Country Financial vs. Root: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for car insurance, Root offers significantly cheaper prices than Country Financial
• Country Financial may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Root Insurance
• Root offers less expensive average premiums for drivers who have a speeding ticket on their driving record

Country Financial or Root: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're considering switching to a new insurance policy. After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering hefty savings. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to Country Financial or Root as your top options, but which one will save you the most?

Looking at nationwide averages, Root is quite a bit cheaper than Country Financial, with prices averaging $65 a month compared to $138 with Country Financial.

But that doesn't necessarily mean Root will be the more affordable option for each driver. After all, insurance carriers can offer drastically different rates to every driver depending on rating factors like where you call home, your credit score, your driving record, or even your age (among other things). So, at the end of the day, rates from each company will differ quite a bit from person to person.

Luckily, we've broken down average premiums from both Country Financial and Root by a range of different rate factors, so read on to find out which carrier is the best for you.

Country Financial vs. Root: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Country Financial and Root only compete against each other in Arizona, where Root offers the cheaper average prices. Root drivers tend to pay about $86 per month less on average compared to drivers who use Country Financial for their auto insurance.

That being said, there's a lot more that goes into your car insurance cost than just where you call home. 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 insurance premiums of any other group of drivers out there on the road. It's 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 rates, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of over 45% less a month by choosing Root over Country Financial.

However, both companies will offer you dramatically lower prices by the time drivers turn 25. Root offers the steepest drop, with 25-year-olds paying less than a third of what 18-year-old drivers are charged. Country Financial's average premiums reduce more than 45% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age usually enjoy some of the most affordable auto insurance rates you'll ever find. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which typically reduces their chances of collisions and other infractions that can raise prices.

But who has the best premiums for retired drivers between Country Financial and Root? Root gets the edge here, with average rates coming in at around $57 a month compared to Country Financial's $105.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Those who are single tend to get offered slightly more expensive car insurance prices than married drivers. That's normally because married policyholders tend to own and insure multiple vehicles, which can often earn you a discount.

For single drivers, the difference in average rates between these two carriers is significant, with Root premiums coming in at about half of Country Financial's. The advantage for married couples with Root is also obvious, where drivers save almost 55% per month.

Country Financial or Root: Average Rates by Gender

Because women are less likely to get into accidents and get speeding tickets, they run a lower risk of filing a claim with insurance. So, women generally pay less for insurance than men.

With Country Financial, women normally pay around $3 a month less than men, and about $2 cheaper with Root when compared to their male counterparts.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, Root offers the cheapest average rates for both men and women. On average, women save about $73 per month and men save around $74 with Root compared to the average Country Financial policyholder.

Country Financial vs. Root: 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. Everyone needs auto insurance, but there are so many different coverages and terms that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

That being said, most policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (which provides property damage and bodily injury coverage for other drivers and passengers 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, Root has the significant edge, with average monthly prices coming in at $46. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Root again has the edge, with policies averaging about $84 a month to Country Financial's $194.

Is Country Financial or Root Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no secret -- drivers with good records end up getting the best deals on their car insurance. But that's not to say you can't save money if you don't have the best driving record, either.

Accidents and speeding tickets will most likely raise your premiums, but is Country Financial or Root cheaper for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Country Financial for their insurance can generally expect their monthly bill to go up around 23% after getting a speeding ticket. Root policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of about 15%.

Even so, Root has less expensive prices for drivers in both categories -- their rates are around 46% more affordable for drivers with clean records and 51% less expensive for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Country Financial drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their premiums climb by over $40, while those who have insurance through Root will see around a $20 increase.

At the end of the day, drivers who use Root end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average rates coming in at $79 compared to COUNTRY Financial's $147.

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 -- typically a lot more than a collision or ticket. Country Financial drivers usually see a 36% climb in their insurance premiums after a DUI charge, while Root will usually raise rates by about 0%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable prices, Root tends to be cheaper for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at around $57 to Country Financial's $165.

How does Credit Score Impact Country Financial and Root Rates?

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

Car insurance companies argue that those with poor credit scores are less likely to pay their bills on time every month, which raises the risk involved on their end, while the opposite is true for those with good credit.

So, which carrier offers the best rates for drivers with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have solid credit, Root will typically reward you the most. For policyholders with "excellent" credit scores, Root comes in nearly 53.45 more affordable. Drivers with "good" credit scores normally save about 50% with Root compared to average prices from Country Financial.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Root typically offers lower rates than Country Financial when it comes to drivers with a below average credit score. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 48% per month less with Root compared to Country Financial, and those with "poor" scores usually save an average of about 58% per month.

Is Country Financial or Root 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. Generally, those who drive less will end up with less expensive premiums 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 Root charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly rates for Country Financial, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicle yearly paying around $2 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, for drivers in both categories, Root is the more affordable company.

Country Financial or Root: 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 auto insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a substantial impact as well. Usually, those who live in urban areas will pay more than drivers in rural areas since there are a lot more cars on the roads where they live.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, Root normally comes out as the cheapest option for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save about 47% with Root compared to Country Financial. People who live in suburban areas pay around 54% less with Root compared to Country Financial. For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Root Insurance's average premiums are about 56% less than COUNTRY Financial.

Country Financial vs. Root 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, and the best way to do that is by utilizing as many insurance discounts as possible.

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be challenging to find all the ones you can take advantage of or to nail down the company that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and compared all of the different discounts offered by Country Financial and Root so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Looking at the total number of discounts, Country Financial has the advantage when it comes to total number of discounts. Root offers a grand total of five discounts, while Country Financial has 10.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like. Country Financial also offers discounts for anti-theft, defensive driver, driver training, and more.

On the other hand, Root has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like auto-steer discounts, good driving discounts, homeowner discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Country Financial or Root Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average prices for many of the factors auto insurance companies look at, and walked through the different discounts each carrier offers, too. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, is Country Financial or Root the right carrier for you, your vehicle, and your wallet?

Root might be best for you if....

• You have a clean driving record, free of collisions, tickets, or DUIs.
• You're looking for the best rates on liability only coverage.
• You don't spend much time in your car.

Country Financial might be best for you if...

• You care about discounts (Country Financial offers the most).

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Country Financial and Root and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your car insurance.

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your insurance policy is to compare quotes from a handful of carriers, not just Country Financial and Root. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best car insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Country Financial vs. Root FAQs

Is Country Financial or Root cheaper?

Root is the cheaper of the two carriers when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $65 a month with Root and $138 for Country Financial. But that doesn't mean Root will be the most affordable company for every policyholder, since there are a bunch of different variables that are considered when it comes to your insurance payment.

Who is better, Country Financial or Root?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". Neither carrier is necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique auto insurance profile.

Why do Country Financial and Root offer me different rates?

Car insurance companies use lots of different factors when calculating the prices they charge. Variables such as your driving record, age, gender, where you park your vehicle, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Country Financial and Root calculate premiums differently, so it's likely they'll offer different rates. The best way to determine which company is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from lots of different carriers.

How do I know if Country Financial or Root is right for me?

The only way to find the insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple companies and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your area information and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top auto insurance carriers for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the most affordable price. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Country Financial or Root 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.