Auto-owners vs. Virginia Farm Bureau: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for insurance, Virginia Farm Bureau offers significantly cheaper rates than Auto-owners
• Auto-owners may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance
• Virginia Farm Bureau tends to be a much more affordable option for policyholders who live in rural neighborhoods

Auto-owners or Virginia Farm Bureau: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you in the market for a new insurance policy? After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering huge savings. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed it down to Auto-owners or Virginia Farm Bureau as potential options, but which company will save you the most?

As you can see, Virginia Farm Bureau has average rates that are around 45% a month less expensive than those from Auto-owners when looking at the national average rates for car insurance.

However, Virginia Farm Bureau may not be the lowest or best option for every single driver out there. Insurance carriers use all sorts of complex algorithms to determine premiums, so depending on how old you are or where you live (among lots of other factors), you could see wildly different rates from the ones above.

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

Auto-owners vs. Virginia Farm Bureau: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Auto-owners and Virginia Farm Bureau only compete against each other in Virginia, where Auto-owners offers the cheaper average premiums. Auto-owners drivers tend to pay about $2 per month less on average compared to drivers who use Virginia Farm Bureau for their auto insurance.

That being said, there's a lot more that goes into your insurance bill than just where you call home. Read on 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 group on the road. That's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in a car insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

But that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high auto insurance rates. As you can see above, teens who use Virginia Farm Bureau save almost 50% a month compared to those who use Auto-owners. It's worth noting that Auto-owners offers car insurance in 23 different states compared to Virginia Farm Bureau's one, which can skew the average premiums a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

Even so, both companies will decrease rates once you turn 25. For example, average prices for Auto-owners policyholders lower about $250 and Virginia Farm Bureau's premiums reduce around $100 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 most affordable prices you'll ever see.

But who has the best premiums for retired drivers between Auto-owners and Virginia Farm Bureau? Virginia Farm Bureau gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older over 30% more affordable than the national average for Auto-owners.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but auto insurance prices tend to be more expensive for single drivers than they are for married policyholders. That's because policies for married couples normally cover more than one vehicle, which quite a few carriers will give you a discount for.

For single policyholders, the difference in average premiums between these two companies is significant, with Virginia Farm Bureau rates coming in at about half of Auto-owners's. The advantage for married drivers with Virginia Farm Bureau is also obvious, where drivers save around $55 per month.

Auto-owners or Virginia Farm Bureau: Average Rates by Gender

Did you know men tend to pay more for insurance than women? That's because men are more likely to get speeding tickets and get into collisions, which raises the chances of filing a claim with insurance.

On average, women see prices about 6% a month less with Auto-owners, but with Virginia Farm Bureau, the difference is closer to 4% per month.

Looking at overall affordability, Virginia Farm Bureau comes out as the lowest option for both genders, with average rates $82 less for men and $75 cheaper for women.

Auto-owners vs. Virginia Farm Bureau: 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 car insurance can be a complicated subject for most people. There are many different coverages that account for a bunch of different things. Some protect you and your car, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause a collision.

That being said, most policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (which provides bodily injury and property damage coverage for other drivers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which typically 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, Virginia Farm Bureau has the significant edge, with average monthly premiums coming in at $66. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Virginia Farm Bureau again has the edge, with policies averaging around $136 a month to Auto-owners's $260.

Is Auto-owners or Virginia Farm Bureau Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

You've probably seen plenty of commercials from auto insurance carriers offering great rates for good drivers, but that doesn't mean people with less-than-perfect driving records can't save money, too.

At-fault collisions and speeding tickets will most likely raise your prices, but is Auto-owners or Virginia Farm Bureau cheaper for drivers with less-than-perfect 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 about 27% after getting a speeding ticket. Virginia Farm Bureau policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of around 23%.

Even so, Virginia Farm Bureau tends to offer the best prices for both drivers who have clean records and those with a recent ticket, offering premiums that are 32% and 35% less expensive, respectively, compared to Auto-Owners Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Auto-owners drivers who get in a collision can expect to see their rates increase by just under 30%, while those who have insurance through Virginia Farm Bureau will see about a 20% increase.

At the end of the day, the more affordable premiums come from Virginia Farm Bureau, with average prices coming in at $105 compared to Auto-Owners Insurance's $168.

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. Auto-owners drivers usually see a 54% increase in their insurance premiums after a DUI charge, while Virginia Farm Bureau will generally climb rates by around 26%.

Virginia Farm Bureau has the overall cheapest prices for drivers with a DUI on their records at $111 monthly, but it's worth noting that Auto-owners's average rates come from 23 states compared to just one for Virginia Farm Bureau, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Auto-owners and Virginia Farm Bureau Rates?

You may not realized it, but your credit score can be used as one of the variables to calculate your monthly auto insurance premiums. Certain states and companies do not allow for credit score to be used as an insurance factor, but it might come into play for several policyholders.

Insurance carriers argue that someone with bad credit is less likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them riskier to insure. Because of that, drivers with bad credit will often be forced to pay more.

Looking specifically at Auto-owners and Virginia Farm Bureau, which one has the most affordable rates for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a great credit score, Virginia Farm Bureau will normally reward you the most. For drivers with "excellent" credit scores, Virginia Farm Bureau comes in more than 31.58 cheaper. Drivers with "good" credit scores usually save about 32% with Virginia Farm Bureau compared to average prices from Auto-owners.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Virginia Farm Bureau typically offers lower rates than Auto-owners when it comes to drivers with less-than-perfect credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 38% per month less with Virginia Farm Bureau compared to Auto-owners, and those with "poor" scores typically save an average of about 55% per month.

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

How much you drive can have a big impact on your monthly auto insurance cost. Generally, the more milage you drive, the more you can expect to pay for car insurance.

For both remote workers and those taking short commutes, Virginia Farm Bureau offers less expensive prices than Auto-owners. Auto-owners average premiums for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in around $80 more expensive than Virginia Farm Bureau. Those who drive 12,000 miles yearly can expect to pay about $77 more with Auto-owners over Virginia Farm Bureau.

Auto-owners or Virginia Farm Bureau: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you live can have a substantial impact on your monthly insurance payment. Typically, those who live in urban areas will pay more than policyholders in rural areas since there are a lot more cars on the road where they live, which increases the chances of an accident.

Virginia Farm Bureau boasts the lowest average prices for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance's average rates are around $96 less than Auto-Owners Insurance. People who live in suburban areas pay about $53 less with Virginia Farm Bureau compared to Auto-owners. Those in rural areas can expect to save around $86 with Virginia Farm Bureau compared to Auto-owners.

Auto-owners vs. Virginia Farm Bureau 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.

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

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and broke down all of the different discounts offered by both Auto-owners and Virginia Farm Bureau 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 Virginia Farm Bureau out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 24 different discounts to Virginia Farm Bureau's eight.

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

On the other hand, Virginia Farm Bureau has a few proprietary discounts of their own like new business discounts and umbrella policy discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Auto-owners or Virginia Farm Bureau Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average premiums for many of the factors insurance carriers look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers. But, at the end of the day, which company is the best one for you and your specific needs?

Virginia Farm Bureau might be best for you if....

• You will be the only person on the car insurance policy.
• You live in an urban area.
• You want to save money while purchasing auto insurance for a teenager.

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

• You already have plans to move to another state -- Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance only offers policies to Virginia residents.
• You're looking for the carrier with the most discounts.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Auto-owners and Virginia Farm Bureau. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision about your car 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 Virginia Farm Bureau. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. 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. Virginia Farm Bureau FAQs

Is Auto-owners or Virginia Farm Bureau cheaper?

Virginia Farm Bureau is the cheaper of the two companies when looking at national average rates, with policies averaging $101 a month with Virginia Farm Bureau and $179 for Auto-owners. That being said, that doesn't mean Virginia Farm Bureau will be the cheapest company for every driver, since there are multiple different variables that are considered when it comes to your car insurance cost.

Who is better, Auto-owners or Virginia Farm Bureau?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". No single carrier is necessarily "better" for each policyholder -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique auto insurance profile.

Why do Auto-owners and Virginia Farm Bureau offer me different rates?

Insurance carriers use a lot of different factors when determining the prices they charge. Variables such as age, where your home is, your driving record, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Auto-owners and Virginia Farm Bureau calculate premiums using different factors, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which company is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from lots of different companies.

How do I know if Auto-owners or Virginia Farm Bureau is right for me?

The only way to find the auto 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, 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 car insurance companies for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the cheapest rate. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Auto-owners or Virginia Farm Bureau 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.