Encompass vs. Pemco: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for auto insurance, Pemco offers significantly less expensive premiums than Encompass
• Encompass offers more discounts than PEMCO Insurance
• Pemco offers cheaper average rates for drivers who have received a ticket within the last few years

Encompass vs. Pemco: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're considering 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 it down to Encompass or Pemco, but which one will offer you more affordable premiums?

As you can see, Encompass has average rates that are about 75% per month more expensive than those from Pemco when looking at the national average rates for insurance.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean Pemco will be the less expensive option for every driver. Car insurance companies use a ton of complex algorithms to calculate prices, so depending on where you live or how good your credit score is (among a multitude of other factors), you could see wildly different rates from the ones above.

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

Encompass or Pemco: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Encompass and Pemco only compete against each other in Washington, where Pemco offers the cheaper average rates. For Washington residents, Pemco offers auto insurance for $107 per month on average. Encompass's average prices come out to be over 70% more expensive, at $450 monthly.

But there's more to 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 rates. Continue reading to learn more about how other factors will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive car insurance premiums of any group out there on the road. 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 that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high auto insurance prices. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Pemco for their insurance pay more than $500 less than those who use Encompass. It's worth noting that Encompass offers car insurance in 31 different states compared to Pemco's one, which can skew the average premiums a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

Even so, both companies will offer you dramatically lower prices by the time you turn 25. Pemco offers the steepest decrease, with 25-year-olds paying less than half what 18-year-old drivers are charged. Encompass's average rates reduce over 65% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age usually enjoy some of the lowest auto insurance premiums you'll ever find. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which normally decreases their chances of accidents and other infractions that can increase rates.

So, which company offers the best prices to retired drivers? Pemco gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older nearly 75% cheaper than the national average for Encompass.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but car insurance premiums tend to be more affordable for married drivers than they are for those who are single. That's generally because married policyholders tend to own and insure multiple cars, which can often earn you a discount.

When it comes to relationship status, Pemco is the clear winner for single drivers, with prices around $449 a month less expensive than Encompass, on average. The advantage for married couples with Pemco is also obvious, where drivers save almost 75% per month.

Encompass vs. Pemco: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into collisions and file an insurance claim, which means they'll typically end up paying more for insurance than women.

On average, men see rates about 5% a month higher with Encompass, and around 4% more with Pemco.

When it comes to the most affordable prices for each gender, Pemco offers the cheapest average premiums for both men and women, with average rates 77% less for men and 77% cheaper for women.

Encompass or Pemco: 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.

Car insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are multiple different coverages that account for many 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.

The two most common policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability only (which provides property damage and bodily injury coverage for other drivers and their passengers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes comprehensive and collision coverages that protect your own vehicle, alongside liability coverage).

If you're looking for state minimum liability insurance, Pemco normally offers significantly more affordable premiums of $62 compared to Encompass's $302. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Pemco again has the edge, with policies about $500 per month cheaper than Encompass, on average.

Is Encompass or Pemco 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.

It's no secret secret that accidents and tickets lead to higher prices, but which carrier -- Encompass or Pemco -- has the lowest rates for drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Encompass policyholders can expect their prices to go up an average of $61 a month if they get a ticket, while Pemco usually raises premiums around $16 per month, on average.

That being said, Pemco is typically the more affordable option for both drivers who have clean records and those with a recent speeding ticket, offering prices that are 63% and 65% less expensive, respectively, compared to Encompass Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Encompass drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their rates rise by over $100, while those who have insurance through Pemco will see about a $25 increase.

Overall, the cheaper premiums come from Pemco, with monthly prices averaging $111 compared to Encompass Insurance's $328.

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 ticket or even a collision. Encompass drivers usually see a 78% climb in their insurance rates after a DUI charge, while Pemco will generally raise premiums by around 35%.

Pemco has the overall cheapest prices for drivers with a DUI on their records at $131 a month, but it's worth noting that Encompass's average rates come from 31 states compared to just one for Pemco, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Encompass and Pemco Rates?

Did you know that many auto insurance carriers take your credit score into account when calculating premiums? This isn't always the case (for example, California and Hawaii are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect a lot of policyholders out there.

Insurance companies argue that those with good credit scores are more likely to pay their bills on time each month, which reduces the risk involved on their end, while the opposite is true for those with bad credit.

Looking specifically at Encompass and Pemco, which carrier has the most affordable rates for drivers 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 Pemco. Policyholders with "excellent" credit can save over 80% compared to Encompass, and those with "good" scores can also expect to see savings -- about $314 or 79% more affordable every month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Pemco typically offers lower premiums than Encompass when it comes to drivers with less-than-perfect credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around $364 a month less with Pemco compared to Encompass, and those with "poor" scores typically save an average of about $469 per month.

Is Encompass or Pemco Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a considerable impact on your monthly prices. Usually, those who drive fewer miles will end up with cheaper rates since there's less of a chance of getting into an accident and causing an insurance claim.

For both drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicles yearly, as well as those who average twice that figure, Pemco tends to be the less expensive option. Pemco's average premiums for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in around $361 cheaper than Encompass. Those who drive 12,000 miles annually can expect to pay about $357 less with Pemco over Encompass.

Encompass vs. Pemco: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where your home is can play a sizable role in how much you pay for car insurance. Normally, drivers who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural policyholders because there are a lot more cars on the road in those areas, which increases the chances of an accident.

Pemco boasts the cheapest average rates for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Drivers in rural ZIP codes see the lowest prices from both carriers, but Pemco comes out on top with average rates around $88 a month. Pemco also has more affordable average premiums for policyholders in urban and suburban ZIP codes -- a $445 and $315 per month respective difference when compared to Encompass drivers in similar areas.

Encompass vs. Pemco Discounts

Regardless of why you might be in the market for a new auto insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as possible. That's where car insurance discounts comes into play.

But where do you even start? With what seems like a million different discounts out there, it may be difficult to find all the ones you can take advantage of.

In the table below, we've taken a look at all of the different discounts Encompass and Pemco offer their customers so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Encompass blows Pemco away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 14 more discounts than Pemco.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like anti-theft discounts, distant student discounts, employee discounts, and discounts for being a homeowner. Encompass also offers ABS discounts, driver training discounts, DRL discounts, and more that Pemco does not.

On the flip side, Pemco has a unique discount of its own -- a low mileage discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Encompass or Pemco Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average prices for many of the variables insurance companies look at, and walked through the different discounts each company offers, too. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, which carrier is the right company for you and your specific needs?

Pemco might be best for you if....

• You have a DUI charge on your record.
• You have above-average credit.
• You are over 65 years old and want to save some money on your car insurance.

Encompass might be best for you if...

• You're planning on moving to another state soon -- PEMCO Insurance only offers policies to Washington residents.
• You're looking for the company with the most discounts.

We hope this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Encompass and Pemco. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision about your auto 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 several carriers, not just Encompass and Pemco. 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 car insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Encompass vs. Pemco FAQs

Is Encompass or Pemco cheaper?

Looking just at the national average premiums, Pemco is the less expensive of the two carriers, offering average rates of $107 a month compared to $466 for Encompass. But Pemco won't necessarily be the most affordable carrier for each driver, since there are a range of different factors (things like age, gender, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Encompass or Pemco?

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

Why do Encompass and Pemco offer me different rates?

Auto insurance companies take a look at lots of different variables when determining the prices they charge policyholders. Factors like age, gender, where you call home, your driving record, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Encompass and Pemco calculate rates using different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different premiums. The only real way to see which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from several different carriers.

How do I know if Encompass or Pemco is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance company 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 make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code 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 rate. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be Encompass or Pemco 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.