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

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for auto insurance, Western National offers less expensive premiums than Auto-owners
• Auto-owners may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Western National Insurance Company
• Western National tends to be a much cheaper option for policyholders who are looking to purchase insurance with a spouse

Auto-owners or Western National: 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 big savings, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You might have narrowed it down to Auto-owners or Western National as potential options, but between the two, which one will offer you more affordable rates?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, Auto-owners has average rates that are around 14% a month more expensive than those from Western National.

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

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

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

Auto-owners and Western National compete against each other in four states, with Auto-owners offering cheaper premiums to the average driver in all of them. If you live in Iowa or Wisconsin, Auto-owners is the more affordable of the two carriers when looking at the overall average prices. Western National is the less expensive option in Minnesota and South Dakota.

That being said, there are plenty of other factors that go into your car insurance cost than just where you call home. Keep reading to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- normally pay a lot for auto insurance compared to older drivers. It's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

But that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high insurance rates. As you can see above, teens who use Western National save over 20% per month compared to those who use Auto-owners.

Even so, both companies will offer you dramatically lower premiums once you turn 25. Western National offers the steepest reduction, with 25-year-olds paying less than half what 18-year-old drivers are charged. Auto-owners's average prices decrease almost 60% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll usually enjoy the most affordable auto insurance rates 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 car insurance.

So, which company offers the best prices to retired drivers? Western National gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older nearly 20% cheaper than the national average for Auto-owners.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that insurance premiums are generally more expensive for single policyholders than they are for married policyholders? That's because policies for married couples typically cover more than one vehicle, which lots of carriers will give you a discount for.

For single drivers, the difference in average prices between these two companies is significant, with Western National rates coming in at about 15% less than Auto-owners's. It's not quite so glaring for married drivers, where drivers who use Western National save almost 10% a month.

Auto-owners or Western National: Average Rates by Gender

Because women are less likely to get into accidents and get tickets, they have a decreased chance of filing a claim with insurance. So, insurance carriers will tend to charge women less than men.

On average, men see premiums around 6% per month higher with Auto-owners, and nearly 10% with Western National.

Looking at overall affordability, Western National comes out as the cheapest option for both genders, with average prices 13% less for men and 16% cheaper for women.

Auto-owners vs. Western National: 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 limits 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 bodily injury and property damage 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).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, Western National has the significant edge, with average monthly premiums coming in at $60. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Western National again has the edge, with policies averaging about $248 a month to Auto-owners's $260.

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

It's no secret -- drivers with good records end up getting the best deals on their car insurance. But that's not to say you can't save money if you don't have the best driving record, either.

At-fault collisions and speeding tickets will most likely raise your rates, but is Auto-owners or Western National more affordable for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders with Western National insurance policies don't report seeing their prices increase after getting a ticket, but Auto-owners policyholders can expect to see their monthly bill increase by around a quarter.

If you have gotten a speeding ticket, Western National tends to offer the best rates at about 7% less expensive, while Auto-owners has the edge for drivers with a clean record.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Auto-owners drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their premiums climb by just under 30%, while those who have insurance through Western National will see around a 0% increase.

At the end of the day, the cheaper rates come from Western National, with average prices coming in at $154 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 ticket or even a collision. On average, Auto-owners will climb your premiums about 54% after a DUI, while Western National's average prices rise by 0%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable rates, Western National tends to be more affordable for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at around $154 to Auto-owners's $264.

How does Credit Score Impact Auto-owners and Western National Rates?

Did you know many auto insurance companies take into account your credit score when determining premiums? This isn't true for everyone (Massachusetts, for example, has banned the use of credit score as an insurance factor) but it will come into play for many policyholders.

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, drivers with good credit will often be rewarded with less expensive prices.

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a solid credit score, Western National will normally reward you the most. For drivers with "excellent" credit scores, Western National comes in more than 26.32 more affordable. Drivers with "good" credit scores typically save about 12% with Western National compared to average premiums from Auto-owners.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Western National typically offers lower prices than Auto-owners when it comes to drivers with less-than-stellar credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 13% per month less with Western National compared to Auto-owners, and those with "poor" scores generally save an average of about 12% monthly.

Is Auto-owners or Western National 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 substantial impact on your monthly premiums? Usually, those who drive fewer miles will end up with cheaper rates since there's less of a chance of causing an accident and filing an insurance claim.

For both remote workers and those taking short commutes, Western National offers less expensive prices than Auto-owners. Auto-owners's average rates for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in over 15% more expensive than Western National. Those who drive 12,000 miles yearly can expect to pay nearly 15% more with Auto-owners over Western National.

Auto-owners or Western National: 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 pretty big impact as well. Normally, if you live in an urban area with more cars on the road, you'll pay a little more for auto insurance, while the opposite is true for people in rural areas.

Western National tends to offer the lowest rates for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Western National Insurance Company's average premiums are around 14% less than Auto-Owners Insurance. People who live in suburban areas pay about 25% less with Western National compared to Auto-owners. Those in rural areas can expect to save around 4% with Western National compared to Auto-owners.

Auto-owners vs. Western National Discounts

No matter why you might be in the market for a new 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 where do you even start? With what seems like a million different discounts out there, it may be challenging to find all the ones you can take advantage of.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and compared all of the different discounts offered by Auto-owners and Western National so that you can see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Auto-owners knocks Western National out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 12 more discounts than Western National.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like discounts for being a defensive driver, distant student discounts, and discounts for insuring multiple cars with the same company. Auto-owners also offers discounts for ABS, advance quote, company car, and more.

On the other hand, Western National has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like corporate discounts, employee discounts, family discounts, and more.

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

So, we've broken down the average prices for many of the variables 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 best carrier for you and your specific needs?

Western National might be best for you if....

• You have a speeding ticket on your driving record.
• You drive fewer than 6,000 miles annually.

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

• You haven't received any speeding tickets or been in a collision in the last few years.
• You're planning on moving to another state soon -- Western National Insurance Company only offers policies in four states.
• You care about discounts (Auto-owners offers the most).

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Auto-owners and Western National 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 a handful of carriers, not just Auto-owners and Western National. 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 car insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Auto-owners vs. Western National FAQs

Is Auto-owners or Western National cheaper?

Western National is the cheaper of the two carriers when looking at national average rates, with policies averaging $154 a month with Western National and $179 for Auto-owners. However, that doesn't mean Western National will be the cheapest carrier for every policyholder, since there are lots of different factors (things like gender, age, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Auto-owners or Western National?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". Neither company is necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all depends on what your unique insurance profile looks like.

Why do Auto-owners and Western National offer me different rates?

Car insurance companies use quite a few different variables when calculating the premiums they charge. Factors like where you call home, where your home is, gender, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Auto-owners and Western National calculate prices using different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different rates. The best way to determine which carrier is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a range of different carriers.

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

The only way to find the auto insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from several 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 area information and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance carriers for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the cheapest price. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Auto-owners or Western National 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.