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

Quick Facts

• In general, California Casualty offers significantly cheaper prices than Metlife
• California Casualty tends to be a much less expensive option for drivers with a DUI
• Metlife may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than California Casualty

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

So, you're thinking about switching to a new insurance policy. You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering large savings, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed it down to California Casualty or Metlife as potential options, but between the two, which one will offer you more affordable premiums?

As you can see, Metlife is quite a bit more expensive than California Casualty, with prices averaging $340 a month compared to just $201 with California Casualty when looking at the national average rates for auto insurance.

But California Casualty may not be the most affordable or best option for every single driver out there. Insurance carriers vary their rates 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 premiums will differ quite a bit from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of California Casualty or Metlife is really the best for you, keep reading to see average rates for each carrier broken down by multiple different rate factors.

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

California Casualty and Metlife compete against each other in four states, with California Casualty offering cheaper prices to the average driver in all of them. Washington has the most noticable difference, where California Casualty premiums are $205 more affordable than car insurance prices at Metlife.

There's a lot more that goes into your insurance payment than just where you live. 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 auto insurance rates of any group out there on the road. Usually, that'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 premiums, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of over 55% less per month by choosing California Casualty over Metlife.

Even so, both companies will offer you dramatically lower rates by the time drivers turn 25. For example, average premiums for California Casualty policyholders reduce almost 60% and Metlife's prices decrease more than 70% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to car insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the lowest rates you can find.

So, which company offers the best prices to retired drivers? California Casualty gets the edge here, with average premiums coming in at around $149 a month compared to Metlife's $205.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that auto insurance prices are generally more expensive for single policyholders than they are for married couples? This usually boils down to married drivers having multiple vehicles on their policy -- something a lot of insurance carriers will reward with discounts.

For those who are single, the difference in average premiums between these two companies is significant, with California Casualty rates coming in at about half of Metlife's. The advantage for married policyholders with California Casualty is also obvious, where drivers save around $55 a month.

California Casualty or Metlife: Average Rates by Gender

Did you know women normally pay less for car insurance than men? This is because men are statistically more likely than women to get into collisions and file an insurance claim, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher premiums.

Women typically pay nearly 10% per month less than men with California Casualty, but with Metlife, the difference is closer to 8% a month.

When it comes to the most affordable rates for each gender, California Casualty comes out on top for both men and women, with average prices 41% less for men and 41% cheaper for women.

California Casualty vs. Metlife: 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.

Insurance can be a complicated subject for most people. Everyone needs auto insurance, but there are so many different limits and coverages that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

However, the most common policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (which provides bodily injury and property damage coverage for other drivers and their passengers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, in addition to what you get with liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability limits, California Casualty has the significant edge, with average monthly premiums 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 per month to Metlife's $466.

Is California Casualty or Metlife 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 speeding tickets and accidents on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the lowest rates to drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

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

That being said, California Casualty tends to offer the best prices for both drivers who have clean records and those with a recent ticket, offering prices that are 38% and 39% less expensive, respectively, compared to MetLife.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

California Casualty drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their rates increase by over $60, while those who have insurance through Metlife will see around a $150 increase.

At the end of the day, California Casualty offers the cheapest prices for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average premiums coming in at $198 compared to MetLife's $368.

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 -- usually a lot more than a collision or speeding ticket. On average, Metlife will climb your rates about 55% after a DUI, while California Casualty's average premiums rise by nearly 55%.

How does Credit Score Impact California Casualty and Metlife Rates?

Did you know many car insurance companies take into account your credit score when determining prices? This isn't true for everyone (for example, Hawaii and Michigan are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it will come into play for quite a few policyholders.

The reasoning insurance carriers use is that drivers with good credit will be more likely to pay their bills on time; so they'll reward them with cheaper rates, while those with poor credit will typically be forced to pay more.

So, which carrier offers the lowest prices 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 Metlife Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a considerable impact on your monthly auto insurance bill. Normally, the more milage you drive, the more you can expect to pay for coverage.

For both remote workers and those taking short commutes, California Casualty tends to be the cheaper option. Metlife average premiums for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in around $150 more expensive than California Casualty. Those who drive 12,000 miles yearly can expect to pay about $128 more with Metlife over California Casualty.

California Casualty or Metlife: 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 large impact as well. Typically, drivers who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural policyholders since there are a lot more vehicles on the roads where they live.

When comparing these two companies side-by-side, California Casualty normally comes out as the cheapest option for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save around 45% with California Casualty compared to Metlife. People who live in suburban areas pay about 34% less with California Casualty compared to Metlife. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, California Casualty's average rates are around 44% less than MetLife.

California Casualty vs. Metlife 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 challenging part is finding all of the discounts you qualify 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 broke down all of the different discounts offered by both California Casualty and Metlife so that you can see which carrier offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Metlife knocks California Casualty out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 22 more discounts than California Casualty.

Both carriers offer many of the same discounts -- like ABS discounts, discounts for being a good student, mature driver discounts, and passive restraint discounts -- but Metlife also offers discounts for AAA, academic, agency transfer, and more.

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

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

So, you've seen how different factors can affect your car insurance premiums. We've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers, too. That's all well and good, but at the end of the day, which company is the right fit for you?

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

• You have below-average credit.
• You want the most robust protection via a "full coverage" policy.
• You are purchasing your auto insurance with a spouse.

Metlife might be best for you if...

• You value the experience that comes with a large national insurance carrier.
• You want to save extra money with discounts.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between California Casualty and Metlife and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your car insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your insurance policy is to compare quotes from several companies, not just California Casualty and Metlife. 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 carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

California Casualty vs. Metlife FAQs

Is California Casualty or Metlife cheaper?

California Casualty is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $201 a month with California Casualty and $340 for Metlife. Even so, that doesn't mean California Casualty will be the most affordable company for everyone, since there are a bunch of different variables (things like driving record, age, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, California Casualty or Metlife?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". One carrier is not necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique insurance profile.

Why do California Casualty and Metlife offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers use lots of different factors when calculating the rates they charge. Things such as age, where your home is, your driving record, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both California Casualty and Metlife calculate prices using different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different premiums. The best way to determine which company is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a variety of different companies.

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

The only way to find the car insurance carrier 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 information once and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top auto insurance companies for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the cheapest price. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't California Casualty or Metlife 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.