Buckeye vs. Pekin: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Pekin offers significantly less expensive prices than Buckeye
• Pekin tends to be a much more affordable option for policyholders whose driving record contains an at-fault collision
• Pekin offers cheaper average rates for drivers who have a speeding ticket on their driving record

Buckeye or Pekin: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you considering a new insurance policy? You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering huge savings, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You might be considering Buckeye or Pekin as potential options, but which carrier will offer you more affordable premiums?

As you can see, Buckeye is quite a bit more expensive than Pekin, with prices averaging $132 a month compared to just $74 with Pekin when looking at the national average rates for car insurance.

However, that doesn't mean Pekin will necessarily be less expensive than Buckeye for every driver. Insurance carriers vary their premiums depending on things like how old you are, how good your credit score is, how clean your driving record is, where you live, and all sorts of other factors, so rates will vary quite a bit from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of Buckeye or Pekin is really the best for you, keep reading to see average prices for each company broken down by a bunch of different rate factors.

Buckeye vs. Pekin: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Buckeye and Pekin only compete against each other in Indiana, where Pekin offers the cheaper average rates. Pekin drivers tend to pay about $63 per month less on average compared to drivers who use Buckeye for their car insurance.

That being said, there are plenty of other factors that go into your auto insurance payment than just the state you live in. Continue reading to learn more about how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive insurance premiums of any group out there on the road. It's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

But still, even with seemingly sky-high prices, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of almost 35% less a month by choosing Pekin over Buckeye.

That being said, both companies will offer you dramatically lower premiums by the time you turn 25. For example, average rates for Buckeye policyholders lower around $150 and Pekin's prices reduce over $100 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

When looking at Buckeye and Pekin specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? Pekin gets the edge here, with average premiums coming in at about $58 a month compared to Buckeye's $105.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but car insurance rates tend to be more affordable for married couples than they are for single drivers. This usually boils down to married policyholders having more than one vehicle on their policy -- something several insurance carriers will reward with discounts.

For single policyholders, the difference in average premiums between these two companies is significant, with Pekin prices coming in at around half of Buckeye's. For married drivers, the advantage is clear again - Pekin has the edge when it comes to average premiums.

Buckeye or Pekin: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into a collision or get pulled over for speeding. That means when it comes to car insurance men will generally end up paying a little more.

Women typically pay about $15 per month less than men with Buckeye, and around $1 less with Pekin.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, Pekin offers the lowest average prices for both men and women. On average, women save about $51 a month and men save about $65 with Pekin compared to the average Buckeye policyholder.

Buckeye vs. Pekin: 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.

Auto insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are so many different limits and terms that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

But the most common policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (which covers the other party's property damage and injuries if you cause an accident) 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 liability insurance, Pekin has the significant edge, with average monthly rates coming in at $46. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Pekin again has the edge, with policies averaging around $103 per month to Buckeye's $191.

Is Buckeye or Pekin 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 accidents and speeding tickets on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the most affordable premiums to drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Buckeye for their auto insurance can typically expect their monthly bill to go up about 7% after getting a speeding ticket. Pekin policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of around 19%.

Even so, Pekin is usually the less expensive option for both drivers who have clean records and those with a recent ticket, offering rates that are $27 and $20 cheaper, respectively, compared to Buckeye Insurance Group.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their car insurance through Buckeye can expect to see about an $17 -- or around 17% -- rise in their insurance prices. Drivers who use Pekin for their car insurance will see a monthly bill about $19 (or 26%) more expensive after reporting a collision to their insurance carrier.

At the end of the day, drivers who use Pekin end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average rates coming in at $73 compared to Buckeye Insurance Group's $98.

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 auto insurance bill -- normally a lot more than an accident or speeding ticket. Buckeye drivers usually see a 69% raise in their car insurance premiums after a DUI charge, while Pekin will typically increase prices by around 48%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable premiums, Pekin tends to be more affordable for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at about $104 to Buckeye's $263.

How does Credit Score Impact Buckeye and Pekin Rates?

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

Insurance companies argue that those with good credit scores are more likely to pay their bills on time every month, which decreases the risk involved on their end, while the opposite is true for those with bad credit.

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have great credit, Pekin will generally reward you the most. For drivers with "excellent" credit scores, Pekin comes in nearly 44.19 cheaper. Drivers with "good" credit scores normally save around 36% with Pekin compared to average rates from Buckeye.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Pekin typically offers lower premiums than Buckeye when it comes to drivers with bad credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about 38% a month less with Pekin compared to Buckeye, and those with "poor" scores usually save an average of around 50% per month.

Is Buckeye or Pekin Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

The amount of time you spend behind the wheel of your car plays a big role in how much auto insurance carriers will charge for coverage. Generally, those who drive fewer miles will end up with less expensive prices since there's less of a chance of causing a collision and filing an insurance claim.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Buckeye charges. However, there's a significant difference in monthly premiums for Pekin, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their car annually paying about $13 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly. Still, for drivers in both categories, Pekin is the cheaper carrier.

Buckeye or Pekin: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you park your vehicle can have a large impact on your monthly insurance bill. Typically, policyholders who live in less densely populated rural areas will pay quite a bit less than urban drivers since there are a lot fewer cars on the road where they live, which reduces the chances of an accident.

Pekin boasts the most affordable average rates for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

In urban areas, Pekin's average prices are around $85 while Buckeye offers rates about $131. Drivers in suburban ZIP codes pay a monthly rate of around $68 with Pekin compared to $159 with Buckeye. If you live in a rural area, you can expect to pay about $70 monthly with Pekin compared to Buckeye's $107.

Buckeye vs. Pekin Discounts

No matter why you might be in the market for a new car insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as you can. That's where auto insurance discounts comes into play.

The hard 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 looked at all of the different discounts Buckeye and Pekin offer their customers so that you can find the one that has the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

Overall, Pekin comes out ahead with 10 discounts to Buckeye's seven.

There are a couple discounts both companies offer, but Pekin also offers discounts for advance quote, EFT, good student, and more.

On the other hand, Buckeye has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like distant student discounts, good driving discounts, and renewal discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Buckeye or Pekin Best for You?

You've seen the effect certain factors have on your car insurance and the different discounts carriers offer. But, at the end of the day, is Buckeye or Pekin the right carrier for you and your specific driver profile?

Pekin might be best for you if....

• You will be the only person on the insurance policy.
• You have above-average credit.
• You're of retirement age and want to take advantage of lower premiums.

Buckeye might be best for you if...

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

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Buckeye and Pekin 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 several companies, not just Buckeye and Pekin. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of the top insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Buckeye vs. Pekin FAQs

Is Buckeye or Pekin cheaper?

Pekin is the more affordable of the two companies when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $74 per month with Pekin and $132 for Buckeye. But that doesn't mean Pekin will be the cheapest carrier for everyone, since there are many different variables that are considered when it comes to your auto insurance cost.

Who is better, Buckeye or Pekin?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". Neither company is "better" for every policyholder -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique car insurance profile.

Why do Buckeye and Pekin offer me different rates?

Insurance carriers use many different factors when calculating the premiums they charge. Things like your driving record, where you call home, gender, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Buckeye and Pekin use different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different rates. The best way to determine which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from several different companies.

How do I know if Buckeye or Pekin is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top auto insurance companies for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best premium. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Buckeye or Pekin 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.