Farm Bureau vs. Great Northern: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Farm Bureau offers significantly cheaper prices than Great Northern
• Farm Bureau offers more affordable average premiums for policyholders who are looking to purchase insurance with a spouse
• Great Northern may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan

Farm Bureau or Great Northern: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're thinking about switching to a new insurance policy. You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering hefty savings, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed it down to Farm Bureau or Great Northern as your top options, but which one will offer you less expensive prices?

As you can see, Great Northern is quite a bit more expensive than Farm Bureau, with premiums averaging $496 a month compared to just $343 with Farm Bureau when looking at the national average rates for insurance.

But that doesn't necessarily mean Farm Bureau will be the cheaper option for every driver. Auto insurance carriers vary their rates depending on things like how old you are, where you live, how good your credit score is, how clean your driving record is, and tons of other factors, so premiums will vary quite a bit from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of Farm Bureau or Great Northern is really the best for you, keep reading to see average prices for each carrier broken down by a range of different rate factors.

Farm Bureau vs. Great Northern: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Both Farm Bureau and Great Northern only offer car insurance in Michigan, so you'll see that the average figures here will mirror the ones we mentioned above. Farm Bureau drivers tend to pay about $153 per month less on average compared to drivers who use Great Northern for their auto insurance.

Typically, the state you live in will play a large role in how much you pay for insurance, but since both companies only do business in Michigan, a range of other variables will come into play when you compare Farm Bureau and Great Northern. Read on to find out 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 out there on the road. That's because teen 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 prices, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Farm Bureau for their insurance pay over 50% less than those who use Great Northern.

Even so, both companies will drop rates once you turn 25. For example, average premiums for Farm Bureau policyholders lower around $100 and Great Northern's rates reduce more than $450 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to auto insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the lowest prices you'll ever find.

So, which company offers the best premiums to retired drivers? Farm Bureau gets the edge here, with average rates coming in at about $290 per month compared to Great Northern's $346.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that insurance premiums are usually less expensive for married drivers than they are for single drivers? That's because policies for married policyholders generally cover more than one vehicle, which quite a few carriers will give you a discount for.

For those who are single, the difference in average prices between these two companies is significant, with Farm Bureau rates coming in at a third less than Great Northern's. The advantage for married couples with Farm Bureau is also obvious, where drivers save almost 25% a month.

Farm Bureau or Great Northern: Average Rates by Gender

Women tend to pay less for auto insurance than men. This is because men are statistically more likely than women to get into collisions and file an insurance claim, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher prices.

With Farm Bureau, everyone ends up paying the same monthly premiums regardless of gender; women and men get the same monthly rates with Great Northern.

When it comes to the most affordable premiums for each gender, Farm Bureau comes out on top for both men and women, with average prices $153 less for men and $153 cheaper for women.

Farm Bureau vs. Great Northern: 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. There are multiple different coverages that account for many different things. Some protect you and your car, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause a collision.

That being said, 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 an accident) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, in addition to what you get with liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, Farm Bureau has the edge, with average monthly rates coming in at $218. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Farm Bureau again has the edge, with policies averaging around $468 per month to Great Northern's $737.

Is Farm Bureau or Great Northern Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

You'll probably end up paying more with speeding tickets and accidents on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the cheapest prices to drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders with Great Northern insurance policies don't report seeing their premiums increase after getting a ticket, but Farm Bureau policyholders can expect to see their monthly bill increase by about a third.

However, Farm Bureau is typically the more affordable option for both drivers who have a recent speeding ticket and those with clean records, offering rates that are $294 and $200 cheaper, respectively, compared to Great Northern Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Farm Bureau drivers who get in a collision can expect to see their premiums increase by just under 15%, while those who have insurance through Great Northern will see around a 0% increase.

At the end of the day, the more affordable prices come from Farm Bureau, with average rates coming in at $233 compared to Great Northern Insurance's $496.

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 car insurance bill -- normally a lot more than an accident or ticket. Farm Bureau drivers usually see a 68% increase in their insurance prices after a DUI charge, while Great Northern will usually raise premiums by about 0%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable prices, Great Northern tends to be less expensive for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at around $496 to Farm Bureau's $641.

How does Credit Score Impact Farm Bureau and Great Northern Rates?

Often times, your credit score can be used as one of the factors to determine your monthly car insurance premiums. This isn't true for everyone (Michigan, for example, has banned the use of credit score as an insurance factor) but it will come into play for lots of policyholders.

Auto 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, drivers with bad credit will often be forced to pay more.

So, which carrier offers the most affordable rates for policyholders with poor, average, or good credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is Farm Bureau or Great Northern Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

Did you know that the amount of time you spend in your car have a sizable impact on your monthly car insurance bill? Typically, the more milage you drive, the more you can expect to pay for insurance.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Great Northern charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly premiums for Farm Bureau, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicle annually paying about $22 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles each year. Still, for drivers in both categories, Farm Bureau is the cheaper company.

Farm Bureau or Great Northern: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

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

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, Farm Bureau normally comes out as the lowest option for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save around 48% with Farm Bureau compared to Great Northern. People who live in suburban areas pay about 28% less with Farm Bureau compared to Great Northern. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan's average prices are around 20% less than Great Northern Insurance.

Farm Bureau vs. Great Northern Discounts

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

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be hard to find all the ones you're eligible for or to nail down the carrier that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts Farm Bureau and Great Northern offer their customers so that you can see which carrier can save you the most money each month.

Looking at the total number of discounts, Great Northern comes out ahead with 10 discounts to Farm Bureau's five.

There are a couple discounts both companies offer, but Great Northern also offers discounts for ABS, defensive driver, driver training, and more.

On the other hand, Farm Bureau has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like advance quote discounts, group discounts, and term discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Farm Bureau or Great Northern Best for You?

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your insurance rates. We've shown you all the discounts each company offers, too. But, when it comes down to it, which carrier is the best fit for you?

Farm Bureau might be best for you if....

• You will be the only person on the car insurance policy.
• You live in an urban area.
• You are purchasing your insurance with a spouse.

Great Northern might be best for you if...

• Your driving record includes a DUI charge.
• You already have a great credit score.
• You want to save extra money with discounts.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Farm Bureau and Great Northern. 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 several carriers, not just Farm Bureau and Great Northern. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of top auto insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Farm Bureau vs. Great Northern FAQs

Is Farm Bureau or Great Northern cheaper?

Farm Bureau is the less expensive of the two carriers when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $343 a month with Farm Bureau and $496 for Great Northern. But that doesn't mean Farm Bureau will be the cheapest company for every policyholder, since there are lots of different factors (things like driving record, age, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Farm Bureau or Great Northern?

Sadly, the answer truly is "it depends.". One carrier is not "better" for each policyholder -- it all comes down to what your unique insurance profile looks like.

Why do Farm Bureau and Great Northern offer me different rates?

Car insurance companies use several different variables when determining the rates they charge. Things like where your home is, where you park your car, age, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Farm Bureau and Great Northern use different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different premiums. The best way to determine which company is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from several different carriers.

How do I know if Farm Bureau or Great Northern 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 area information and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top auto insurance carriers for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best price. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Farm Bureau or Great Northern 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.