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

Quick Facts

• In general, California Casualty offers slightly cheaper prices than Farmers
• California Casualty offers more affordable average premiums for policyholders whose driving record contains an at-fault collision
• Farmers offers more affordable rates for policyholders who are looking to purchase insurance with a spouse

California Casualty or Farmers: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're considering switching to a new insurance policy. With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering large savings, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You might have narrowed your search down to California Casualty or Farmers as your top options, but which one will offer you less expensive premiums?

Looking at nationwide averages, Farmers is around $2 more a month than California Casualty.

However, that doesn't mean California Casualty will necessarily be cheaper than Farmers for every driver. Insurance carriers vary their prices depending on things like where you live, how old you are, how good your credit score is, how clean your driving record is, and a ton of other factors, so rates will vary quite a bit from person to person.

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

California Casualty vs. Farmers: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

California Casualty and Farmers only compete against each other in three states, with California Casualty offering more affordable prices to the average driver in all of them. Washington has the most noticable difference, where Farmers premiums are $28 less expensive than auto insurance rates at California Casualty.

But there's more to insurance than just where you call home. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how auto insurance companies determine your prices. 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 car insurance premiums of any group on the road. It's generally because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

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 over 20% less per month by choosing California Casualty over Farmers.

Even so, both carriers will decrease rates once you turn 25. For example, average premiums for California Casualty policyholders drop about $250 and Farmers's rates reduce around $400 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 cheapest prices out there.

When looking at California Casualty and Farmers specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? In this case, Farmers has the slight edge, with rates about $6 a month less than California Casualty. That being said, that difference is less than 5%, which means it ultimately will come down to other factors, like your credit score or where you live.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but car insurance prices tend to be more affordable for married drivers than they are for single drivers. This usually boils down to married couples having several vehicles on their policy -- something quite a few auto insurance companies will reward with discounts.

When it comes to relationship status, California Casualty is the winner for single policyholders, with premiums around 5% per month cheaper than Farmers, on average.

California Casualty or Farmers: Average Rates by Gender

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

Men typically pay about $15 a month more than women with California Casualty, but with Farmers, the difference is closer to $7 per month.

Looking at overall affordability, California Casualty is the most affordable company for women. Rates with California Casualty are $7 cheaper for women, while with Farmers, men can save around $7.

California Casualty vs. Farmers: 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 pretty complicated. There are so many different coverages and terms that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

The two most common policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (which covers the other party's property damage and injuries if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, in addition to liability).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability limits, California Casualty has the slight edge, with average monthly prices coming in at $122. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, California Casualty again has the edge, with policies averaging about $281 a month to Farmers's $281.

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

It's no secret -- drivers with good records end up getting the best deals on their auto 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 speeding tickets and accidents on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the lowest premiums to drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use California Casualty for their car insurance can usually expect their monthly bill to go up around 19% after getting a speeding ticket. Farmers policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of about 21%.

But California Casualty has less expensive rates for drivers in both categories, offering prices that are 15% and 17% more affordable, respectively, compared to Farmers Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their insurance through California Casualty can expect to see around an $61 -- or about 31% -- rise in their auto insurance rates. Drivers who use Farmers for their car insurance will see a monthly bill around $62 (or 28%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their insurance carrier.

At the end of the day, the less expensive premiums come from California Casualty, with average prices coming in at $198 compared to Farmers Insurance's $224.

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 -- generally a lot more than a collision or ticket. California Casualty drivers usually see a 54% climb in their car insurance rates after a DUI charge, while Farmers will usually raise premiums by about 27%.

How does Credit Score Impact California Casualty and Farmers Rates?

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

The reasoning insurance companies use is that policyholders with bad credit will be less likely to pay their bills on time; so normally, they'll be asked to pay more, while those with good credit will be rewarded with cheaper prices.

So, which company offers the most affordable premiums for drivers 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 Farmers 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 big impact on how much car insurance carriers will charge for coverage? Typically, those who drive less will end up with more affordable rates since there's less of a chance of causing an accident 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 Farmers charges. However, there's a pretty significant difference in monthly prices for California Casualty, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicle annually paying around $25 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly.

California Casualty or Farmers: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you call home can have a pretty big impact on your monthly auto insurance bill. Usually, those who live in rural areas will pay less than policyholders in urban areas since there are a lot fewer cars on the roads where they live.

When comparing these two companies side-by-side, California Casualty tends to offer the lowest option for drivers in rural and urban areas, while Farmers wins in suburban areas.

For drivers in urban ZIP codes, California Casualty's average premiums are about $33 less than Farmers Insurance. People who live in suburban areas pay around $32 less with Farmers compared to California Casualty. Those in rural areas can expect to save about $6 with California Casualty compared to Farmers.

California Casualty vs. Farmers Discounts

You want to save as much money as you can, right? The best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many 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 qualify for.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and compared all of the different discounts offered by California Casualty and Farmers so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

Farmers knocks California Casualty out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 14 more discounts than California Casualty.

Both carriers offer lots of the same discounts -- like discounts for getting driver training, discounts for being a good student, group discounts, and multi-policy discounts -- but Farmers also offers discounts for advance quote, alternative fuel, anti-theft, and more.

On the other hand, California Casualty has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like education discounts, full coverage discounts, renewal discounts, and more.

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

So, we've broken down the average rates for many of the variables auto insurance companies look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, which insurance company is the best company for you and your specific profile and needs?

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

• You haven't received any speeding tickets or been in a collision in the last few years.
• You have above-average credit.
• You want to save money while purchasing car insurance for a teenager.

Farmers might be best for you if...

• You value the experience that comes with a large national insurance carrier.
• Your home is located in the suburbs.
• You are purchasing your auto insurance with a spouse.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare California Casualty and Farmers. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision about your insurance.

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your car insurance policy is to compare quotes from multiple carriers, not just California Casualty and Farmers. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of the top auto insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

California Casualty vs. Farmers FAQs

Is California Casualty or Farmers cheaper?

California Casualty is the cheaper of the two carriers when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $201 per month with California Casualty and $203 for Farmers. That being said, that doesn't mean California Casualty will be the cheapest company for each policyholder, since there are multiple different factors (things like gender, age, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, California Casualty or Farmers?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". Neither carrier is "better" for everyone -- it all boils down to your unique car insurance profile. For example, California Casualty is less expensive for drivers with excellent credit, while Farmers offers cheaper prices for drivers with a recent DUI.

Why do California Casualty and Farmers offer me different rates?

Insurance companies use many different variables when calculating the rates they charge. Factors like gender, your driving record, where you live, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both California Casualty and Farmers calculate premiums using different variables, 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 many different carriers.

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

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