Erie vs. General Casualty: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for auto insurance, General Casualty offers slightly cheaper rates than Erie
• Erie offers more discounts than General Casualty
• General Casualty offers more affordable premiums for residents of urban areas

Erie vs. General Casualty: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you in the market for a new insurance policy? After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering big discounts. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to Erie or General Casualty for your next policy, but between the two, which company has less expensive prices for insurance?

As you can see, General Casualty is about $14 per month more affordable than Erie when looking at the national average rates for auto insurance.

However, General Casualty may not be the cheapest or best option for each driver out there. After all, car insurance companies 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 rates will change quite a bit from person to person.

Luckily, we've broken down average premiums from both Erie and General Casualty by several different rate factors, so read on to find out which carrier is the best for you.

Erie or General Casualty: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Erie and General Casualty only compete against each other in two states, with Erie offering less expensive prices to the average driver in all of them. Illinois has the most noticable difference, where Erie rates are over 20% more affordable than auto insurance premiums at General Casualty.

There's a lot more that goes into your insurance cost than just your home state. Read on to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive car insurance rates of any other group of drivers. That's normally because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

That being said, that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their auto insurance. As you can see above, teens who use General Casualty save nearly $50 a month compared to those who use Erie.

Even so, with both carriers, you'll see your prices lower significantly by the time drivers turn 25. For example, average rates for Erie policyholders decrease almost 55% and General Casualty's prices drop more than 55% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

But who has the best premiums for retired drivers between Erie and General Casualty? Erie gets the slight edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older $8 cheaper than the national average for General Casualty.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that auto insurance prices are generally more expensive for those who are single than they are for married drivers? That's usually because married policyholders tend to own and insure several cars, which can often earn you a discount.

If you're in the market for car insurance, General Casualty tends to have the lowest average rates regardless of if you're married or single, with prices around $15 less expensive for single policyholders and over $10 cheaper for married couples.

Erie vs. General Casualty: Average Rates by Gender

You may not know, but insurance is generally cheaper for women than it is for men. This is because men are more likely to get into collisions and get speeding tickets, which increases the chances of an insurance claim.

With Erie, men usually pay about $10 per month more than women, and around $14 more with General Casualty.

Looking at overall affordability, General Casualty comes out on top for both men and women. On average, women save about $15 a month and men save about $12 with General Casualty compared to the average Erie policyholder.

Erie or General Casualty: 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 a complicated subject for most people. Everyone needs 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 (which provides bodily injury and property damage coverage for other drivers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes comprehensive and collision coverages that protect your own vehicle, in addition to what you get with a liability policy).

If you're looking for state minimum liability insurance, General Casualty normally offers slightly more affordable premiums of $82 compared to Erie's $91. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, General Casualty again has the edge, with policies around $20 per month cheaper than Erie, on average.

Is Erie or General Casualty 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 tickets and at-fault accidents lead to higher rates, but which company -- Erie or General Casualty -- has the most affordable prices for drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Erie policyholders can expect their premiums to go up an average of $18 a month if they get a ticket, while General Casualty typically raises prices about $43 per month, on average.

But General Casualty has less expensive premiums for drivers in both categories -- their rates are around 24% more affordable for drivers with clean records and 3% less expensive for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Erie drivers who get in a collision can expect to see their rates increase by just under $40, while those who have insurance through General Casualty will see around a $55 increase.

Overall, General Casualty offers the lowest premiums for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with monthly rates averaging $146 compared to Erie Insurance's $157.

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 speeding ticket when it comes to your insurance bill. On average, General Casualty will increase your prices about 52% after a DUI, while Erie's average rates climb by just under 40%.

If you have a DUI on your record and are looking for more affordable prices, General Casualty tends to be the much more affordable option with average premiums of $186 a month compared to $198 from Erie.

How does Credit Score Impact Erie and General Casualty Rates?

Did you know that many auto insurance companies take into account your credit score when calculating prices? This isn't always the case (California, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a rating factor) but it will come into play for a lot of policyholders.

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

Looking at Erie and General Casualty specifically, which one has the best 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 Erie or General Casualty 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 how much insurance companies will charge for coverage. That's because the fewer miles you drive, the less likely you are to get into an accident 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 General Casualty charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly rates for Erie, with policyholders who drive 6,000 miles annually paying around $11 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly. Still, General Casualty is the cheaper option for drivers in both categories.

Erie vs. General Casualty: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where your home is can have a considerable impact on your monthly car insurance bill. Generally, if you live in an urban area with more cars on the road, you'll pay a little more for auto insurance, while the opposite is true for people in rural areas.

Looking at these carriers side-by-side, General Casualty tends to offer the most affordable option for drivers in urban and suburban areas, while Erie wins in rural areas.

If you live in a rural area, you can expect to save about 12% with Erie compared to General Casualty. Drivers in suburban ZIP codes pay around 8% less with General Casualty compared to Erie. In urban areas, General Casualty's average rates are about 22% less than Erie Insurance.

Erie vs. General Casualty 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, and the best way to do that is by utilizing as many insurance discounts as you can.

The hard 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.

In the table below, we've compared all of the different discounts offered by Erie and General Casualty so that you can find the carrier that has the most discounts and, therefore, the biggest savings.

Erie blows General Casualty away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering nine more discounts than General Casualty.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like discounts for being a defensive driver, distant student discounts, and paid in full discounts. Erie also offers ABS discounts, COVID-19 relief discount, driver training discounts, and more that General Casualty does not.

On the flip side, General Casualty has a couple unique discounts of its own -- employee discounts, discounts for being a good student, new vehicle discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Erie or General Casualty Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average premiums for many of the factors auto insurance companies look at, and walked through the different discounts each carrier offers, too. But, at the end of the day, is Erie or General Casualty the right one for you and your specific profile and needs?

General Casualty might be best for you if....

• You have a DUI charge on your record.
• You have an at-fault accident on your record.
• You drive fewer than 6,000 miles every year.

Erie might be best for you if...

• You care about discounts (Erie offers the most).
• You live in a rural area.
• You are over 65 years old and want to save some money on your insurance.

We hope this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Erie and General Casualty. 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 car insurance -- comparing quotes from several carriers, not just Erie and General Casualty. 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.

Erie vs. General Casualty FAQs

Is Erie or General Casualty cheaper?

Looking just at the national average prices, General Casualty is the more affordable of the two carriers, offering average rates of $139 a month compared to $153 for Erie. Even so, General Casualty won't necessarily be the cheapest company for each driver, since there are many different variables that are considered when it comes to your car insurance payment.

Who is better, Erie or General Casualty?

Unfortunately, the real answer is "it depends.". No one carrier is necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all comes down to what your unique insurance profile looks like. For example, General Casualty offers cheaper rates for drivers with a recent DUI, while Erie is less expensive for drivers with excellent credit.

Why do Erie and General Casualty offer me different rates?

Car insurance companies take a look at lots of different factors when determining the premiums they charge policyholders. Things like age, where you call home, your driving record, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Erie and General Casualty calculate rates differently, so each one will most likely offer different prices. The only real way to see which company is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a bunch of different carriers.

How do I know if Erie or General Casualty 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 information once and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best auto insurance carriers in your area. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best premium. And who knows, the best company for you might not be Erie or General Casualty 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.