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

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for auto insurance, Progressive offers less expensive premiums than California Casualty
• California Casualty has more affordable rates for policyholders who haven't received any speeding tickets or been in an accident in the last few years
• Progressive offers cheaper average prices for policyholders who live in the suburbs

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

So, you're thinking about switching your auto insurance. With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering hefty discounts, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to California Casualty or Progressive as your top options, but which company will offer you less expensive premiums?

Looking at the national average rates for both companies, Progressive is about $21 per month more affordable than California Casualty.

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

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

California Casualty or Progressive: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

California Casualty and Progressive compete against each other in four states, with Progressive offering less expensive premiums to the average driver in all of them. Colorado has the most noticable difference, where Progressive prices are over 15% more affordable than insurance premiums at California Casualty.

There's a lot more that goes into your auto insurance cost than just your home state. Keep reading to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- usually pay a lot for car insurance compared to older drivers. It's normally 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 insurance rates. As you can see above, teens who use California Casualty save $20 a month compared to those who use Progressive.

However, both companies will lower prices by the time drivers turn 25. Progressive offers the steepest reduction, with 25-year-olds paying less than a third of what 18-year-old drivers are charged. California Casualty's average rates decrease nearly 60% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll typically enjoy the most affordable car insurance premiums out there. You've been on the road for years, and all that experience pays off when it comes to your monthly prices for auto insurance.

But who has the best rates for retired drivers between California Casualty and Progressive? Progressive gets the edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older more than 10% less expensive than the national average for California Casualty.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but car insurance prices tend to be more affordable for married policyholders than they are for single policyholders. That's because policies for married drivers generally cover several cars, which many carriers will offer you a discount for.

When it comes to relationship status, the two companies are comparable for single drivers, with rates only differing around $11 per month, on average. The advantage for married couples is more obvious, where drivers who use Progressive save over 20% a month.

California Casualty vs. Progressive: 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 insurance men will typically end up paying a little more.

With California Casualty, women usually pay more than $15 per month less than men, and about $5 less with Progressive.

Looking at overall affordability, Progressive comes out as the cheapest option for both genders. On average, male drivers save about $26 a month and women save around $15 with Progressive compared to the average California Casualty policyholder.

California Casualty or Progressive: 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, auto insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. Everyone needs car insurance, but there are so many different terms and limits that it can be hard to find the right policy.

The two most common policies that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (that covers property damage and bodily injury for other drivers and their passengers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes comprehensive and collision coverages that protect your own vehicle, alongside what you get with a liability policy).

If you're looking for state minimum limits for liability insurance, Progressive normally offers slightly cheaper premiums of $111 compared to California Casualty's $122. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Progressive again has the edge, with policies about $30 per month less expensive than California Casualty, on average.

Is California Casualty or Progressive 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 accidents and tickets on your record, but which of these two carriers 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 a month if they get a ticket, while Progressive generally raises premiums around $31 per month, on average.

Even so, California Casualty has cheaper prices for drivers in both categories, offering premiums that are $12 and $10 more affordable, respectively, compared to Progressive.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their auto insurance through California Casualty can expect to see about an $61 -- or around 31% -- increase in their car insurance rates. Drivers who use Progressive for their insurance will see a monthly bill about $65 (or 30%) more expensive after reporting a collision to their auto insurance carrier.

Overall, California Casualty offers the cheapest prices for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with monthly premiums averaging $198 compared to Progressive's $214.

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 rates after a DUI charge, while Progressive will normally increase prices by around 16%.

How does Credit Score Impact California Casualty and Progressive Rates?

You may not have known, but your credit score can come into play when companies calculate your monthly bill. This isn't always the case (Massachusetts, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a rating factor) but it will come into play for a lot of drivers.

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

Looking specifically at California Casualty and Progressive, which carrier has the most affordable premiums 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 Progressive 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 considerable impact on your monthly rates? That's because the fewer miles you drive, the less likely you are to get into a collision and cause an insurance claim.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Progressive charges. However, there's a pretty significant difference in monthly prices for California Casualty, with policyholders who drive the least paying about $25 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, Progressive is the cheaper option for drivers in both categories.

California Casualty vs. Progressive: 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 car insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a sizable impact as well. Usually, if you live in an urban area with more cars on the road, you'll pay a little more for insurance, while the opposite is true for people in rural areas.

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

For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Progressive offers premiums around $207 monthly compared to California Casualty's $218. People who live in suburban ZIP codes can expect to pay about $179 a month for Progressive and $221 for California Casualty. Lastly, those in rural areas tend to get the cheapest rates from both carriers, with average monthly prices coming in at $154 and $164 for Progressive and California Casualty respectively.

California Casualty vs. Progressive 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. That's where auto insurance discounts comes into play.

The challenging 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.

Below, we've taken a look at all of the different discounts California Casualty and Progressive offer their customers so that you can see which one offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Progressive blows California Casualty away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 34 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. Progressive also offers advance quote discounts, advanced safety feature discounts, agency transfer 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 and full coverage discounts.

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

So, we've broken down the average premiums for many of the factors insurance companies look at, and walked through the different discounts each carrier offers, too. That's all well and good, but at the end of the day, which insurance company is the right company for you, your vehicle, and your wallet?

Progressive might be best for you if....

• You have a DUI charge on your record.
• You're looking for the carrier with the most discounts.
• You've started working from home and don't have much of a commute.

California Casualty might be best for you if...

• You've received a ticket for speeding recently and don't want to see your rates increase.
• You want to save money on your car insurance after an accident.
• You're buying auto insurance for a teen and looking for a wallet-friendly option.

We hope this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare California Casualty and Progressive. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision when it comes to your insurance.

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

California Casualty vs. Progressive FAQs

Is California Casualty or Progressive cheaper?

Looking just at the national average prices, Progressive is the more affordable of the two carriers, offering average rates of $180 per month compared to $201 for California Casualty. However, Progressive won't necessarily be the most affordable company for every policyholder, since there are lots of different variables that are considered when it comes to your insurance bill.

Who is better, California Casualty or Progressive?

Unfortunately, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". Neither carrier is "better" for everyone -- it all boils down to your unique car insurance profile. For example, California Casualty offers less expensive premiums for drivers with an at-fault collision on their record, while Progressive is cheaper for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit scores.

Why do California Casualty and Progressive offer me different rates?

Auto insurance companies take a look at quite a few different factors when calculating the prices they charge policyholders. Variables such as where you live, where you call home, age, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both California Casualty and Progressive calculate premiums differently, so each one will most likely offer different rates. The only real way to see which company is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from many different carriers.

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

The only way to find the 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 area information and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best auto insurance carriers in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best price. And who knows, the best company for you might not be California Casualty or Progressive 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.