California Casualty vs. Dairyland: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, California Casualty offers significantly less expensive rates than Dairyland
• California Casualty tends to be a much more affordable option for policyholders who have a short commute
• Dairyland offers cheaper average premiums for drivers with a DUI charge on their record

California Casualty vs. Dairyland: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you in the market for a new insurance policy? You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering pretty big discounts, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You might be considering California Casualty or Dairyland as potential options, but between the two, which one has less expensive prices for insurance?

Looking at the national average rates for both companies, California Casualty is about $55 per month more affordable than Dairyland.

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

Wanting to know if California Casualty or Dairyland 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.

California Casualty or Dairyland: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

California Casualty and Dairyland only compete against each other in two states, with California Casualty offering less expensive prices to the average driver in all of them. Delaware has the most noticable difference, where California Casualty premiums are over 70% more affordable than insurance rates at Dairyland.

That being said, there are plenty of other factors that go into your auto insurance bill than just your home state. Read on to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- normally pay a lot for insurance compared to older drivers. Generally, that's because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

But that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high car insurance prices. As you can see above, teens who use California Casualty save nearly $95 a month compared to those who use Dairyland.

However, both companies will offer you dramatically lower premiums by the time drivers turn 25. For example, average rates for California Casualty policyholders drop around $250 and Dairyland's prices reduce almost $300 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll usually enjoy the cheapest auto insurance rates you can 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.

But who has the best prices for retired drivers between California Casualty and Dairyland? California Casualty gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older more than 25% cheaper than the national average for Dairyland.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that auto insurance premiums are typically more expensive for single policyholders than they are for married policyholders? That's because policies for married drivers normally cover several cars, which quite a few carriers will offer you a discount for.

When it comes to relationship status, California Casualty is the clear winner for single drivers, with rates about $64 per month less expensive than Dairyland, on average. The advantage is also clear for married couples - California Casualty offers the lowest average premiums.

California Casualty vs. Dairyland: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into accidents and file an insurance claim, which means they'll usually end up paying more for insurance than women.

Men generally pay nearly 10% more a month than women with California Casualty, and around 4% with Dairyland.

When it comes to the cheapest prices for each gender, California Casualty comes out on top for both men and women. On average, women save about $58 per month and men save about $52 with California Casualty compared to the average Dairyland policyholder.

California Casualty or Dairyland: 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 insurance, but there are so many different limits and terms that it can be hard to find the right policy.

Even so, most policies that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (which provides property damage and bodily injury coverage for other drivers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- comprehensive and collision -- in addition to what you get with liability).

If you're looking for state minimum liability limits, California Casualty typically offers cheaper rates of $122 compared to Dairyland's $142. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, California Casualty again has the edge, with policies around $90 a month more affordable than Dairyland, on average.

Is California Casualty or Dairyland Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no big secret that drivers who are accident-free get better deals on their auto insurance. But even if you have a spotty record, you can still find plenty of ways to save some cash on your monthly bill.

You'll probably end up paying more with tickets and at-fault collisions on your record, but which of these two companies offers the lowest prices to drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

California Casualty policyholders can expect their premiums to go up an average of $33 per month if they get a ticket, while Dairyland normally raises prices about $40 a month, on average.

However, California Casualty has less expensive rates for drivers in both categories -- their rates are around 39% cheaper for drivers with clean records and 36% more affordable for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

California Casualty drivers who get in a collision can expect to see their premiums increase by over $60, while those who have insurance through Dairyland will see around a $70 increase.

Overall, California Casualty offers the most affordable rates for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with monthly premiums averaging $198 compared to Dairyland's $297.

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. California Casualty drivers usually see a 54% climb in their insurance prices after a DUI charge, while Dairyland will generally increase rates by about 5%.

If you have a DUI on your record and are looking for more affordable prices, Dairyland tends to be the much cheaper option with average premiums of $236 per month compared to $300 from California Casualty.

How does Credit Score Impact California Casualty and Dairyland Rates?

Did you know that many car insurance carriers take into account your credit score when calculating prices? Certain states and companies do not allow for credit score to be used as a rating factor, but it might come into play for a lot of policyholders.

Auto insurance carriers argue that those with good credit scores are more likely to pay their bills on time each month, which lowers the risk involved on their end, while the opposite is true for those with bad credit.

Looking specifically at Dairyland and California Casualty, which company has the best rates for drivers at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is California Casualty or Dairyland Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a large impact on your monthly premiums. Typically, the more miles you drive, the more you can expect to pay for coverage.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Dairyland charges. However, there's a pretty significant difference in monthly prices for California Casualty, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicle yearly paying around $25 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, California Casualty is the more affordable option for drivers in both categories.

California Casualty vs. Dairyland: 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 insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a sizable impact as well. Usually, policyholders who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural drivers because there are a lot more cars on the road in those areas, which increases the chances of an accident.

When comparing these two companies side-by-side, California Casualty generally comes out as the most affordable option for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Policyholders in rural ZIP codes see the lowest prices from both carriers, but California Casualty comes out on top with average premiums about $164 a month. California Casualty also has less expensive average rates for drivers in urban and suburban ZIP codes -- a $96 and $30 per month respective difference when compared to Dairyland policyholders in similar areas.

California Casualty vs. Dairyland Discounts

You want to save as much money as possible, right? The best way to do that is by utilizing as many auto insurance discounts as you can.

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.

In the section below, we've taken a look at all of the different discounts California Casualty and Dairyland offer their customers so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Looking at the total number of discounts, California Casualty comes out ahead with 14 discounts to Dairyland's 11.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like discounts for being a good student, passive restraint discounts, and travelink discounts. California Casualty also offers ABS discounts, driver training discounts, education discounts, and more that Dairyland does not.

On the flip side, Dairyland has a couple unique discounts of its own -- advance quote discounts, agency transfer discounts, anti-theft discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is California Casualty or Dairyland Best for You?

So, you've seen how different factors can affect your car insurance prices. We've broken down the different discounts each company offers, too. But, at the end of the day, which carrier is the best carrier for you and your specific profile and needs?

California Casualty might be best for you if....

• You have received a ticket within the last few years.
• You're looking for the company with the most discounts.
• Your neighborhood is in a rural area.

Dairyland might be best for you if...

• You have a DUI charge on your record.

We hope this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare California Casualty and Dairyland 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 companies, not just California Casualty and Dairyland. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple quotes from some of the best car insurance carriers in your area, all for free.

California Casualty vs. Dairyland FAQs

Is California Casualty or Dairyland cheaper?

Looking just at the national average premiums, California Casualty is the cheaper of the two companies, offering average rates of $201 a month compared to $256 for Dairyland. But California Casualty won't necessarily be the most affordable carrier for each policyholder, since there are multiple different variables that come into play when it comes to your insurance cost.

Who is better, California Casualty or Dairyland?

Unfortunately, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". One company is not "better" for everyone -- it all depends on what your unique auto insurance profile looks like. For example, Dairyland offers less expensive rates for drivers with a recent DUI, while California Casualty is more affordable for drivers with excellent credit.

Why do California Casualty and Dairyland offer me different rates?

Car insurance carriers take a look at many different factors when determining the prices they charge drivers. Things like gender, age, your driving record, where your home is, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both California Casualty and Dairyland use different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different rates. The only real way to see which carrier is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a bunch of different companies.

How do I know if California Casualty or Dairyland is right for me?

The only way to find the 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, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your area information and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best car insurance companies in your area. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the lowest price. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be California Casualty or Dairyland at all!

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.