Farmers Automobile vs. Hastings Mutual: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Farmers Automobile offers significantly less expensive prices than Hastings Mutual
• Farmers Automobile offers more affordable rates for drivers who have below-average credit
• Farmers Automobile may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Hastings Mutual Insurance Company

Farmers Automobile or Hastings Mutual: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

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

You might be considering Farmers Automobile or Hastings Mutual, but which one will offer you cheaper prices?

Looking at nationwide averages, Farmers Automobile is quite a bit cheaper than Hastings Mutual, with premiums averaging $123 a month compared to $211 with Hastings Mutual.

Even so, that doesn't mean Farmers Automobile will necessarily be more affordable than Hastings Mutual for every driver. After all, car insurance carriers can offer drastically different rates to every driver depending on rating factors like your driving record, your age, where you call home, or even your credit score (among other things), so rates could differ drastically from person to person.

Wanting to know if Farmers Automobile or Hastings Mutual is really the right carrier for you? Keep on reading to see how average premiums can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

Farmers Automobile vs. Hastings Mutual: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Farmers Automobile and Hastings Mutual only compete against each other in three states, with undefined offering less expensive prices to the average driver in all of them. Illinois has the most noticable difference, where Farmers Automobile rates are $84 cheaper than insurance premiums at Hastings Mutual.

But there's more to auto insurance than just your home state. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how car insurance companies determine your prices. 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 rates of any other group of drivers out there on the road. It'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. As you can see above, teens who use Farmers Automobile save 25% per month compared to those who use Hastings Mutual.

However, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower premiums once you turn 25. For example, average rates for Farmers Automobile policyholders reduce over 60% and Hastings Mutual's prices decrease more than 45% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll typically enjoy the lowest auto 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 rates for car insurance.

But who has the best prices for retired drivers between Farmers Automobile and Hastings Mutual? Farmers Automobile gets the edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older almost 45% more affordable than the national average for Hastings Mutual.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but insurance rates tend to be cheaper for married couples than they are for those who are single. That's because policies for married policyholders normally cover more than one vehicle, which quite a few companies will give you a discount for.

For single policyholders, the difference in average prices between these two carriers is significant, with Farmers Automobile rates coming in at a third less than Hastings Mutual's. The advantage for married drivers with Farmers Automobile is also obvious, where drivers save nearly 50% a month.

Farmers Automobile or Hastings Mutual: Average Rates by Gender

Men usually pay more for car insurance than women. This is because men are statistically more likely than women to cause a collision and get into accidents, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher premiums.

Women generally pay around $1 per month less than men with Farmers Automobile, but with Hastings Mutual, the difference is closer to $5 a month.

Looking at overall affordability, Farmers Automobile comes out as the most affordable option for both genders, with average prices $90 less for men and $86 cheaper for women.

Farmers Automobile vs. Hastings Mutual: 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 auto insurance can be a complicated subject for most people. Everyone needs insurance, but there are so many different limits and terms that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

That being said, the most common policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (which covers the other party's injuries and property damage if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which typically refers to having collision and comprehensive coverages in addition to liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, Farmers Automobile has the significant edge, with average monthly rates coming in at $75. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Farmers Automobile again has the edge, with policies averaging about $170 per month to Hastings Mutual's $279.

Is Farmers Automobile or Hastings Mutual Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

You've probably seen plenty of commercials from car insurance companies offering great premiums for good drivers, but that doesn't mean people with less-than-perfect driving records can't save money, too.

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Farmers Automobile for their auto insurance can usually expect their monthly bill to go up around 20% after getting a speeding ticket. Hastings Mutual policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of about 16%.

But Farmers Automobile has more affordable premiums for drivers in both categories. With Farmers Automobile Insurance Association, drivers with a clean record can save around $22 a month and drivers with a ticket can save about $20 per month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Farmers Automobile drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their prices increase by over 25%, while those who have insurance through Hastings Mutual will see around a 15% increase.

At the end of the day, drivers who use Farmers Automobile end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average rates coming in at $117 compared to Hastings Mutual Insurance Company's $126.

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 -- generally a lot more than a collision or speeding ticket. On average, Hastings Mutual will increase your prices about 77% after a DUI, while Farmers Automobile's average premiums rise by more than 50%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable rates, Farmers Automobile tends to be less expensive for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at around $178 to Hastings Mutual's $478.

How does Credit Score Impact Farmers Automobile and Hastings Mutual Rates?

Did you know many auto insurance companies take your credit score into account when determining premiums? This isn't true for everyone (for example, California and Massachusetts are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it might come into play for a lot of policyholders.

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

So, which company offers the most affordable prices for drivers with poor, average, or good credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a great credit score, Farmers Automobile will normally reward you the most. For policyholders with "excellent" credit scores, Farmers Automobile comes in over 52.1 cheaper. Drivers with "good" credit scores generally save about 49% with Farmers Automobile compared to average premiums from Hastings Mutual.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Farmers Automobile typically offers lower rates than Hastings Mutual when it comes to drivers with less-than-stellar credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 41% a month less with Farmers Automobile compared to Hastings Mutual, and those with "poor" scores usually save an average of about 31% a month.

Is Farmers Automobile or Hastings Mutual 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 considerable impact on your monthly car insurance bill? Typically, those who drive fewer miles will end up with less expensive prices 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 Hastings Mutual charges. However, there's a significant difference in monthly premiums for Farmers Automobile, with policyholders who drive 6,000 miles every year paying around $21 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly. Still, for drivers in both categories, Farmers Automobile is the more affordable carrier.

Farmers Automobile or Hastings Mutual: 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 insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a large impact as well. Normally, drivers who live in less densely populated rural areas will pay quite a bit less than urban policyholders because of the small number of cars that are on the roads where they live.

Farmers Automobile boasts the cheapest average prices for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

If you live in a rural area, you can expect to pay about $84 monthly with Farmers Automobile compared to Hastings Mutual's $164. Drivers in suburban ZIP codes pay a monthly rate of around $92 with Farmers Automobile compared to $177 with Hastings Mutual. In urban areas, Farmers Automobile's average premiums are about $192 per month compared to Hastings Mutual's $291.

Farmers Automobile vs. Hastings Mutual Discounts

No matter 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 you can, and the best way to do that is by utilizing as many car insurance discounts as possible.

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

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and compared all of the different discounts offered by Farmers Automobile and Hastings Mutual so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

Overall, Farmers Automobile comes out ahead with 11 discounts to Hastings Mutual's 10.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like anti-theft discounts, discounts for being a good student, and discounts for insuring multiple cars with the same company. Farmers Automobile also offers discounts for advance quote, EFT, group discount, and more.

On the other hand, Hastings Mutual has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like ABS discounts, company car discounts, good driving discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Farmers Automobile or Hastings Mutual Best for You?

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

Farmers Automobile might be best for you if....

• You will be the only person on the insurance policy.
• You're looking for discounts -- Farmers Automobile has the most.
• You're of retirement age and want to take advantage of lower premiums.

Hastings Mutual might be best for you if...

• You have a more unique driver profile than those we mentioned above.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Farmers Automobile and Hastings Mutual and that it aids in making a more informed 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 a handful of companies, not just Farmers Automobile and Hastings Mutual. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Farmers Automobile vs. Hastings Mutual FAQs

Is Farmers Automobile or Hastings Mutual cheaper?

Farmers Automobile is the cheaper of the two companies when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $123 a month with Farmers Automobile and $211 for Hastings Mutual. That being said, that doesn't mean Farmers Automobile will be the lowest carrier for everyone, since there are a bunch of different variables that are considered when it comes to your auto insurance payment.

Who is better, Farmers Automobile or Hastings Mutual?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". Neither company is "better" for everyone -- it all boils down to your unique insurance profile.

Why do Farmers Automobile and Hastings Mutual offer me different rates?

Car insurance carriers use lots of different factors when calculating the rates they charge. Things like where you park your vehicle, where you call home, age, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Farmers Automobile and Hastings Mutual calculate premiums differently, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which carrier is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from several different companies.

How do I know if Farmers Automobile or Hastings Mutual is right for me?

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