Auto-owners vs. Cameron Mutual: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for auto insurance, Cameron Mutual offers significantly more affordable prices than Auto-owners
• Auto-owners may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Cameron Mutual Insurance Company
• Cameron Mutual offers more affordable rates for policyholders who have a clean record

Auto-owners or Cameron Mutual: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

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

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Auto-owners or Cameron Mutual for your next policy, but which company will offer you less expensive prices?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, Auto-owners is quite a bit more expensive than Cameron Mutual, with rates averaging $179 a month compared to just $124 with Cameron Mutual.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean Cameron Mutual 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 your age, your credit score, where you call home, or even your driving record (among other things), so premiums could change drastically from person to person.

Wanting to know if Auto-owners or Cameron Mutual is really the right company for you? Keep on reading to see how average prices can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

Auto-owners vs. Cameron Mutual: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Auto-owners and Cameron Mutual only compete against each other in two states, with Cameron Mutual offering less expensive rates to the average driver in all of them. Arkansas has the most noticable difference, where Cameron Mutual premiums are $111 cheaper than auto insurance rates at Auto-owners.

But there's more to insurance than just your home state. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how auto insurance carriers determine your premiums. Continue reading to see how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive insurance prices of any other group of drivers out there on the road. 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 car insurance premiums. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Cameron Mutual for their insurance pay over 30% less than those who use Auto-owners. It's worth noting that Auto-owners offers auto insurance in 23 different states compared to Cameron Mutual's two, which can skew the average prices a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

That being said, both companies will offer you dramatically lower rates by the time drivers turn 25. Cameron Mutual offers the steepest drop, with 25-year-olds paying less than half what 18-year-old drivers are charged. Auto-owners's average prices drop almost 60% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

But who has the best prices for retired drivers between Auto-owners and Cameron Mutual? Cameron Mutual gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older more than 40% more affordable than the national average for Auto-owners.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that auto insurance premiums are normally more expensive for those who are single than they are for married couples? That's because policies for married policyholders usually cover more than one vehicle, which quite a few carriers will give you a discount for.

For single policyholders, the difference in average rates between these two companies is significant, with Cameron Mutual premiums coming in at a third less than Auto-owners's. The advantage for married drivers with Cameron Mutual is also obvious, where drivers save around $45 per month.

Auto-owners or Cameron Mutual: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into a collision or get pulled over for speeding, which means they'll typically end up paying more for car insurance than women.

Women normally pay about $10 a month less than men with Auto-owners, and nearly $15 with Cameron Mutual.

Looking at the data for each carrier specifically, Cameron Mutual comes out as the most affordable option for both genders, with average prices 29% less for men and 32% cheaper for women.

Auto-owners vs. Cameron Mutual: 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 auto insurance can be pretty complicated. There are several different coverages that account for lots of different things. Some protect you and your car, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause an accident.

But most policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- 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 includes two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- in addition to liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability limits, Cameron Mutual has the significant edge, with average monthly premiums coming in at $53. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Cameron Mutual again has the edge, with policies averaging around $195 per month to Auto-owners's $260.

Is Auto-owners or Cameron Mutual 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.

It's no secret secret that collisions and speeding tickets lead to higher prices, but which company -- Auto-owners or Cameron Mutual -- has the cheapest rates for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders with Cameron Mutual car insurance policies don't report seeing their prices increase after getting a ticket, but Auto-owners policyholders can expect to see their monthly bill increase by about 25%.

Even so, Cameron Mutual tends to offer the best prices for drivers both with a speeding ticket and with a clean record. Drivers with a clean record can save around 9% a month with Cameron Mutual Insurance Company, and the same can be said for those with a ticket, too.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Auto-owners drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their premiums climb by just under 30%, while those who have insurance through Cameron Mutual will see about a 10% increase.

At the end of the day, Cameron Mutual offers the most affordable rates for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average prices coming in at $124 compared to Auto-Owners Insurance's $168.

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 speeding ticket when it comes to your insurance bill. For example, Auto-owners increases average premiums by nearly $150 per month -- that's nearly a 55% increase.

Cameron Mutual has the overall cheapest rates for drivers with a DUI on their records at $152 a month, but it's worth noting that Auto-owners's average rates come from 23 states compared to just two for Cameron Mutual, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Auto-owners and Cameron Mutual Rates?

Did you know many car insurance carriers take into account your credit score when determining premiums? This isn't true for everyone (California, for example, has banned the use of credit score as an auto insurance factor) but it will 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 generally, they'll be asked to pay more, while those with good credit will be rewarded with less expensive prices.

So, which carrier offers the lowest rates for policyholders with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have great credit, Cameron Mutual will typically reward you the most. For drivers with "excellent" credit scores, Cameron Mutual comes in more than 11.58 cheaper. Drivers with "good" credit scores usually save around 17% with Cameron Mutual compared to average prices from Auto-owners.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Cameron Mutual typically offers lower rates than Auto-owners when it comes to drivers with bad credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about 28% a month less with Cameron Mutual compared to Auto-owners, and those with "poor" scores generally save an average of around 44% monthly.

Is Auto-owners or Cameron Mutual 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 your monthly premiums? Typically, the more milage you put on your car, the more you can expect to pay for coverage.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Cameron Mutual charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly prices for Auto-owners, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicle yearly paying about $1 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles every year. Still, for drivers in both categories, Cameron Mutual is the more affordable company.

Auto-owners or Cameron Mutual: 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 insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a pretty big impact as well. Normally, if you live in an urban area with more cars on the road, you'll pay a little more for car insurance, while the opposite is true for people in rural areas.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, Cameron Mutual usually comes out as the cheapest option for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save around 29% with Cameron Mutual compared to Auto-owners. People who live in suburban areas pay about 28% less with Cameron Mutual compared to Auto-owners. For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Cameron Mutual Insurance Company's average premiums are around 35% less than Auto-Owners Insurance.

Auto-owners vs. Cameron Mutual 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 where do you even start? With what seems like a million different discounts out there, it may be challenging to find all the ones you qualify for.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and compared all of the different discounts offered by Auto-owners and Cameron Mutual so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Auto-owners knocks Cameron Mutual out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 24 different discounts to Cameron Mutual's six.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like discounts for being a defensive driver, discounts for being a good student, and passive restraint discounts. Auto-owners also offers discounts for ABS, advance quote, anti-theft, and more.

On the other hand, Cameron Mutual has a few proprietary discounts of their own like renewal discounts and umbrella policy discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Auto-owners or Cameron Mutual Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average rates for many of the factors auto insurance companies look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each company offers. That's all well and good, but at the end of the day, which insurance carrier is the right carrier for you and your specific needs?

Cameron Mutual might be best for you if....

• You don't have any speeding tickets, DUIs, or at-fault accidents on your record.
• Your credit is below-average.
• You don't spend much time in your car.

Auto-owners might be best for you if...

• You value the experience that comes with a large national insurance company.
• You care about discounts (Auto-owners offers the most).

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Auto-owners and Cameron Mutual and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your auto insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your insurance policy is to compare quotes from a handful of carriers, not just Auto-owners and Cameron Mutual. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get free quotes from dozens of top car insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Auto-owners vs. Cameron Mutual FAQs

Is Auto-owners or Cameron Mutual cheaper?

Cameron Mutual is the cheaper of the two carriers when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $124 per month with Cameron Mutual and $179 for Auto-owners. That being said, that doesn't mean Cameron Mutual will be the lowest carrier for each policyholder, since there are a range of different variables (things like driving record, age, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Auto-owners or Cameron Mutual?

Unfortunately, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". Neither company is "better" for every policyholder -- it all boils down to your unique insurance profile.

Why do Auto-owners and Cameron Mutual offer me different rates?

Car insurance companies use a lot of different factors when calculating the prices they charge. Things like gender, age, your driving record, where you call home, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Auto-owners and Cameron Mutual calculate premiums differently, 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 a bunch of different carriers.

How do I know if Auto-owners or Cameron Mutual is right for me?

The only way to find the auto 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 ZIP code and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance carriers for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best price. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Auto-owners or Cameron Mutual 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.