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

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for insurance, Auto-owners offers significantly more affordable premiums than Kemper
• Auto-owners has cheaper rates for policyholders who drive fewer than 12,000 miles annually
• Auto-owners tends to be a much less expensive option for drivers who have an at-fault accident on their record

Auto-owners vs. Kemper: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you in the market for a new insurance policy? With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering hefty discounts, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You might be considering Auto-owners or Kemper for your next policy, but between the two, which one has cheaper prices for car insurance?

Looking at nationwide averages, Kemper has average rates that are about 24% per month more expensive than those from Auto-owners.

However, Auto-owners may not be the most affordable or best option for every single driver out there. Insurance companies use a ton of complex algorithms to calculate premiums, so depending on how good your credit score is or how clean your driving record is (among lots of other factors), you could see wildly different rates from the ones above.

Wanting to know if Auto-owners or Kemper 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 or Kemper: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Auto-owners and Kemper compete against each other in six states, with Kemper offering less expensive rates to the average driver in all of them. If you live in Virginia or Wisconsin, Auto-owners is the more affordable of the two carriers when looking at the overall average prices. Kemper is the cheaper option in Colorado, Missouri, South Dakota, and Utah.

That being said, there's a lot more that goes into your auto insurance bill 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 rates of any other group of drivers. That's because young, inexperienced 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 insurance prices. As you can see above, teens who use Auto-owners save more than $95 a month compared to those who use Kemper.

Even so, both companies will decrease premiums by the time drivers turn 25. Kemper offers the steepest decrease, with 25-year-olds paying less than half what 18-year-old drivers are charged. That being said, Auto-owners still has the lowest rates at $164 monthly.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll normally enjoy the most affordable auto insurance prices you'll ever find. You've been on the road for years, and all that experience pays off when it comes to your monthly premiums for insurance.

So, which carrier offers the best prices to retired drivers? Auto-owners gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older over 25% less expensive than the national average for Kemper.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Single policyholders tend to get offered slightly more expensive car insurance premiums than married drivers. This usually boils down to married policyholders having multiple cars on their policy -- something lots of auto insurance carriers will reward with discounts.

When it comes to relationship status, Auto-owners is the clear winner for those who are single, with rates around $61 per month more affordable than Kemper, on average. The advantage for married couples with Auto-owners is also obvious, where drivers save nearly $50 a month.

Auto-owners vs. Kemper: Average Rates by Gender

Because men are more likely to get tickets and get into accidents, they are more likely to file a claim with insurance. Therefore, insurance companies will tend to offer men more expensive prices.

Typically, women see premiums about 6% per month less with Auto-owners, and around 8% less with Kemper.

When it comes to the cheapest rates for each gender, Auto-owners comes out on top for both men and women. On average, male drivers save about $59 a month and women save about $51 with Auto-owners compared to the average Kemper policyholder.

Auto-owners or Kemper: 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. There are so many different coverages and terms that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy.

But most policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability only (which provides property damage and bodily injury coverage for other drivers and their passengers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- comprehensive and collision -- in addition to what you get with a liability policy).

If you're looking for state minimum limits for liability insurance, Auto-owners usually offers significantly less expensive prices of $99 compared to Kemper's $139. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Auto-owners again has the edge, with policies around $70 per month cheaper than Kemper, on average.

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

It's no big secret that drivers who are accident-free get better deals on their 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 at-fault accidents and tickets lead to higher premiums, but which company -- Auto-owners or Kemper -- has the lowest prices for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Auto-owners policyholders can expect their rates to go up an average of $44 a month if they get a ticket, while Kemper generally raises premiums about $45 per month, on average.

That being said, Auto-owners has more affordable prices for drivers in both categories -- their rates are around 30% cheaper for drivers with clean records and 25% less expensive for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their auto insurance through Auto-owners can expect to see around an $47 -- or about 28% -- increase in their car insurance premiums. Drivers who use Kemper for their insurance will see a monthly bill around $85 (or 33%) more expensive after reporting a collision to their auto insurance carrier.

Overall, Auto-owners offers the most affordable rates for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with monthly prices averaging $168 compared to Kemper's $259.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge on your record, it's probably going to cost you more than a simple speeding ticket or even an accident. For example, Auto-owners increases average premiums by just under $150 a month -- that's just under a 55% increase.

If you have a DUI on your record and are looking for more affordable rates, Auto-owners tends to be the much more affordable option with average premiums of $264 per month compared to $287 from Kemper.

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

You may not realized it, but your credit score can come into play when carriers determine your monthly bill. This isn't always the case (for example, California and Michigan are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it will come into play for several drivers.

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

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have solid credit, you'll usually find a better deal with Auto-owners. Drivers with "excellent" credit can save over 45% compared to Kemper, and those with "good" scores can also expect to see savings -- about $79 or 38% cheaper every month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Auto-owners typically offers lower prices than Kemper when it comes to drivers with a below average credit score. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around $64 per month less with Auto-owners compared to Kemper, and those with "poor" scores typically save an average of about $6 a month.

Is Auto-owners or Kemper Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a sizable impact on your monthly rates. That's because the fewer miles you drive, the less likely you are to get into a collision and cause an insurance claim.

Auto-owners tends to be the less expensive option for both drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicles yearly, as well as those who average twice that figure. Auto-owners average prices for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in $55 more affordable than Kemper. Those who drive 12,000 miles each year can expect to pay $55 less with Auto-owners over Kemper.

Auto-owners vs. Kemper: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you call home can play a pretty big role in how much you pay for car insurance. Normally, policyholders who live in less densely populated rural areas will pay quite a bit less than urban drivers due to the small number of vehicles that are on the roads in those areas.

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

Policyholders in rural ZIP codes see the lowest prices from both companies, but Auto-owners comes out on top with average premiums around $164 monthly. Auto-owners also has less expensive average prices for drivers in urban and suburban ZIP codes -- a $91 and $57 a month respective difference when compared to Kemper policyholders in similar areas.

Auto-owners vs. Kemper 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 insurance discounts as you can.

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

Below, we've taken a look at all of the different discounts Auto-owners and Kemper offer their customers so that you can see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Advance quote discounts, discounts for being a defensive driver, distant student discounts, and discounts for being a good student are offered by both carriers.

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

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

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

• You've received a ticket for speeding recently and don't want to see your premiums increase.
• You're looking for more protection with "full coverage" car insurance.
• Your neighborhood is in a rural area.

Kemper might be best for you if...

• You have a more unique driver profile than those we mentioned above.

We hope this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Auto-owners and Kemper and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your insurance.

But, at the end of the day, there's only one way to know for sure that you're getting the best possible deal on auto insurance -- comparing quotes from several carriers, not just Auto-owners and Kemper. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of top car insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Auto-owners vs. Kemper FAQs

Is Auto-owners or Kemper cheaper?

Looking just at the national average rates, Auto-owners is the cheaper of the two carriers, offering average rates of $179 per month compared to $235 for Kemper. However, Auto-owners won't necessarily be the cheapest carrier for everyone, since there are multiple different variables (things like age, gender, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Auto-owners or Kemper?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No single company is necessarily "better" for every driver -- it all comes down to what your unique auto insurance profile looks like.

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

Car insurance companies take a look at quite a few different factors when calculating the prices they charge drivers. Variables such as gender, your driving record, age, where you live, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Auto-owners and Kemper calculate premiums using different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different rates. The only real way to see which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a range of different carriers.

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

The only way to find the insurance company 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 makes it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your information once and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best car insurance carriers in your area. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best price. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be Auto-owners or Kemper 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.