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

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for auto insurance, Farmers Automobile offers significantly cheaper rates than Rockford Mutual
• Farmers Automobile offers more affordable premiums for drivers with a DUI
• Farmers Automobile has more affordable rates for policyholders who live in rural neighborhoods

Farmers Automobile or Rockford 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 hefty savings. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Farmers Automobile or Rockford Mutual, but between the two, which carrier has less expensive prices for car insurance?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, Rockford Mutual has average rates that are around 25% a month more expensive than those from Farmers Automobile.

However, Farmers Automobile may not be the most affordable or best option for every driver out there. Auto insurance companies use tons of complex algorithms to determine premiums, so depending on how good your credit score is or where you live (among many other factors), you could see wildly different rates from the ones above.

So, if you want to find out which of Farmers Automobile or Rockford Mutual is really the best for you, keep reading to see average premiums for each carrier broken down by several different rate factors.

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

Farmers Automobile and Rockford Mutual only compete against each other in two states, with Farmers Automobile offering more affordable prices to the average driver in all of them. Illinois has the most noticable difference, where Farmers Automobile premiums are $53 cheaper than insurance rates at Rockford Mutual.

But there's more to auto insurance than just where you live. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how car insurance carriers calculate your prices. Keep reading to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive insurance premiums of any group on the road. The reason is that teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

Even so, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high auto insurance rates. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Farmers Automobile for their car insurance pay almost 35% less than those who use Rockford Mutual.

But both companies will offer you dramatically lower prices once you turn 25. For example, average rates for Farmers Automobile policyholders drop over 60% and Rockford Mutual's prices decrease more than 65% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the cheapest premiums you'll ever see.

When looking at Farmers Automobile and Rockford Mutual specifically, which company is best for retired drivers? Farmers Automobile gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older $22 less expensive than the national average for Rockford Mutual.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that car insurance prices are usually more expensive for those who are single than they are for married couples? This usually boils down to married drivers having multiple vehicles on their policy -- something many insurance carriers will reward with discounts.

For single drivers, the difference in average premiums between these two companies is significant, with Farmers Automobile rates coming in at about 30% less than Rockford Mutual's. For married policyholders, the advantage is clear again - Farmers Automobile has the edge when it comes to average prices.

Farmers Automobile or Rockford Mutual: Average Rates by Gender

Women typically to pay less for auto insurance than men. This is because men are statistically more likely than women to get pulled over for speeding or get into a collision, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher premiums.

With Farmers Automobile, men normally pay around $1 per month more than women, and about $16 more with Rockford Mutual.

Looking at the data for each carrier specifically, Farmers Automobile comes out as the most affordable option for both genders. On average, women save about $39 a month and men save around $54 with Farmers Automobile compared to the average Rockford Mutual policyholder.

Farmers Automobile vs. Rockford 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 car insurance can be a complicated subject for most people. There are so many different terms and limits that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

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 if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, in addition to liability).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability limits, Farmers Automobile has the edge, with average monthly prices 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 Rockford Mutual's $251.

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

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

At-fault collisions and speeding tickets will most likely raise your premiums, but is Farmers Automobile or Rockford Mutual more affordable for drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Farmers Automobile for their auto insurance can generally expect their monthly bill to go up around 20% after getting a speeding ticket. Rockford Mutual policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of about 29%.

But Farmers Automobile is usually the cheaper option for drivers both with clean records and with a ticket, offering rates that are 28% and 36% less expensive, respectively, compared to Rockford Mutual Insurance Company.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Farmers Automobile drivers who get in a collision can expect to see their premiums rise by over 25%, while those who have insurance through Rockford Mutual will see around a 25% increase.

At the end of the day, drivers who use Farmers Automobile end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average prices coming in at $117 compared to Rockford Mutual Insurance Company's $158.

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 -- typically a lot more than an accident or speeding ticket. Rockford Mutual drivers usually see a 48% raise in their insurance rates after a DUI charge, while Farmers Automobile will normally climb prices by about 51%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable rates, Farmers Automobile tends to be cheaper for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at around $178 to Rockford Mutual's $229.

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

In many cases, your credit score can come into play when carriers determine your monthly bill. This isn't true for everyone (Massachusetts, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a car insurance factor) but it might come into play for a lot of policyholders.

Auto insurance companies argue that someone with good credit is more likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them less risky to insure. Because of that, drivers with good credit will often be rewarded with less expensive premiums.

So, which company offers the best rates for policyholders with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have great credit, Farmers Automobile will generally reward you the most. For drivers with "excellent" credit scores, Farmers Automobile comes in more than 40.74 more affordable. Drivers with "good" credit scores typically save about 30% with Farmers Automobile compared to average prices from Rockford Mutual.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Farmers Automobile typically offers lower premiums than Rockford Mutual when it comes to drivers with a below average credit score. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 28% a month less with Farmers Automobile compared to Rockford Mutual, and those with "poor" scores generally save an average of about 17% a month.

Is Farmers Automobile or Rockford Mutual Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a big impact on how much insurance carriers will charge for coverage. Usually, the more milage you put on your vehicle, the more you can expect to pay for coverage.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Rockford Mutual charges. However, there's a significant difference in monthly rates for Farmers Automobile, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their car yearly paying around $21 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, for drivers in both categories, Farmers Automobile is the cheaper carrier.

Farmers Automobile or Rockford Mutual: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you park your vehicle can play a pretty big role in how much you pay for auto insurance. Normally, those who live in rural areas will pay less than policyholders in urban areas due to the small number of cars that are on the roads where they live.

When comparing these two companies side-by-side, Farmers Automobile generally comes out as the cheapest option for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save about $60 with Farmers Automobile compared to Rockford Mutual. People who live in suburban areas pay around $39 less with Farmers Automobile compared to Rockford Mutual. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Farmers Automobile Insurance Association's average premiums are about $41 less than Rockford Mutual Insurance Company.

Farmers Automobile vs. Rockford Mutual Discounts

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

But where do you even start? With what seems like a million different discounts out there, it may be hard to find all the ones you qualify for.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and broke down all of the different discounts offered by both Farmers Automobile and Rockford Mutual so that you can see which one can save you the most money each month.

Overall, Farmers Automobile comes out ahead with 11 discounts to Rockford Mutual's eight.

Both carriers offer a lot of the same discounts -- like anti-theft discounts, discounts for being a good student, and multi-policy discounts -- but Farmers Automobile also offers discounts for advance quote, EFT, group discount, and more.

On the other hand, Rockford Mutual has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like good driving discounts, homeowner discounts, and renewal discounts.

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

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your auto insurance prices. We've shown you all the discounts each company offers, too. But, when it comes down to it, is Farmers Automobile or Rockford Mutual the best fit for you?

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

• You will be the only person on the insurance policy.
• You drive fewer than 12,000 miles each year.

Rockford Mutual might be best for you if...

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

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Farmers Automobile and Rockford Mutual. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision about your car insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your insurance policy is to compare quotes from several companies, not just Farmers Automobile and Rockford Mutual. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best car insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Farmers Automobile vs. Rockford Mutual FAQs

Is Farmers Automobile or Rockford Mutual cheaper?

Farmers Automobile is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $123 per month with Farmers Automobile and $169 for Rockford Mutual. That being said, that doesn't mean Farmers Automobile will be the lowest carrier for everyone, 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, Farmers Automobile or Rockford Mutual?

Sadly, the answer truly is "it depends.". No one company is "better" for every policyholder -- it all comes down to what your unique auto insurance profile looks like.

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

Car insurance carriers use quite a few different variables when determining the rates they charge. Things such as where you call home, gender, age, where you live, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Farmers Automobile and Rockford Mutual use different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which carrier is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a variety of different companies.

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

The only way to find the 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, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your area information and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top auto insurance companies for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best rate. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Farmers Automobile or Rockford 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.