Auto-owners vs. Main Street America: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for auto insurance, Auto-owners offers significantly more affordable prices than Main Street America
• Auto-owners offers less expensive average rates for policyholders whose driving record contains an at-fault collision
• Main Street America has cheaper premiums in NY, RI, SC, VA, and VT

Auto-owners or Main Street America: 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 huge 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 Main Street America as your top options, but which one has more affordable prices for insurance?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, Auto-owners has average rates that are around 21% a month less expensive than those from Main Street America.

But that doesn't necessarily mean Auto-owners will be the cheaper option for every single driver. After all, auto insurance companies can offer drastically different rates to every driver depending on rating factors like where you call home, your age, your driving record, or even your credit score (among other things). So, at the end of the day, rates from each company will differ quite a bit from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of Auto-owners or Main Street America 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. Main Street America: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Auto-owners and Main Street America only compete against each other in two states, with Main Street America offering less expensive rates to the average driver in all of them. If you live in Virginia, Auto-owners is the cheaper of the two carriers when looking at the overall average premiums. Main Street America is the more affordable option in South Carolina.

That being said, there's a lot more that goes into your car insurance cost than just your home state. Keep reading to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- typically pay a lot for insurance compared to older drivers. It's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in an insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

That being said, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high auto insurance rates. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of almost 20% less per month by choosing Auto-owners over Main Street America.

However, both companies will reduce premiums once you turn 25. For example, average prices for Auto-owners policyholders decrease about $250 and Main Street America's rates lower around $250 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age usually enjoy some of the most affordable car insurance prices you'll ever find. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which generally lowers their chances of collisions and other infractions that can raise premiums.

When looking at Auto-owners and Main Street America specifically, which company is best for retired drivers? Auto-owners gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older over 25% cheaper than the national average for Main Street America.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but auto insurance premiums tend to be more expensive for single drivers than they are for married policyholders. That's because policies for married couples normally cover multiple vehicles, which lots of carriers will give you a discount for.

For single policyholders, the difference in average rates between these two companies is significant, with Auto-owners prices coming in at a quarter less than Main Street America's. For married drivers, the advantage is clear again - Auto-owners has the edge when it comes to average rates.

Auto-owners or Main Street America: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to cause a collision and get into accidents, which means they'll typically end up paying more for insurance than women.

Women normally pay more than $10 a month less than men with Auto-owners, but surprisingly, with Main Street America, women usually pay about $6 per month more than men.

Looking at overall affordability, Auto-owners comes out on top for both men and women, with average premiums 17% less for men and 24% cheaper for women.

Auto-owners vs. Main Street America: 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 limits and coverages that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

The two most common policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (that covers property damage and bodily injury for other drivers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which generally refers to having collision and comprehensive coverages 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 prices 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 around $260 a month to Main Street America's $295.

Is Auto-owners or Main Street America 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 rates, but is Auto-owners or Main Street America more affordable 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 about 27% after getting a speeding ticket. Main Street America policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of around 26%.

Even so, Auto-owners is normally the less expensive option for both drivers who have clean records and those with a recent ticket. With Auto-Owners Insurance, drivers with a clean record can save about $54 per month and drivers with a speeding ticket can save around $71 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 about an $47 -- or around 28% -- rise in their insurance premiums. Drivers who use Main Street America for their car insurance will see a monthly bill about $40 (or 19%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their auto insurance carrier.

At the end of the day, Auto-owners offers the cheapest rates for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with average prices coming in at $168 compared to Main Street America Insurance's $215.

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 ticket or even a collision. For example, Auto-owners increases average premiums by nearly $150 per month -- that's nearly a 55% increase.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable prices, Auto-owners tends to be cheaper for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at around $264 to Main Street America's $283.

How does Credit Score Impact Auto-owners and Main Street America Rates?

Did you know many car insurance carriers take into account your credit score when determining premiums? Certain states and companies do not allow for credit score to be used as a car insurance factor, but it might come into play for several drivers.

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

Looking specifically at Auto-owners and Main Street America, which company has the lowest rates for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a solid credit score, Auto-owners will typically reward you the most. For drivers with "excellent" credit scores, Auto-owners comes in just under 12.84 less expensive. Drivers with "good" credit scores generally save about 6% with Auto-owners compared to average prices from Main Street America.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Auto-owners typically offers lower premiums than Main Street America when it comes to drivers with a below average credit score. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 2% a month less with Auto-owners compared to Main Street America, and those with "poor" scores usually save an average of about 35% monthly.

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

How much you drive can have a sizable impact on your monthly rates. Generally, the more milage you put on your car, the more you can expect to pay for insurance.

Auto-owners tends to be the more affordable option for both remote workers and those taking short commutes. Main Street America's average premiums for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in more than $45 more expensive than Auto-owners. Those who drive 12,000 miles annually can expect to pay just under $50 more with Main Street America over Auto-owners.

Auto-owners or Main Street America: 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 large impact as well. Usually, 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.

Auto-owners boasts the cheapest average premiums 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 $24 with Auto-owners compared to Main Street America. People who live in suburban areas pay about $61 less with Auto-owners compared to Main Street America. For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Auto-Owners Insurance's average prices are around $59 less than Main Street America Insurance.

Auto-owners vs. Main Street America 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.

The challenging part is finding all of the discounts you can take advantage of, 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 compared all of the different discounts offered by Auto-owners and Main Street America so that you can see which carrier can save you the most money each month.

Auto-owners blows Main Street America away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 24 different discounts to Main Street America's 18.

There are a couple discounts both companies offer, but Auto-owners also offers discounts for advance quote, company car, COVID-19 relief, and more.

On the other hand, Main Street America has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like DRL discounts, EFT discounts, good payer discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Auto-owners or Main Street America Best for You?

You've seen the role certain variables have on your auto insurance and the different discounts carriers offer. But, at the end of the day, is Auto-owners or Main Street America the best company for you and your specific needs?

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

• You've been pulled over for speeding recently.
• Your credit is less-than-stellar.
• You want to save money while purchasing car insurance for a teenager.

Main Street America might be best for you if...

• You like the personalized touch of a small, regional company.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Auto-owners and Main Street America and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to 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 companies, not just Auto-owners and Main Street America. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of the top auto insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Auto-owners vs. Main Street America FAQs

Is Auto-owners or Main Street America cheaper?

Auto-owners is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at national average rates, with policies averaging $179 per month with Auto-owners and $227 for Main Street America. That being said, that doesn't mean Auto-owners will be the lowest carrier for each policyholder, since there are multiple different factors (things like driving record, age, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Auto-owners or Main Street America?

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

Why do Auto-owners and Main Street America offer me different rates?

Car insurance carriers use a lot of different variables when calculating the prices they charge. Factors such as where you call home, where your home is, gender, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Auto-owners and Main Street America calculate rates using different variables, so it's likely they'll offer different premiums. The best way to determine which carrier is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a variety of different companies.

How do I know if Auto-owners or Main Street America is right for me?

The only way to find the auto insurance company 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, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your information once and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top car insurance companies for free. With those, 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 Main Street America 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.