Central Mutual vs. Main Street America: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Main Street America offers significantly less expensive rates than Central Mutual
• Main Street America has more affordable premiums for drivers with a DUI
• Main Street America offers more affordable rates for policyholders who live in rural neighborhoods

Central Mutual or Main Street America: 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 huge savings, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You might have narrowed it down to Central Mutual or Main Street America, but between the two, which carrier will offer you cheaper prices?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, Central Mutual is quite a bit more expensive than Main Street America, with rates averaging $340 a month compared to just $227 with Main Street America.

Even so, that doesn't necessarily mean Main Street America will be the less expensive option for every single driver. After all, auto insurance companies can offer drastically different rates to every driver depending on rating factors like where you call home, your age, your driving record, or even your credit score (among other things). So, at the end of the day, prices from each company will differ quite a bit from person to person.

Wanting to know if Central Mutual or Main Street America is really the right carrier for you? Keep on reading to see how average premiums can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

Central Mutual vs. Main Street America: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Central Mutual and Main Street America only compete against each other in one states, with Main Street America offering cheaper prices to the average driver in all of them. New York has the most noticable difference, where Main Street America premiums are $409 more affordable than insurance rates at Central Mutual.

But there's more to car insurance than just where you call home. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how auto insurance carriers determine your prices. Keep reading to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- typically pay a lot for insurance compared to older drivers. That's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

However, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high auto insurance premiums. As you can see above, teens who use Main Street America save over 20% per month compared to those who use Central Mutual.

That being said, both companies will decrease rates by the time you turn 25. Main Street America offers the steepest reduction, with 25-year-olds paying less than half what 18-year-old drivers are charged. Central Mutual's average premiums reduce almost 45% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

But who has the best premiums for retired drivers between Central Mutual and Main Street America? Main Street America gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older nearly 35% less expensive than the national average for Central Mutual.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married couples tend to get slightly more affordable car insurance rates than single policyholders. That's because policies for married policyholders usually cover more than one vehicle, which quite a few carriers will give you a discount for.

For single drivers, the difference in average prices between these two companies is significant, with Main Street America rates coming in at a quarter less than Central Mutual's. The advantage for married drivers with Main Street America is also obvious, where drivers save around $100 a month.

Central Mutual or Main Street America: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into collisions and get tickets. That means when it comes to auto insurance men will normally end up paying a little more.

With Central Mutual, women generally pay about $15 per month less than men, but surprisingly, with Main Street America, women usually pay around $6 a month more than men.

Looking at overall affordability, Main Street America comes out on top for both men and women. On average, male drivers save about $123 per month and women save about $103 with Main Street America compared to the average Central Mutual policyholder.

Central Mutual vs. Main Street America: 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 insurance can be a complicated subject for most people. Everyone needs auto insurance, but there are so many different terms and limits that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

But most policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (that covers property damage and bodily injury for other drivers and passengers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- in addition to what you get with liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, Main Street America has the slight edge, with average monthly premiums coming in at $159. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Main Street America again has the edge, with policies averaging around $295 a month to Central Mutual's $506.

Is Central Mutual or Main Street America Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

You've probably seen plenty of commercials from car insurance carriers offering great prices for good drivers, but that doesn't mean people with less-than-perfect driving records can't save money, too.

Collisions and speeding tickets will most likely raise your rates, but is Central Mutual or Main Street America cheaper for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Central Mutual for their auto insurance can typically expect their monthly bill to go up about 26% after getting a speeding ticket. Main Street America policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of around 26%.

However, Main Street America tends to offer the best prices for drivers both with clean records and with a ticket, offering premiums that are $67 and $90 more affordable, respectively, compared to Central Mutual Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both companies will raise prices pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault collision with Central Mutual climbing by about 22%. Main Street America has a less extreme climb, but you can still expect to pay nearly 20% more than you were prior to your first accident.

At the end of the day, Main Street America offers the most affordable premiums for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average rates coming in at $215 compared to Central Mutual Insurance's $311.

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. On average, Central Mutual will raise your prices around 50% after a DUI, while Main Street America's average rates rise by just under 40%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable premiums, Main Street America tends to be cheaper for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at about $283 to Central Mutual's $482.

How does Credit Score Impact Central Mutual and Main Street America Rates?

Did you know many car insurance carriers take into account your credit score when determining prices? This isn't true for everyone (California, for example, has banned the use of credit score as an auto insurance factor) but it will come into play for many drivers.

Insurance companies argue that someone with bad credit is less likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them riskier to insure. Because of that, policyholders with bad credit will often be forced to pay more.

Looking specifically at Central Mutual and Main Street America, which one has the cheapest premiums for drivers at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a great credit score, Main Street America will normally reward you the most. For policyholders with "excellent" credit scores, Main Street America comes in nearly 57.59 less expensive. Drivers with "good" credit scores usually save around 52% with Main Street America compared to average rates from Central Mutual.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Main Street America typically offers lower premiums than Central Mutual when it comes to drivers with less-than-perfect credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about 46% per month less with Main Street America compared to Central Mutual, and those with "poor" scores typically save an average of around 0% monthly.

Is Central Mutual or Main Street America 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 rates. That's because the fewer miles you put on your car, the less likely you are to be in a collision and file an insurance claim.

For both remote workers and those taking short commutes, Main Street America offers cheaper prices than Central Mutual. Central Mutual average rates for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in about $110 more expensive than Main Street America. Those who drive 12,000 miles yearly can expect to pay around $116 more with Central Mutual over Main Street America.

Central Mutual or Main Street America: 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 substantial impact as well. Usually, if you live in a rural area with fewer cars on the road, you'll pay a little less for insurance, while the opposite is true for people in urban areas.

Main Street America tends to offer the cheapest prices for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save about 18% with Main Street America compared to Central Mutual. People who live in suburban areas pay around 13% less with Main Street America compared to Central Mutual. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Main Street America Insurance's average premiums are about 50% less than Central Mutual Insurance.

Central Mutual vs. Main Street America Discounts

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

But where do you even start? With so many discounts out there, it may seem challenging to find all the of the ones you can take advantage of.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and compared all of the different discounts offered by Central Mutual and Main Street America so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

Looking at the total number of discounts, Main Street America comes out ahead with 18 discounts to Central Mutual's 15.

Both carriers offer lots of the same discounts -- like anti-theft discounts, distant student discounts, discounts for getting driver training, and multi-policy discounts -- but Main Street America also offers discounts for EFT, good driving, good payer, and more.

On the other hand, Central Mutual has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like book transfer policy discounts, group discounts, teensmart discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Central Mutual or Main Street America Best for You?

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your insurance rates. We've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers, too. But, at the end of the day, is Central Mutual or Main Street America the right company for you and your specific needs?

Main Street America might be best for you if....

• You have a clean record.
• Your neighborhood is in the suburbs.
• You're married and plan to have both of your names on the vehicle's auto insurance policy.

Central Mutual might be best for you if...

• You have a more unique driver profile than those we mentioned above.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Central Mutual and Main Street America and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your car 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 multiple companies, not just Central Mutual and Main Street America. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best auto insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Central Mutual vs. Main Street America FAQs

Is Central Mutual or Main Street America cheaper?

Main Street America is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $227 a month with Main Street America and $340 for Central Mutual. That being said, that doesn't mean Main Street America will be the lowest company for every driver, since there are many different factors that are considered when it comes to your car insurance payment.

Who is better, Central Mutual or Main Street America?

Unfortunately, the real answer is "it depends.". No one carrier is "better" for each policyholder -- it all comes down to what your unique auto insurance profile looks like.

Why do Central Mutual and Main Street America offer me different rates?

Insurance carriers use a lot of different variables when calculating the premiums they charge. Things such as your driving record, where your home is, gender, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Central Mutual and Main Street America calculate rates using different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different premiums. The best way to determine which company is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from several different companies.

How do I know if Central Mutual or Main Street America 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 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 ZIP code 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 best rate. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Central Mutual or Main Street America 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.