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

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for insurance, Auto-owners offers significantly cheaper prices than Grange
• Auto-owners has more affordable premiums for policyholders who haven't received any speeding tickets or been in a collision in the last few years
• Grange may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Auto-Owners Insurance

Auto-owners or Grange: 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 huge savings, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

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

As you can see, Auto-owners has average rates that are around 30% a month cheaper than those from Grange when looking at the national average rates for car insurance.

Even so, Auto-owners may not be the most affordable or best option for every driver out there. After all, insurance carriers can offer drastically different rates to every driver depending on rating factors like your credit score, your age, your driving record, or even where you call home (among other things), so premiums will vary quite a bit from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of Auto-owners or Grange is really the best for you, keep reading to see average prices for each carrier broken down by a bunch of different rate factors.

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

Auto-owners and Grange compete against each other in four states, with Grange offering more affordable rates to the average driver in all of them. If you live in Idaho or Michigan, Auto-owners is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at the overall average prices. Grange is the cheaper option in Colorado and Kentucky.

But there's more to calculating auto insurance premiums than just the state you live in. Keep reading to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive car insurance prices of any other group of drivers out there on the road. That's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

That being said, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high auto insurance rates. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Auto-owners for their insurance pay over 30% less than those who use Grange.

But both carriers will lower premiums once you turn 25. Grange offers the steepest drop, with 25-year-olds paying less than a third of what 18-year-old drivers are charged. That being said, Auto-owners still has the lowest prices at $164 monthly.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

So, which company offers the best premiums to retired drivers? Auto-owners gets the edge here, with average rates coming in at about $133 per month compared to Grange's $200.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Single drivers tend to get offered slightly more expensive insurance prices than married drivers. This usually boils down to married policyholders having multiple vehicles on their policy -- something several auto insurance companies will reward with discounts.

For single policyholders, the difference in average premiums between these two carriers is significant, with Auto-owners prices coming in at a quarter less than Grange's. The advantage for married couples with Auto-owners is also obvious, where drivers save around $55 per month.

Auto-owners or Grange: Average Rates by Gender

You may not know, but insurance is typically more expensive for men than for women. This is because men are statistically more likely than women to get into an accident or get pulled over for speeding, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher rates.

On average, men see premiums about 6% a month higher with Auto-owners, but with Grange, the difference is closer to 5% per month.

Looking at overall affordability, Auto-owners comes out as the cheapest option for both genders. On average, male drivers save about $70 a month and women save around $69 with Auto-owners compared to the average Grange policyholder.

Auto-owners vs. Grange: 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, car 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.

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

Looking specifically at state minimum liability limits, 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 per month to Grange's $313.

Is Auto-owners or Grange 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.

Speeding tickets and collisions will most likely raise your premiums, but is Auto-owners or Grange less expensive for drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Auto-owners for their car insurance can usually expect their monthly bill to go up around 27% after getting a speeding ticket. Grange policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of about 23%.

But Auto-owners is normally the more affordable option for both drivers who have a recent ticket and those with clean records, offering prices that are 33% and 30% cheaper, respectively, compared to Grange Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

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

At the end of the day, the more affordable rates come from Auto-owners, with average prices coming in at $168 compared to Grange Insurance's $266.

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 speeding ticket. On average, Auto-owners will climb your rates about 54% after a DUI, while Grange's average premiums climb by nearly 45%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable prices, Auto-owners tends to be less expensive for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at around $264 to Grange's $314.

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

Often times, your credit score can be used as one of the variables to determine your monthly car insurance rates. Certain states and companies do not allow for credit score to be used as an insurance factor, but it might come into play for a lot of policyholders.

Insurance carriers argue that those with poor credit scores are less likely to pay their bills on time each month, which raises the risk involved on their end, while the opposite is true for those with good credit.

Looking specifically at Grange and Auto-owners, which one has the best premiums for drivers at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have solid credit, Auto-owners will normally reward you the most. For policyholders with "excellent" credit scores, Auto-owners comes in more than 50.78 cheaper. Drivers with "good" credit scores generally save about 42% with Auto-owners compared to average prices from Grange.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Auto-owners typically offers lower rates than Grange when it comes to drivers with a below average credit score. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 30% a month less with Auto-owners compared to Grange, and those with "poor" scores usually save an average of about 8% a month.

Is Auto-owners or Grange 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? Typically, those who drive fewer miles will end up with less expensive premiums since there's less of a chance of causing an accident and filing an insurance claim.

Auto-owners tends to be the more affordable option for both remote workers and those taking short commutes. Auto-owners average rates for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in nearly $70 less expensive than Grange. Those who drive 12,000 miles annually can expect to pay $70 less with Auto-owners over Grange.

Auto-owners or Grange: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you call home can have a substantial impact on your monthly auto insurance cost. Normally, if you live in an urban area with more cars on the road, you'll pay a little more for insurance, while the opposite is true for people in rural areas.

When comparing these two companies side-by-side, Auto-owners generally comes out as the lowest option for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save around 25% with Auto-owners compared to Grange. People who live in suburban areas pay about 28% less with Auto-owners compared to Grange. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Auto-Owners Insurance's average premiums are around 30% less than Grange Insurance.

Auto-owners vs. Grange Discounts

You want to save as much money as you can, right? The best way to do that is by utilizing as many car insurance discounts as possible.

The challenging part is finding all of the discounts you're eligible for, since it can feel sometimes like every carrier has different discounts and each one is advertised differently.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts Auto-owners and Grange offer their customers so that you can see which carrier offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Looking at the total number of discounts, Grange comes out ahead with 28 discounts to Auto-owners's 24.

There are a couple discounts both carriers offer, but Grange also offers discounts for advanced safety feature, agency transfer, annual mileage, and more.

On the other hand, Auto-owners has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like advance quote discounts, education discounts, homeowner discounts, and more.

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

So, we've broken down the average prices for many of the factors auto insurance companies look at, and walked through the different discounts each company offers, too. But, when it comes down to it, is Auto-owners or Grange the right one for you and your specific profile and needs?

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

• You will be the only person on the car insurance policy.
• Your home is located in the suburbs.
• You've started working from home and don't have much of a commute.

Grange might be best for you if...

• You like the personalized touch of a small, regional carrier.
• You want to save extra money with discounts.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Auto-owners and Grange 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 carriers, not just Auto-owners and Grange. Luckily, Compare.com makes 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 companies in your area, all for free.

Auto-owners vs. Grange FAQs

Is Auto-owners or Grange cheaper?

Auto-owners is the cheaper of the two carriers when looking at national average rates, with policies averaging $179 per month with Auto-owners and $249 for Grange. That being said, that doesn't mean Auto-owners will be the cheapest company for everyone, since there are a range of different variables (things like age, driving record, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Auto-owners or Grange?

Unfortunately, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No one carrier is "better" for everyone -- it all boils down to your unique car insurance profile.

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

Insurance companies use many different factors when determining the prices they charge. Things such as age, where you live, gender, your driving record, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Auto-owners and Grange calculate premiums using different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which company is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from multiple different carriers.

How do I know if Auto-owners or Grange 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 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 most affordable price. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Auto-owners or Grange 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.