American Family vs. MetLife: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, American Family offers significantly less expensive prices than MetLife
• American Family offers more affordable rates for single people who will be the only person on the car insurance policy
• MetLife may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than American Family Insurance

American Family or MetLife: 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 might be considering American Family or MetLife as potential options, but which company has more affordable prices for auto insurance?

Looking at nationwide averages, American Family is quite a bit cheaper than MetLife, with premiums averaging $140 a month compared to $340 with MetLife.

But that doesn't necessarily mean American Family will be the cheaper option for every single driver. Car insurance carriers use a ton of complex algorithms to determine rates, so depending on where you live or how good your credit score is (among numerous other factors), you could see wildly different premiums from the ones above.

Luckily, we've broken down average rates from both American Family and MetLife by a variety of different rate factors, so read on to find out which carrier is the best for you.

American Family vs. MetLife: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

American Family and MetLife compete against each other in 14 states, with American Family offering more affordable prices to the average driver in all of them. If you live in, undefined is the cheaper of the two companies when looking at the overall average premiums, but undefined is the cheaper option in most of the others.

There's a lot more that goes into your insurance payment than just your home state. Keep reading to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- normally pay a lot for auto 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.

Even so, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high insurance rates. As you can see above, teens who use American Family save over 70% per month compared to those who use MetLife.

That being said, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower prices by the time drivers turn 25. For example, average rates for American Family policyholders lower more than 60% and MetLife's prices drop over 70% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll generally enjoy the lowest car insurance premiums out there. You've been on the road for years, and all that experience pays off when it comes to your monthly prices for insurance.

But who has the best premiums for retired drivers between American Family and MetLife? American Family gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older almost 50% less expensive than the national average for MetLife.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

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

For those who are single, the difference in average premiums between these two carriers is significant, with American Family rates coming in at around a third of MetLife's. The advantage for married policyholders with American Family is also obvious, where drivers save more than 50% a month.

American Family or MetLife: Average Rates by Gender

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

Normally, women see prices about 3% per month less with American Family, but with MetLife, the difference is closer to 8% a month.

When it comes to the cheapest premiums for each gender, American Family offers the most affordable average rates for both men and women, with average prices $211 less for men and $188 cheaper for women.

American Family vs. MetLife: 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, auto insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. Everyone needs car insurance, but there are so many different limits and coverages that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

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

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, American Family has the significant edge, with average monthly premiums coming in at $96. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, American Family again has the edge, with policies averaging around $185 per month to MetLife's $466.

Is American Family or MetLife 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.

At-fault accidents and speeding tickets will most likely raise your rates, but is American Family or MetLife more affordable for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use American Family for their auto insurance can typically expect their monthly bill to go up about 20% after getting a speeding ticket. MetLife policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of around 21%.

But American Family tends to offer the best prices for both drivers who have a recent ticket and those with clean records -- their rates are around 46% less expensive for drivers with clean records and 47% cheaper for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their car insurance through American Family can expect to see about an $20 -- or around 14% -- rise in their insurance premiums. Drivers who use MetLife for their car insurance will see a monthly bill about $148 (or 40%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their insurance company.

At the end of the day, drivers who use American Family end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average rates coming in at $138 compared to MetLife's $368.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

On average, a DUI offense is going to cost you much more than a single collision or speeding ticket when it comes to your auto insurance bill. On average, MetLife will raise your prices around 55% after a DUI, while American Family's average premiums climb by more than 25%.

How does Credit Score Impact American Family and MetLife Rates?

Did you know many insurance companies take your credit score into account when determining prices? This isn't true for everyone (California, for example, has banned the use of credit score as an insurance factor) but it does affect quite a few drivers out there.

Auto insurance carriers argue that someone with good credit is more likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them less risky to insure. Because of that, policyholders with good credit will often be rewarded with less expensive rates.

So, which carrier offers the lowest prices for drivers with poor, average, or good credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is American Family or MetLife 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 large impact on how much car insurance companies will charge for coverage? That's because the fewer miles you put on your car 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, American Family tends to be the more affordable option. MetLife's average premiums for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in about 59% more expensive than American Family. Those who drive 12,000 miles every year can expect to pay around 58% more with MetLife over American Family.

American Family or MetLife: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you call home can play a substantial role in how much you pay for insurance. Usually, policyholders who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural drivers since there are a lot more vehicles on the roads where they live.

American Family 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 about 60% with American Family compared to MetLife. People who live in suburban areas pay around 60% less with American Family compared to MetLife. For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, American Family Insurance's average rates are about 57% less than MetLife.

American Family vs. MetLife 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 taking advantage of as many car insurance discounts as possible.

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 compared all of the different discounts offered by American Family and MetLife so that you can find the one that has the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

MetLife knocks American Family out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 15 more discounts than American Family.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like discounts for being a defensive driver, EFT discounts, discounts for being a good student, and discounts for insuring multiple cars with the same company. MetLife also offers discounts for AAA, ABS, academic, and more.

On the other hand, American Family has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like advance quote discounts, connect partner discounts, COVID-19 relief discount, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is American Family or MetLife 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. That's all well and good, but at the end of the day, is American Family or MetLife the best fit for you?

American Family might be best for you if....

• Your credit is below-average.
• Your home is in a busy urban area.
• You are purchasing your auto insurance with a spouse.

MetLife might be best for you if...

• You are considering moving to another state -- undefined is only available in.
• You care about discounts (MetLife offers the most).

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

American Family vs. MetLife FAQs

Is American Family or MetLife cheaper?

American Family is the cheaper of the two carriers when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $140 a month with American Family and $340 for MetLife. That being said, that doesn't mean American Family will be the lowest carrier for each policyholder, since there are several different factors that come into play when it comes to your car insurance bill.

Who is better, American Family or MetLife?

Sadly, the answer truly is "it depends.". One company is not necessarily "better" for every policyholder -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique auto insurance profile.

Why do American Family and MetLife offer me different rates?

Car insurance companies use lots of different variables when calculating the rates they charge. Factors such as where you park your car, gender, age, where you live, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both American Family and MetLife use different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which carrier is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from many different carriers.

How do I know if American Family or MetLife is right for me?

The only way to find the insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from several 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 auto insurance carriers for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best premium. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't American Family or MetLife 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.