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

Quick Facts

• In general, Rockford Mutual offers slightly cheaper premiums than Auto-owners
• Auto-owners may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Rockford Mutual Insurance Company
• Rockford Mutual offers less expensive average prices for policyholders who are looking to purchase insurance with a spouse

Auto-owners or Rockford 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 hefty savings, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to Auto-owners or Rockford Mutual for your next policy, but which company has more affordable rates for insurance?

As you can see, Auto-owners is around $10 more a month than Rockford Mutual when looking at the national average rates for auto insurance.

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

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

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

Auto-owners and Rockford Mutual only compete against each other in two states, with Auto-owners offering cheaper rates to the average driver in all of them. If you live in Illinois, Auto-owners is the more affordable of the two companies when looking at the overall average premiums. Rockford Mutual is the cheaper option in Wisconsin.

But there's more to calculating insurance rates than just where you call home. Continue reading to see how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- usually pay a lot for auto insurance compared to older drivers. Generally, 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 insurance premiums. As you can see above, teens who use Auto-owners save almost 7% per month compared to those who use Rockford Mutual. It's worth noting that Auto-owners offers car insurance in 23 different states compared to Rockford Mutual's two, which can skew the average prices a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

But with both carriers, you'll see your rates drop significantly once you turn 25. For example, average premiums for Auto-owners policyholders reduce about $250 and Rockford Mutual's prices decrease nearly $300 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the lowest premiums out there.

When looking at Auto-owners and Rockford Mutual specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? Rockford Mutual gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older $15 more affordable than the national average for Auto-owners.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that car insurance prices are normally less expensive for married drivers than they are for single policyholders? This usually boils down to married couples having multiple vehicles on their policy -- something lots of auto insurance companies will reward with discounts.

For single drivers, the difference in average premiums between these two carriers is not very significant, with Rockford Mutual prices coming in at around 3% less than Auto-owners's. But for married policyholders, the advantage is clear - Rockford Mutual has the edge when it comes to average rates.

Auto-owners or Rockford Mutual: Average Rates by Gender

Because women are less likely to get speeding tickets and get into collisions, they run a lower risk of filing a claim with insurance. So, insurance companies will tend to offer women more affordable prices.

Typically, men see rates about $10 a month higher with Auto-owners, but with Rockford Mutual, the difference is closer to $16 per month.

Looking at overall affordability, Rockford Mutual comes out on top for both men and women, with average premiums $8 less for men and $13 cheaper for women.

Auto-owners vs. Rockford 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.

For most people, car insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. Everyone needs auto insurance, but there are so many different terms 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 property damage and bodily injury coverage for other drivers 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, Rockford Mutual has the edge, with average monthly rates coming in at $88. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Rockford Mutual again has the edge, with policies averaging around $251 a month to Auto-owners's $260.

Is Auto-owners or Rockford 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.

You'll probably end up paying more with speeding tickets and collisions on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the cheapest premiums to drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Auto-owners for their car insurance can typically expect their monthly bill to go up about 27% after getting a speeding ticket. Rockford Mutual policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of around 29%.

If you have gotten a ticket, Auto-owners tends to offer the best prices at about 3% cheaper, while Rockford Mutual has the edge for drivers with a clean record.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their insurance through Auto-owners can expect to see around an $47 -- or about 28% -- rise in their auto insurance rates. Drivers who use Rockford Mutual for their car insurance will see a monthly bill around $38 (or 24%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their auto insurance company.

At the end of the day, Rockford Mutual offers the most affordable prices for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average premiums coming in at $158 compared to Auto-Owners Insurance's $168.

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 insurance bill -- usually a lot more than a collision or speeding ticket. Auto-owners drivers usually see a 54% climb in their car insurance rates after a DUI charge, while Rockford Mutual will typically increase premiums by about 48%.

Rockford Mutual has the overall lowest prices for drivers with a DUI on their records at $229 a month, but it's worth noting that Auto-owners's average rates come from 23 states compared to just two for Rockford Mutual, so the data may be skewed slightly.

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

Did you know many insurance companies take into account your credit score when determining rates? This isn't true for everyone (for example, are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect many drivers out there.

Auto insurance carriers argue that someone with good credit is more likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them less risky to insure. Because of that, policyholders with good credit will often be rewarded with more affordable prices.

So, which carrier offers the best premiums for drivers with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have great credit, Auto-owners will generally reward you the most. For policyholders with "excellent" credit scores, Auto-owners comes in nearly 29.63 less expensive. Drivers with "good" credit scores normally save around 9% with Auto-owners compared to average prices from Rockford Mutual.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Rockford Mutual typically offers lower rates than Auto-owners when it comes to drivers with less-than-perfect credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about 2% per month less with Rockford Mutual compared to Auto-owners, and those with "poor" scores typically save an average of around 28% monthly.

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

How much you drive can have a substantial impact on your monthly insurance payment. That's because the fewer miles you put on your car, the less likely you are to be in an accident and file an insurance claim.

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

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

Where you park your car can play a large role in how much you pay for car insurance. Usually, drivers who live in less densely populated rural areas will pay quite a bit less than urban policyholders since there are a lot fewer vehicles on the road where they live, which lowers the chances of an accident.

Rockford Mutual generally comes out as the cheaper option for drivers in rural and suburban areas, while Auto-owners wins in urban areas.

Those in rural areas can expect to save around 12% with Rockford Mutual compared to Auto-owners. People who live in suburban areas pay about 22% less with Rockford Mutual compared to Auto-owners. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Auto-Owners Insurance's average prices are around 12% less than Rockford Mutual Insurance Company.

Auto-owners vs. Rockford 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 with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be difficult to nail down the company 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 looked at all of the different discounts Auto-owners and Rockford Mutual 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.

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

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

On the other hand, Rockford Mutual has a proprietary discount of their own -- a renewal discounts.

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

So, you've seen how different factors can affect your auto insurance rates. We've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers, too. But, at the end of the day, is Auto-owners or Rockford Mutual the best one for you and your specific driver profile?

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

• Your driving record includes a DUI charge.
• Your home is located in the suburbs.
• You live in a rural neighborhood.

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

• You've been pulled over for speeding recently.
• You're looking for the company with the most discounts.
• You want to save money while purchasing insurance for a teenager.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Auto-owners and Rockford Mutual and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your car insurance.

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your auto insurance policy is to compare quotes from multiple companies, not just Auto-owners and Rockford Mutual. 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 insurance carriers in your area, all for free.

Auto-owners vs. Rockford Mutual FAQs

Is Auto-owners or Rockford Mutual cheaper?

Rockford Mutual is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $169 a month with Rockford Mutual and $179 for Auto-owners. Even so, that doesn't mean Rockford Mutual will be the cheapest carrier for every policyholder, since there are lots of different variables that come into play when it comes to your auto insurance bill.

Who is better, Auto-owners or Rockford Mutual?

Unfortunately, the real answer is "it depends.". No one company is necessarily "better" for each policyholder -- it all boils down to your unique car insurance profile. For example, Auto-owners is more affordable for drivers with excellent credit, while Rockford Mutual offers less expensive prices for drivers with a recent DUI.

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

Insurance carriers use quite a few different factors when calculating the premiums they charge. Things such as where you call home, age, where your home is, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Auto-owners and Rockford Mutual calculate rates using different variables, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which carrier is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from many different companies.

How do I know if Auto-owners or Rockford Mutual 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 does all the hard work for you. Just enter your information once and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance companies for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best rate. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Auto-owners or Rockford 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.