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

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for auto insurance, Auto-owners offers significantly less expensive prices than Dairyland
• Auto-owners offers cheaper average rates for policyholders whose driving record contains an at-fault collision
• Dairyland has more affordable prices for drivers with a DUI

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

So, you're thinking about switching to a new insurance policy. With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering big savings, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You might have narrowed your search down to Auto-owners or Dairyland as potential options, but which one will offer you less expensive rates?

As you can see, Dairyland is quite a bit more expensive than Auto-owners, with premiums averaging $256 a month compared to just $179 with Auto-owners when looking at the national average rates for insurance.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean Auto-owners will be the more affordable option for every driver. Car insurance carriers vary their rates depending on things like how clean your driving record is, how old you are, where you live, how good your credit score is, and a variety of other factors, so prices will vary quite a bit from person to person.

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

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

Auto-owners and Dairyland compete against each other in five states, with Dairyland offering cheaper rates to the average driver in all of them. If you live in Arkansas, Dairyland is the more affordable of the two companies when looking at the overall average premiums. Auto-owners is the less expensive option in Idaho, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina.

That being said, there are plenty of other factors that go into your auto insurance cost than just where you live. Keep reading to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers generally pay a lot more for insurance than any other group of drivers out there on the road. The reason is that teen drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

But still, even with seemingly sky-high prices, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. As you can see above, teens who use Auto-owners save almost 25% per month compared to those who use Dairyland.

That being said, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower rates by the time you turn 25. For example, average prices for Auto-owners policyholders lower around $250 and Dairyland's premiums decrease nearly $300 over that time.

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 most affordable prices you'll ever find.

So, which carrier offers the best premiums to retired drivers? Auto-owners gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older almost 35% cheaper than the national average for Dairyland.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but car insurance prices tend to be more expensive for single policyholders than they are for married drivers. That's normally because married couples tend to own and insure several vehicles, which can often earn you a discount.

For those who are single, the difference in average rates between these two companies is significant, with Auto-owners premiums coming in at a quarter less than Dairyland's. The advantage for married policyholders with Auto-owners is also obvious, where drivers save over 30% a month.

Auto-owners or Dairyland: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into collisions and file an insurance claim. That means when it comes to auto insurance men will typically end up paying a little more.

On average, women see prices about $10 per month more affordable with Auto-owners, and around $10 less with Dairyland.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, Auto-owners offers the cheapest average rates for both men and women, with average premiums 29% less for men and 31% cheaper for women.

Auto-owners vs. Dairyland: 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 insurance can be a complicated subject for most people. 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.

The two most common 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 includes two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- in addition to what you get with liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, Auto-owners has the significant edge, with average monthly rates coming in at $99. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Auto-owners again has the edge, with policies averaging about $260 a month to Dairyland's $370.

Is Auto-owners or Dairyland Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no secret -- drivers with good records end up getting the best deals on their auto insurance. But that's not to say you can't save money if you don't have the best driving record, either.

Speeding tickets and at-fault accidents will most likely raise your prices, but is Auto-owners or Dairyland less expensive for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Auto-owners for their insurance can usually expect their monthly bill to go up around 27% after getting a speeding ticket. Dairyland policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of about 15%.

Even so, Auto-owners is typically the cheaper option for both drivers who have a recent ticket and those with clean records. With Auto-Owners Insurance, drivers with a clean record can save around $104 per month and drivers with a speeding ticket can save about $100 a month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their car insurance through Auto-owners can expect to see around an $47 -- or about 28% -- rise in their insurance premiums. Drivers who use Dairyland for their car insurance will see a monthly bill around $72 (or 24%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their auto insurance carrier.

At the end of the day, Auto-owners offers the lowest prices for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with average rates coming in at $168 compared to Dairyland's $297.

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 ticket when it comes to your car insurance bill. On average, Auto-owners will raise your premiums about 54% after a DUI, while Dairyland's average prices increase by 5%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable premiums, Dairyland tends to be less expensive for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at around $236 to Auto-owners's $264.

How does Credit Score Impact Auto-owners and Dairyland Rates?

Did you know many insurance carriers take into account your credit score when determining rates? This isn't true for everyone (Michigan, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a car insurance factor) but it might come into play for quite a few drivers.

The reasoning auto insurance companies use is that policyholders with good credit will be more likely to pay their bills on time; so they'll reward them with cheaper premiums, while those with poor credit will usually be forced to pay more.

So, which company offers the cheapest prices for drivers with poor, average, or good credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a great credit score, Auto-owners will generally reward you the most. For policyholders with "excellent" credit scores, Auto-owners comes in more than 57.01 cheaper. Drivers with "good" credit scores normally save about 47% with Auto-owners compared to average rates from Dairyland.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

If you have less-than-perfect credit, it can be somewhat of a toss-up as far as which company offers you the best premiums. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 32% less with Auto-owners than Dairyland, but those whose credit is considered "poor" have it flipped -- saving about 6% per month with Dairyland.

Is Auto-owners or Dairyland 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 prices? Usually, those who drive fewer miles will end up with more affordable rates since there's less of a chance of causing a collision 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 Dairyland charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly prices for Auto-owners, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their car yearly paying around $1 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles each year. Still, for drivers in both categories, Auto-owners is the cheaper carrier.

Auto-owners or Dairyland: 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 car insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a sizable impact as well. Typically, drivers who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural policyholders since there are a lot more vehicles on the road where they live, which increases the chances of an accident.

Auto-owners tends to offer the lowest rates for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save about 19% with Auto-owners compared to Dairyland. People who live in suburban areas pay around 33% less with Auto-owners compared to Dairyland. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Auto-Owners Insurance's average prices are about 35% less than Dairyland.

Auto-owners vs. Dairyland 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 insurance discounts as possible.

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

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and broke down all of the different discounts offered by both Auto-owners and Dairyland so that you can find the carrier that has the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

Auto-owners blows Dairyland away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 13 more discounts than Dairyland.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like discounts for being a defensive driver, discounts for being a good student, and paid in full discounts. Auto-owners also offers discounts for ABS, company car, COVID-19 relief, and more.

On the other hand, Dairyland has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like agency transfer discounts, prior insurance discounts, and travelink discounts.

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

You've seen the role certain variables have on your car insurance and the different discounts carriers offer. But, when it comes down to it, which insurance company is the best fit for you?

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

• You don't have any speeding tickets, DUIs, or at-fault collisions on your record.
• You live in an suburban area.
• You want to save money while purchasing insurance for a teenager.

Dairyland might be best for you if...

• You like the personalized touch of a small, local carrier.
• Your driving record includes a DUI charge.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Auto-owners and Dairyland and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to 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 several companies, not just Auto-owners and Dairyland. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple quotes from some of the best auto insurance carriers in your area, all for free.

Auto-owners vs. Dairyland FAQs

Is Auto-owners or Dairyland cheaper?

Auto-owners is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $179 a month with Auto-owners and $256 for Dairyland. But that doesn't mean Auto-owners will be the cheapest company for everyone, since there are many different factors (things like driving record, age, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Auto-owners or Dairyland?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No one carrier is "better" for every policyholder -- it all depends on what your unique car insurance profile looks like. For example, Dairyland is more affordable for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit scores, while Auto-owners offers cheaper rates for policyholders with an at-fault accident on their record.

Why do Auto-owners and Dairyland offer me different rates?

Insurance carriers use many different variables when calculating the premiums they charge. Things like where you live, gender, age, where you call home, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Auto-owners and Dairyland calculate prices differently, so it's likely they'll offer different rates. The best way to determine which company is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a range of different companies.

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

The only way to find the car insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from a handful of 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 auto insurance companies for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the most affordable premium. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Auto-owners or Dairyland 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.