Atlantic States vs. Erie: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Erie offers slightly less expensive prices than Atlantic States
• Atlantic States offers more affordable premiums for policyholders who have a clean record
• Erie offers more discounts than Atlantic States Insurance Company

Atlantic States vs. Erie: 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 large discounts. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed it down to Atlantic States or Erie as your top options, but between the two, which carrier has cheaper prices for insurance?

Looking at nationwide averages, Erie is about $7 per month more affordable than Atlantic States.

That being said, that doesn't mean Erie will necessarily be cheaper than Atlantic States for every single driver. Car insurance companies use all sorts of complex algorithms to calculate rates, so depending on where you live or how old you are (among lots of other factors), you could see wildly different prices from the ones above.

Luckily, we've broken down average rates from both Atlantic States and Erie by multiple different rate factors, so read on to find out which carrier is the best for you.

Atlantic States or Erie: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Atlantic States and Erie only compete against each other in two states, with Erie offering less expensive premiums to the average driver in all of them. Ohio has the most noticable difference, where Erie rates are over 70% cheaper than insurance premiums at Atlantic States.

That being said, there are plenty of other factors that go into your car insurance payment than just where you live. Continue reading to see how other factors will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive auto insurance prices of any other group of drivers out there on the road. That's because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in an insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

However, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high car insurance rates. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of nearly $20 less a month by choosing Atlantic States over Erie.

Even so, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower prices by the time you turn 25. Erie offers the steepest drop, with 25-year-olds paying less than half what 18-year-old drivers are charged. Atlantic States's average premiums decrease more than 45% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to auto insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the cheapest rates you'll ever see.

But who has the best premiums for retired drivers between Atlantic States and Erie? Erie gets the slight edge here, with average prices coming in at around $116 a month compared to Atlantic States's $119. But the difference is only about 5%, so other variables (such as your credit score or your driving record) will likely come into play when determining which company has the lowest premiums for you.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

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

If you're in the market for car insurance, Erie tends to have the most affordable average rates regardless of marital status, with prices around $10 more affordable for single policyholders and about $4 less expensive for married policyholders.

Atlantic States vs. Erie: Average Rates by Gender

Did you know women tend to pay less for insurance than men? This is because men are statistically more likely than women to get pulled over for speeding or get into an accident, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher premiums.

Men generally pay almost $15 per month more than women with Atlantic States, and around $11 more with Erie.

Looking at overall affordability, Erie comes out as the cheapest option for both genders. On average, male drivers save about $9 a month and women save about $6 with Erie compared to the average Atlantic States policyholder.

Atlantic States or Erie: 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. There are so many different limits and coverages that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy.

The two most common policies that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (which provides bodily injury and property damage 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 what you get with a liability policy).

In this case, Atlantic States offers the most affordable average rates for state minimum liability insurance, while Erie has the edge for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Drivers looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $6 with Atlantic States Insurance Company, while full coverage comes out to be around $20 more affordable with Erie Insurance.

Is Atlantic States or Erie Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no big secret that drivers who are accident-free get better deals on their car insurance. But even if you have a spotty record, you can still find plenty of ways to save some cash on your monthly bill.

It's no secret secret that tickets and accidents lead to higher prices, but which carrier -- Atlantic States or Erie -- has the lowest premiums for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Atlantic States policyholders can expect their prices to go up an average of $6 per month if they get a ticket, while Erie typically raises rates about $18 a month, on average.

However, Atlantic States is generally the less expensive option for drivers both with clean records and with a speeding ticket, offering premiums that are $3 and $15 cheaper, respectively, compared to Erie Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both companies will increase rates pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault accident with Erie increasing by just under $40. Atlantic States has a less extreme rise, but you can still expect to pay over $35 more than you were prior to your first collision.

Overall, drivers who use Atlantic States end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with monthly prices averaging $153 compared to Erie Insurance's $157.

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 -- normally a lot more than an accident or ticket. For example, Atlantic States increases average rates by nearly $150 per month -- that's just under a 55% increase.

How does Credit Score Impact Atlantic States and Erie Rates?

Did you know that many insurance carriers take your credit score into account when calculating premiums? This isn't always the case (for example, Michigan and Massachusetts are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it might come into play for several policyholders.

The reasoning auto insurance companies use is that drivers with bad credit will be less likely to pay their bills on time; so typically, they'll be asked to pay more, while those with good credit will be rewarded with more affordable prices.

Looking at Atlantic States and Erie specifically, which one has the best premiums for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is Atlantic States or Erie Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a considerable impact on how much insurance carriers will charge for coverage. That's because the fewer miles you drive, the less likely you are to get into a collision and cause an insurance claim.

Erie tends to be the cheaper option for both drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicles yearly, as well as those who average twice that figure. Erie average prices for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in $4 less expensive than Atlantic States. Those who drive 12,000 miles annually can expect to pay more than $10 less with Erie over Atlantic States.

Atlantic States vs. Erie: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you park your vehicle can play a pretty big role in how much you pay for car insurance. Usually, drivers who live in less densely populated rural areas will pay quite a bit less than urban policyholders because of the small number of cars that are on the roads in those areas.

Looking at these companies side-by-side, Erie normally comes out as the more affordable option for drivers in rural and urban areas, while Atlantic States wins in suburban areas.

In urban areas, Erie Insurance's average premiums are around 5% less than Atlantic States Insurance Company. Drivers in suburban ZIP codes pay about 1% less with Atlantic States compared to Erie. If you live in a rural area, you can expect to save around 14% with Erie compared to Atlantic States.

Atlantic States vs. Erie Discounts

Regardless of 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 possible, and the best way to do that is by utilizing as many car insurance discounts as you can.

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be difficult to nail down the carrier that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile and to find all the discounts you qualify for.

In the table below, we've broken down all of the different discounts offered by both Atlantic States and Erie so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the biggest savings.

Overall, Erie comes out ahead with 21 discounts to Atlantic States's 19.

There are a couple discounts both carriers offer, but Erie also offers COVID-19 relief discount, distant student discounts, DRL discounts, and more that Atlantic States does not.

On the flip side, Atlantic States has a couple unique discounts of its own -- family discounts, discounts for being a good student, group discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Atlantic States or Erie Best for You?

You've seen the effect certain factors have on your insurance and the different discounts companies offer. But, at the end of the day, is Atlantic States or Erie the right company for you, your vehicle, and your wallet?

Erie might be best for you if....

• You have a DUI charge on your record.
• You're looking for the company with the most discounts.
• You are over 65 years old and want to save some money on your auto insurance.

Atlantic States might be best for you if...

• You haven't received any speeding tickets or been in an accident in the last few years.
• Your driving record contains an at-fault accident.
• You live in an suburban area.

We hope this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Atlantic States and Erie. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision about your insurance.

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your car insurance policy is to compare quotes from several carriers, not just Atlantic States and Erie. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best auto insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Atlantic States vs. Erie FAQs

Is Atlantic States or Erie cheaper?

Looking just at the national average rates, Erie is the less expensive of the two carriers, offering average rates of $153 a month compared to $160 for Atlantic States. Even so, Erie won't necessarily be the lowest carrier for each driver, since there are a range of different variables that are considered when it comes to your car insurance cost.

Who is better, Atlantic States or Erie?

Unfortunately, the real answer is "it depends.". One company is not "better" for everyone -- it all comes down to what your unique insurance profile looks like.

Why do Atlantic States and Erie offer me different rates?

Car insurance companies take a look at a lot of different factors when determining the prices they charge drivers. Things like your driving record, where you live, age, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Atlantic States and Erie use different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different premiums. The only real way to see which carrier is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from several different carriers.

How do I know if Atlantic States or Erie is right for me?

The only way to find the auto insurance company 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 information once and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best insurance carriers in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the lowest premium. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be Atlantic States or Erie 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.