelers when compared to their male counterparts.

Looking at the data for each carrier specifically, Travelers offers the cheapest average premiums for both men and women. On average, male drivers save about $31 a month and women save around $33 with Travelers compared to the average Allstate policyholder.

Allstate or 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 many different coverages that account for several different things. Some protect you and your vehicle, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause an accident.

However, the most common policies that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (which provides property damage and bodily injury coverage for other drivers and passengers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which usually refers to having comprehensive and collision coverages in addition to liability coverage).

In this case, Allstate offers the lowest average rates for state minimum liability insurance, while Travelers has the edge for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Drivers looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $0 with Allstate, while full coverage comes out to be about $65 cheaper with Travelers.

Is Allstate or Travelers Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

It's no secret secret that tickets and collisions lead to higher rates, but which company -- Allstate or Travelers -- has the cheapest premiums for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Allstate policyholders can expect their prices to go up an average of $27 per month if they get a ticket, while Travelers typically raises premiums around $32 a month, on average.

That being said, Travelers tends to offer the best prices for drivers both with clean records and with a speeding ticket, offering prices that are 18% and 13% less expensive, 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 raising by just under $75. Travelers has a less extreme raise, but you can still expect to pay $45 more than you were prior to your first collision.

Overall, drivers who use Travelers end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with monthly premiums averaging $173 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 ticket when it comes to your car insurance bill. Travelers drivers usually see a 38% climb in their auto insurance rates after a DUI charge, while Allstate will generally increase prices by about 31%.

If you have a DUI on your record and are looking for more affordable premiums, Travelers tends to be the much cheaper option with average rates of $205 a month compared to $227 from Allstate.

How does Credit Score Impact Allstate and Travelers Rates?

You may not realized it, but your credit score can be used as one of the factors to determine your monthly insurance prices. This isn't always the case (for example, California and Hawaii are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect many policyholders out there.

The reasoning auto insurance carriers 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 specifically at Travelers and Allstate, which company has the best prices for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a great credit score, you'll usually find a better deal with Travelers. Drivers with "excellent" credit can save just under 20% compared to Allstate, and those with "good" scores can also expect to see savings -- around $30 or 17% less expensive each month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Travelers typically offers lower rates than Allstate when it comes to drivers with less-than-stellar credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about $30 per month less with Travelers compared to Allstate, and those with "poor" scores typically save an average of around $44 monthly.

Is Allstate or Travelers 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 get into an accident and cause an insurance claim.

Travelers tends to be the more affordable option for both drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicles every year, as well as those who average twice that figure. Travelers average premiums for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in nearly $35 less expensive than Allstate. Those who drive 12,000 miles annually can expect to pay over $30 less with Travelers over Allstate.

Allstate vs. Travelers: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you live can have a large impact on your monthly car insurance bill. Generally, if you live in a rural area with fewer cars on the road, you'll pay a little less for auto insurance, while the opposite is true for people in urban areas.

Travelers boasts the cheapest average prices for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

Policyholders in rural ZIP codes see the lowest premiums from both carriers, but Travelers comes out on top with average rates about $136 per month. Travelers also has cheaper average prices for drivers in urban and suburban ZIP codes -- a 8% and 20% a month respective difference when compared to Allstate policyholders in similar areas.

Allstate vs. Travelers Discounts

Regardless of 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 possible. That's where insurance discounts comes into play.

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

In the table below, we've broken down all of the different discounts offered by both Allstate and Travelers so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Allstate knocks Travelers out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 40 different discounts to Travelers's 25.

Both companies offer a lot of the same discounts -- like advance quote discounts, COVID-19 relief discount, discounts for being a defensive driver, and DRL discounts -- but Allstate also offers agency transfer discounts, alert driving discounts, annual mileage discounts, and more that Travelers does not.

On the flip side, Travelers has a couple unique discounts of its own -- alternative fuel discounts, continuous insurance discounts, electric vehicle discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Allstate or Travelers Best for You?

You've seen the role certain variables have on your car insurance and the different discounts carriers offer. But, at the end of the day, which company is the best one for you and your specific profile and needs?

Travelers might be best for you if....

• You have a speeding ticket on your driving record.
• You have above-average credit.
• You're buying auto insurance for a teen and looking for a wallet-friendly option.

Allstate might be best for you if...

• You're looking for the carrier with the most discounts.
• You want basic insurance coverage at the state minimum limits.

We hope this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Allstate and Travelers. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision when it comes to your auto insurance.

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your insurance policy is to compare quotes from multiple companies, not just Allstate 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 car insurance carriers in your area, all for free.

Allstate vs. Travelers FAQs

Is Allstate or Travelers cheaper?

Looking just at the national average premiums, Travelers is the more affordable of the two companies, offering average rates of $167 per month compared to $199 for Allstate. Even so, Travelers won't necessarily be the most affordable company for everyone, since there are lots of different factors (things like driving record, age, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Allstate or Travelers?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". One carrier is not "better" for everyone -- it all comes down to what your unique auto insurance profile looks like.

Why do Allstate and Travelers offer me different rates?

Car insurance carriers take a look at several different variables when calculating the prices they charge drivers. Things like where your home is, where you call home, gender, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Allstate and Travelers calculate rates using different factors, so each one will most likely offer different premiums. The only real way to see which company is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a variety of different companies.

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

The only way to find the insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from several carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your information once and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best auto insurance companies in your area. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the most affordable premium. And who knows, the best company for you might not be Allstate or Travelers at all!

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.