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

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for insurance, Main Street America offers less expensive rates than Dairyland
• Dairyland has more affordable prices for drivers with a DUI charge on their record
• Main Street America offers cheaper average rates for drivers who have an at-fault accident on their record

Dairyland vs. Main Street America: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're thinking about switching your auto insurance. After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering hefty discounts. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to Dairyland or Main Street America as your top options, but which carrier will offer you more affordable premiums?

As you can see, Dairyland is about $29 more per month than Main Street America when looking at the national average rates for auto insurance.

Even so, that doesn't necessarily mean Main Street America will be the less expensive option for each driver. After all, insurance companies can offer drastically different rates to each 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 every carrier will differ quite a bit from person to person.

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

Dairyland or Main Street America: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Dairyland 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. South Carolina has the most noticable difference, where Main Street America rates are over 70% less expensive than car insurance prices at Dairyland.

But there's more to insurance than just the state you live in. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how car insurance carriers calculate your premiums. Continue reading to see how other factors will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive auto insurance prices of any other group of drivers. It's because young, inexperienced 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. As you can see above, teens who use Main Street America save more than $45 a month compared to those who use Dairyland.

That being said, both companies will decrease rates once you turn 25. Main Street America offers the steepest drop, with 25-year-olds paying less than half what 18-year-old drivers are charged. Dairyland's average premiums drop over 55% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

When looking at Dairyland and Main Street America specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? Main Street America gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older more than 10% cheaper than the national average for Dairyland.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that insurance rates are generally more expensive for those who are single than they are for married couples? That's because policies for married policyholders usually cover more than one car, which many carriers will offer you a discount for.

When it comes to relationship status, Main Street America is the clear winner for single drivers, with premiums around $31 per month more affordable than Dairyland, on average. The advantage for married drivers with Main Street America is also obvious, where drivers save about $25 a month.

Dairyland vs. Main Street America: Average Rates by Gender

Men tend to pay more for car insurance than women. This is because women are less likely to get tickets and get into collisions, which decreases the chances of an insurance claim.

Women normally pay around $10 per month less than men with Dairyland, but surprisingly, with Main Street America, women usually pay about $6 a month more than men.

When it comes to the cheapest prices for each gender, Main Street America offers the most affordable average premiums for both men and women. On average, women save about $21 per month and men save around $37 with Main Street America compared to the average Dairyland policyholder.

Dairyland or 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.

Insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are several different coverages that account for a range of different things. Some protect you and your vehicle, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause an accident.

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

In this case, Dairyland offers the cheapest average rates for state minimum limits for liability insurance, while Main Street America has the edge for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Drivers looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $15 with Dairyland, while full coverage comes out to be about $75 less expensive with Main Street America Insurance.

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

It's no big secret that drivers who are accident-free get better deals on their auto 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 at-fault accidents and tickets on your record, but which of these two companies offers the lowest prices to drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Dairyland policyholders can expect their premiums to go up an average of $40 a month if they get a ticket, while Main Street America usually raises rates around $61 per month, on average.

But Main Street America tends to offer the best prices for both drivers who have a recent speeding ticket and those with clean records, offering premiums that are 22% and 11% more affordable, respectively, compared to Dairyland.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their insurance through Dairyland can expect to see about an $72 -- or around 24% -- increase in their auto insurance prices. Drivers who use Main Street America for their car insurance will see a monthly bill about $40 (or 19%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their auto insurance company.

Overall, the cheaper rates come from Main Street America, with monthly premiums averaging $215 compared to Dairyland's $297.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

On average, a DUI offense is going to cost you much more than a single collision or ticket when it comes to your insurance bill. On average, Main Street America will raise your rates around 38% after a DUI, while Dairyland's average prices rise by 5%.

If you have a DUI on your record and are looking for more affordable rates, Dairyland tends to be the much less expensive option with average premiums of $236 monthly compared to $283 from Main Street America.

How does Credit Score Impact Dairyland and Main Street America Rates?

Did you know that many car insurance carriers take into account your credit score when calculating prices? Certain states and companies do not allow for credit score to be used as a rating factor, but it does affect quite a few policyholders out there.

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 premiums, while those with poor credit will typically be forced to pay more.

Looking specifically at Dairyland and Main Street America, which company has the best prices for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a great credit score, you'll usually find a better deal with Main Street America. Drivers with "excellent" credit can save over 50% compared to Dairyland, and those with "good" scores can also expect to see savings -- about $107 or 44% more affordable each month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

If you have less-than-stellar credit, it can be somewhat of a toss-up as far as which company offers you the best rates. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around $81 less with Main Street America than Dairyland, but those whose credit is considered "poor" have it flipped -- saving about $185 a month with Dairyland.

Is Dairyland or Main Street America Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a considerable impact on how much car insurance companies will charge for coverage. Normally, those who drive fewer miles will end up with cheaper prices since there's less of a chance of getting into a collision and causing an insurance claim.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Dairyland charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly rates for Main Street America, with policyholders who drive the least paying around $4 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly. Still, Main Street America is the more affordable option for drivers in both categories.

Dairyland vs. Main Street America: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you park your vehicle can play a sizable role in how much you pay for auto insurance. Generally, policyholders who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural drivers due to the number of cars that are on the roads in those areas.

Main Street America tends to offer the lowest premiums for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

Policyholders in rural ZIP codes see the most affordable prices from both carriers, but Main Street America comes out on top with average rates about $188 per month. Main Street America also has less expensive average prices for drivers in urban and suburban ZIP codes -- a 16% and 8% per month respective difference when compared to Dairyland policyholders in similar areas.

Dairyland vs. Main Street America Discounts

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

But where do you even start? With so many discounts out there, it may seem hard to find all the of the ones you qualify for.

Below, we've compared all of the different discounts offered by Dairyland and Main Street America so that you can find the one that has the most discounts and, therefore, the biggest savings.

Main Street America blows Dairyland away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering seven more discounts than Dairyland.

Both companies offer several of the same discounts -- like anti-theft discounts, discounts for being a defensive driver, and discounts for insuring multiple cars with the same company -- but Main Street America also offers ABS discounts, distant student discounts, driver training discounts, and more that Dairyland does not.

On the flip side, Dairyland has a couple unique discounts of its own -- advance quote discounts, agency transfer discounts, discounts for being a homeowner, and more.

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

So, we've broken down the average premiums for many of the variables auto insurance carriers look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each company offers. But, when it comes down to it, is Dairyland or Main Street America the right company for you and your specific profile and needs?

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

• Your credit score is high.
• You're looking for discounts -- Main Street America has the most.
• You're buying car insurance for a teen and looking for a wallet-friendly option.

Dairyland might be best for you if...

• You have a DUI charge on your record.
• You want basic insurance coverage at the state minimum limits.

We hope this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Dairyland and Main Street America. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision about your auto 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 multiple companies, not just Dairyland and Main Street America. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of top auto insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Dairyland vs. Main Street America FAQs

Is Dairyland or Main Street America cheaper?

Looking just at the national average prices, Main Street America is the cheaper of the two companies, offering average rates of $227 a month compared to $256 for Dairyland. Even so, Main Street America won't necessarily be the cheapest carrier for each policyholder, since there are a bunch of different factors (things like driving record, age, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Dairyland or Main Street America?

Unfortunately, the real answer is "it depends.". No one company is "better" for every driver -- it all depends on what your unique insurance profile looks like. For example, Dairyland offers more affordable premiums for drivers with a recent DUI, while Main Street America is cheaper for drivers with excellent credit.

Why do Dairyland and Main Street America offer me different rates?

Car insurance carriers take a look at lots of different variables when determining the rates they charge drivers. Factors such as your driving record, gender, age, where you call home, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Dairyland and Main Street America calculate premiums using different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different prices. The only real way to see which carrier is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a variety of different companies.

How do I know if Dairyland or Main Street America is right for me?

The only way to find the auto insurance company 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 information once and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best car insurance companies in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best premium. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be Dairyland or Main Street America 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.