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

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for auto insurance, California Casualty offers significantly cheaper rates than Esurance
• California Casualty tends to be a much more affordable option for policyholders who live in the suburbs
• Esurance offers more discounts than California Casualty

California Casualty vs. Esurance: 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 large discounts, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed it down to California Casualty or Esurance for your next policy, but between the two, which company has less expensive premiums for car insurance?

Looking at the national average rates for both companies, Esurance is quite a bit more expensive than California Casualty, with prices averaging $299 per month compared to just $201 with California Casualty.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean California Casualty will be the cheaper option for every single driver. After all, insurance carriers can offer drastically different rates to each driver depending on rating factors like your age, where you call home, your driving record, or even your credit score (among other things), so rates will change quite a bit from person to person.

Wanting to know if California Casualty or Esurance is really the right company for you? Keep on reading to see how average premiums can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

California Casualty or Esurance: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

California Casualty and Esurance only compete against each other in one states, with California Casualty offering less expensive prices to the average driver in all of them. Colorado has the most noticable difference, where California Casualty premiums are more affordable than auto insurance rates at Esurance.

That being said, there are plenty of other factors that go into your car insurance cost than just where you call home. 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 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 auto insurance prices. As you can see above, teens who use California Casualty save nearly $300 a month compared to those who use Esurance.

Even so, both companies will offer you dramatically lower premiums once you turn 25. Esurance offers the steepest reduction, with 25-year-olds paying less than a third of what 18-year-old drivers are charged. That being said, California Casualty still has the lowest rates at $181 monthly.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age usually enjoy some of the cheapest car insurance prices you'll ever see. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which typically decreases their chances of accidents and other infractions that can increase premiums.

So, which carrier offers the best rates to retired drivers? California Casualty gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older $83 less expensive than the national average for Esurance.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married drivers tend to get slightly cheaper insurance premiums than those who are single. This usually boils down to married policyholders having more than one car on their policy -- something several auto insurance carriers will reward with discounts.

When it comes to relationship status, California Casualty is the clear winner for single drivers, with rates about $129 per month more affordable than Esurance, on average. The advantage for married couples with California Casualty is also obvious, where drivers save more than $55 a month.

California Casualty vs. Esurance: Average Rates by Gender

Because men are more likely to get speeding tickets and get into collisions, they have an increased chance of filing a claim with insurance. Therefore, men usually pay more for car insurance than women.

Men typically pay almost 10% more per month than women with California Casualty, and around 7% with Esurance.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, California Casualty comes out as the most affordable option for both genders, with average premiums $100 less for men and $95 cheaper for women.

California Casualty or Esurance: 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 can be a complicated subject for most people. Everyone needs car insurance, but there are so many different coverages and limits that it can be hard to find the right policy.

The two most common policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability only (which provides bodily injury and property damage coverage for other drivers and their passengers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which normally refers to having comprehensive and collision coverages in addition to liability coverage).

If you're looking for state minimum liability limits, California Casualty generally offers significantly less expensive rates of $122 compared to Esurance's $201. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, California Casualty again has the edge, with policies about $100 a month cheaper than Esurance, on average.

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

It's no big secret that drivers who are accident-free get better deals on their 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 collisions and tickets on your record, but which of these two companies offers the lowest prices to drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

California Casualty policyholders can expect their rates to go up an average of $33 per month if they get a ticket, while Esurance typically raises premiums around $45 a month, on average.

That being said, California Casualty is normally the more affordable option for drivers both with a speeding ticket and with a clean record, offering prices that are 43% and 41% less expensive, respectively, compared to Esurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

California Casualty drivers who get in a collision can expect to see their rates climb by over 30%, while those who have insurance through Esurance will see about a 35% increase.

Overall, drivers who use California Casualty end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with monthly prices averaging $198 compared to Esurance's $364.

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 an accident. For example, California Casualty increases average premiums by over $150 per month -- that's just under a 55% increase.

How does Credit Score Impact California Casualty and Esurance Rates?

Did you know that many car insurance carriers take your credit score into account 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 many policyholders.

The reasoning auto insurance carriers use is that drivers with bad credit will be less likely to pay their bills on time; so usually, they'll be asked to pay more, while those with good credit will be rewarded with more affordable rates.

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is California Casualty or Esurance 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 your monthly prices. That's because the more miles you put on your vehicle, the more likely you are to get into a collision and cause an insurance claim.

For both drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicles yearly, as well as those who average twice that figure, California Casualty offers cheaper rates than Esurance. Esurance's average premiums for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in around 37% more expensive than California Casualty. Those who drive 12,000 miles annually can expect to pay about 28% more with Esurance over California Casualty.

California Casualty vs. Esurance: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you park your car can have a substantial impact on your monthly insurance payment. Generally, drivers who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural policyholders because there are a lot more vehicles on the road in those areas, which increases the chances of an accident.

California Casualty tends to offer the cheapest prices for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

For drivers in urban ZIP codes, California Casualty offers premiums around $218 per month compared to Esurance's $396. People who live in suburban ZIP codes can expect to pay about $221 a month for California Casualty and $288 for Esurance. Lastly, those in rural areas tend to get the most affordable rates from both companies, with average monthly prices coming in at $164 and $211 for California Casualty and Esurance respectively.

California Casualty vs. Esurance Discounts

Regardless of 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 possible, and the best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many insurance discounts as you can.

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.

In the section below, we've compared all of the different discounts offered by California Casualty and Esurance so that you can see which carrier can save you the most money each month.

Esurance blows California Casualty away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 24 different discounts to California Casualty's 14.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like education discounts, discounts for being a good student, group discounts, and multi-policy discounts. Esurance also offers advance quote discounts, agency transfer discounts, anti-theft discounts, and more that California Casualty does not.

On the flip side, California Casualty has a couple unique discounts of its own -- discounts for getting driver training, full coverage discounts, renewal discounts, and more.

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

So, we've broken down the average premiums for many of the factors auto insurance carriers look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each company offers. But, when it comes down to it, which carrier is the right one for you and your specific profile and needs?

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

• Your driving record contains an at-fault accident.
• You want basic insurance coverage at the state minimum limits.
• You drive fewer than 6,000 miles every year.

Esurance might be best for you if...

• You value the experience that comes with a large national car insurance company.
• You're looking for discounts -- Esurance has the most.

We hope this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare California Casualty and Esurance. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision when it comes to your auto 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 insurance -- comparing quotes from a handful of companies, not just California Casualty and Esurance. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of top car insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

California Casualty vs. Esurance FAQs

Is California Casualty or Esurance cheaper?

Looking just at the national average rates, California Casualty is the less expensive of the two companies, offering average rates of $201 per month compared to $299 for Esurance. However, California Casualty won't necessarily be the lowest carrier for each policyholder, since there are a variety of different variables that come into play when it comes to your auto insurance bill.

Who is better, California Casualty or Esurance?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". Neither company is "better" for every driver -- it all comes down to what your unique insurance profile looks like.

Why do California Casualty and Esurance offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers take a look at lots of different factors when determining the prices they charge policyholders. Variables like gender, where your home is, your driving record, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both California Casualty and Esurance calculate premiums differently, 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 range of different companies.

How do I know if California Casualty or Esurance 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, 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 insurance companies in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best rate. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be California Casualty or Esurance 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.