American Family vs. Colorado Farm Bureau: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for auto insurance, Colorado Farm Bureau offers slightly less expensive premiums than American Family
• American Family offers more affordable average rates for policyholders who live in suburban areas
• Colorado Farm Bureau offers more affordable premiums for policyholders whose driving record contains an at-fault collision

American Family or Colorado Farm Bureau: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're considering switching to a new insurance policy. You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering large savings, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to American Family or Colorado Farm Bureau as potential options, but which carrier will save you the most?

Looking at nationwide averages, American Family is around $8 more a month than Colorado Farm Bureau.

Even so, Colorado Farm Bureau may not be the most affordable or best option for every driver out there. Car insurance carriers use all sorts of complex algorithms to determine prices, so depending on how old you are or how clean your driving record is (among an array of other factors), you could see wildly different rates from the ones above.

Luckily, we've broken down average premiums from both American Family and Colorado Farm Bureau by multiple different rate factors, so read on to find out which company is the best for you.

American Family vs. Colorado Farm Bureau: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

American Family and Colorado Farm Bureau only compete against each other in Colorado, where Colorado Farm Bureau offers the cheaper average prices. Colorado Farm Bureau drivers tend to pay about $12 per month less on average compared to drivers who use American Family for their auto insurance.

That being said, there's a lot more that goes into your insurance bill than just where you live. Read on to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- typically pay a lot for car insurance compared to older drivers. The reason is that teen drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

However, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high auto insurance premiums. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Colorado Farm Bureau for their insurance pay 25% less than those who use American Family. It's worth noting that American Family offers auto insurance in 16 different states compared to Colorado Farm Bureau's one, which can skew the average rates a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

But both companies will offer you dramatically lower prices once you turn 25. For example, average premiums for American Family policyholders decrease over 60% and Colorado Farm Bureau's rates drop almost 40% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll normally enjoy the lowest car 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 premiums for insurance.

When looking at American Family and Colorado Farm Bureau specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? American Family gets the slight edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older $7 cheaper than the national average for Colorado Farm Bureau.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married policyholders tend to get slightly less expensive auto insurance prices than single policyholders. That's because policies for married drivers usually cover multiple vehicles, which several carriers will give you a discount for.

When it comes to relationship status, Colorado Farm Bureau is the winner for those who are single, with premiums nearly 10% a month cheaper than American Family, on average.

American Family or Colorado Farm Bureau: Average Rates by Gender

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

Women usually pay about $5 per month less than men with American Family, and around $2 cheaper with Colorado Farm Bureau when compared to their male counterparts.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, Colorado Farm Bureau comes out as the cheapest option for both genders, with average rates $10 less for men and $7 cheaper for women.

American Family vs. Colorado Farm Bureau: 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. Everyone needs auto insurance, but there are so many different coverages and limits that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

That being said, most 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 normally refers to having collision and comprehensive coverages in addition to liability coverage).

When it comes to state minimum liability insurance, Colorado Farm Bureau has the edge, while American Family offers the most affordable average prices for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Policyholders looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $25 with Colorado Farm Bureau Insurance, while full coverage comes out to be about $10 more affordable with American Family Insurance.

Is American Family or Colorado Farm Bureau Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no secret -- drivers with good records end up getting the best deals on their car 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 speeding tickets and at-fault collisions on your record, but which of these two companies offers the cheapest premiums to drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Drivers who use American Family for their insurance can typically expect their monthly bill to go up around 20% after getting a speeding ticket. Colorado Farm Bureau policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of about 16%.

Even so, Colorado Farm Bureau has less expensive prices for drivers in both categories -- their rates are around 5% more affordable for drivers with clean records and 9% cheaper for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

American Family policyholders who get in an accident can expect to see their rates rise by just under 15%, while those who have insurance through Colorado Farm Bureau will see around a 20% increase.

At the end of the day, Colorado Farm Bureau offers the lowest prices for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with average premiums coming in at $137 compared to American Family Insurance's $138.

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 auto insurance bill -- generally a lot more than a collision or ticket. For example, American Family increases average rates by $40 a month -- that's more than a 25% increase.

Colorado Farm Bureau has the overall cheapest prices for drivers with a DUI on their records at $144 per month, but it's worth noting that American Family's average rates come from 16 states compared to just one for Colorado Farm Bureau, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact American Family and Colorado Farm Bureau Rates?

Did you know many car insurance carriers take your credit score into account when determining rates? This isn't true for everyone (for example, Massachusetts and California are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it might come into play for a lot of drivers.

Insurance companies argue that those with good credit scores are more likely to pay their bills on time every month, which decreases the risk involved on their end, while the opposite is true for those with bad credit.

Looking specifically at Colorado Farm Bureau and American Family, which company has the lowest premiums for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a great credit score, Colorado Farm Bureau will usually reward you the most. For drivers with "excellent" credit scores, Colorado Farm Bureau comes in nearly 18 less expensive. Drivers with "good" credit scores generally save about 11% with Colorado Farm Bureau compared to average prices from American Family.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

If you have a below average credit score, it can be somewhat of a toss-up as far as which company offers you the best premiums. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 6% less with Colorado Farm Bureau than American Family, but those whose credit is considered "poor" have it flipped -- saving about 2% per month with American Family.

Is American Family or Colorado Farm Bureau Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

Did you know that the amount of time you spend in your car have a big impact on your monthly rates? Normally, those who drive fewer miles will end up with cheaper prices since there's less of a chance of causing an accident and filing an insurance claim.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Colorado Farm Bureau charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly rates for American Family, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their car annually paying around $5 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles every year. Still, for drivers in both categories, Colorado Farm Bureau is the more affordable carrier.

American Family or Colorado Farm Bureau: 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. Typically, those who live in rural areas will pay less than policyholders in urban areas since there are a lot fewer vehicles on the road where they live, which reduces the chances of an accident.

Colorado Farm Bureau tends to offer the cheapest option for drivers in rural and urban areas, while American Family wins in suburban areas.

Those in rural areas can expect to save about $36 with Colorado Farm Bureau compared to American Family. People who live in suburban areas pay around $22 less with American Family compared to Colorado Farm Bureau. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Colorado Farm Bureau Insurance's average premiums are about $11 less than American Family Insurance.

American Family vs. Colorado Farm Bureau Discounts

No matter why you might be in the market for a new 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 difficult to find all the ones you qualify for or to nail down the carrier that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and broke down all of the different discounts offered by both American Family and Colorado Farm Bureau so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

American Family blows Colorado Farm Bureau away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 17 more discounts than Colorado Farm Bureau.

Both carriers offer lots of the same discounts -- like discounts for being a defensive driver, discounts for being a good student, and multi-policy discounts -- but American Family also offers discounts for advance quote, anti-theft, connect partner, and more.

On the other hand, Colorado Farm Bureau has a proprietary discount of their own -- a driver training discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is American Family or Colorado Farm Bureau Best for You?

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

Colorado Farm Bureau might be best for you if....

• Your driving record includes a DUI charge.
• You're looking for the best rates on liability only coverage.
• Your neighborhood is in a rural area.

American Family might be best for you if...

• You care about discounts (American Family offers the most).
• Your neighborhood is in the suburbs.
• You and your spouse are buying auto insurance together.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between American Family and Colorado Farm Bureau. 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 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 American Family and Colorado Farm Bureau. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. 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.

American Family vs. Colorado Farm Bureau FAQs

Is American Family or Colorado Farm Bureau cheaper?

Colorado Farm Bureau is the cheaper of the two companies when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $132 a month with Colorado Farm Bureau and $140 for American Family. But that doesn't mean Colorado Farm Bureau will be the lowest company for each policyholder, since there are lots of different factors (things like gender, age, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, American Family or Colorado Farm Bureau?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". One carrier is not necessarily "better" for every policyholder -- it all comes down to what your unique auto insurance profile looks like. For example, American Family is more affordable for drivers who have already retired, while Colorado Farm Bureau offers less expensive prices for single policyholders.

Why do American Family and Colorado Farm Bureau offer me different rates?

Insurance carriers use quite a few different variables when calculating the premiums they charge. Things such as age, your driving record, gender, where your home is, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both American Family and Colorado Farm Bureau calculate rates using different factors, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which company is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from several different companies.

How do I know if American Family or Colorado Farm Bureau is right for me?

The only way to find the auto 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 do all the hard work for you. Just enter your area information and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top car insurance companies for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the lowest price. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't American Family or Colorado Farm Bureau 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.