Farmers vs. Farmers Union: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Farmers Union offers slightly cheaper premiums than Farmers
• Farmers may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Farmers Union Insurance
• Farmers Union has more affordable rates for policyholders who live in the suburbs

Farmers or Farmers Union: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

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

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to Farmers or Farmers Union for your next policy, but which one will save you the most?

As you can see, Farmers is around $14 more a month than Farmers Union when looking at the national average rates for auto insurance.

That being said, that doesn't mean Farmers Union will necessarily be less expensive than Farmers for every driver. Insurance carriers vary their premiums depending on things like how clean your driving record is, how good your credit score is, how old you are, where you live, and all sorts of other factors, so prices will differ quite a bit from person to person.

Luckily, we've broken down average rates from both Farmers and Farmers Union by a range of different rate factors, so read on to find out which carrier is the best for you.

Farmers vs. Farmers Union: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Farmers and Farmers Union only compete against each other in three states, with Farmers Union offering cheaper prices to the average driver in all of them. Colorado has the most noticable difference, where Farmers Union rates are $75 less expensive than car insurance premiums at Farmers.

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 companies determine your rates. Continue reading to see how other variables 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 on the road. That's typically 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 Union save over 30% per month compared to those who use Farmers.

Even so, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower rates once you turn 25. For example, average prices for Farmers policyholders decrease more than 70% and Farmers Union's premiums lower almost 55% 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 most affordable rates you'll ever see.

So, which company offers the best premiums to retired drivers? In this case, Farmers has the slight edge, with prices about $5 a month less than Farmers Union. But that difference is less than 5%, which means it ultimately will come down to other factors, like your driving record is or your credit score.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but auto insurance rates tend to be more affordable for married drivers than they are for single drivers. This usually boils down to married couples having several vehicles on their policy -- something many insurance companies will reward with discounts.

For those who are single, the difference in average premiums between these two carriers is significant, with Farmers Union prices coming in at around 10% less than Farmers's. But for married policyholders, that advantage is much less clear - Farmers has the edge when it comes to average rates , but the difference is only $5.

Farmers or Farmers Union: Average Rates by Gender

Did you know men generally pay more for auto insurance than women? That's because women are less likely to get into collisions and get tickets, which lowers the chances of filing a claim with insurance.

Women usually pay about 3% per month less than men with Farmers, but with Farmers Union, the difference is closer to 6% a month.

When it comes to the lowest premiums for each gender, Farmers Union comes out on top for both men and women, with average prices 6% less for men and 8% cheaper for women.

Farmers vs. Farmers Union: 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 limits and terms that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

However, most policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (which provides bodily injury and property damage coverage for other drivers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, in addition to liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability limits, Farmers Union has the edge, with average monthly rates coming in at $107. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Farmers Union again has the edge, with policies averaging around $271 per month to Farmers's $281.

Is Farmers or Farmers Union Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

You've probably seen plenty of commercials from insurance companies offering great prices 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 collisions and speeding tickets on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the most affordable premiums to drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Farmers for their auto insurance can normally expect their monthly bill to go up about 21% after getting a speeding ticket. Farmers Union policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of around 27%.

Even so, Farmers Union is generally the cheaper option for both drivers who have a recent ticket and those with clean records -- their rates are around 15% more affordable for drivers with clean records and 9% less expensive for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their car insurance through Farmers can expect to see about an $62 -- or around 28% -- rise in their auto insurance rates. Drivers who use Farmers Union for their insurance will see a monthly bill about $69 (or 33%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their car insurance carrier.

At the end of the day, Farmers Union offers the lowest prices for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average premiums coming in at $207 compared to Farmers Insurance's $224.

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 insurance bill -- typically a lot more than a collision or speeding ticket. Farmers Union drivers usually see a 39% increase in their car insurance prices after a DUI charge, while Farmers will normally raise premiums by around 27%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable rates, Farmers tends to be cheaper for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at about $221 to Farmers Union's $225.

How does Credit Score Impact Farmers and Farmers Union Rates?

In many cases, your credit score can come into play when companies calculate your monthly bill. Certain states and carriers do not allow for credit score to be used as an auto insurance factor, but it might come into play for quite a few drivers.

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

Looking at Farmers and Farmers Union specifically, which carrier has the cheapest prices for drivers at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a great credit score, Farmers Union will usually reward you the most. For policyholders with "excellent" credit scores, Farmers Union comes in nearly 14.02 more affordable. Drivers with "good" credit scores typically save around 11% with Farmers Union compared to average premiums from Farmers.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

If you have less-than-stellar credit, it can be somewhat of a toss-up as far as which company offers you the best rates. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about 9% less with Farmers Union than Farmers, but those whose credit is considered "poor" have it flipped -- saving around 2% a month with Farmers.

Is Farmers or Farmers Union Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a sizable impact on your monthly premiums. Generally, 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.

In this case, neither Farmers or Farmers Union report increasing rates for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. Even so, Farmers Union comes out as the most affordable for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their vehicle annually, with average prices of $189 per month for both.

Farmers or Farmers Union: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you park your car can have a considerable impact on your monthly car insurance payment. Usually, drivers who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural policyholders due to the number of vehicles that are on the roads where they live.

Farmers vs. Farmers Union 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 insurance discounts as possible.

The hard part is finding all of the discounts you can take advantage of, since it can feel sometimes like every carrier has different discounts and each one is advertised differently.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts Farmers and Farmers Union 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.

Farmers knocks Farmers Union out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 17 more discounts than Farmers Union.

There are a couple discounts both carriers offer, but Farmers also offers discounts for ABS, advance quote, alternative fuel, and more.

On the other hand, Farmers Union has a few proprietary discounts of their own like farm discounts and minor child discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Farmers or Farmers Union Best for You?

You've seen the role certain variables have on your car insurance and the different discounts companies offer. But, at the end of the day, which insurance company is the best company for you, your vehicle, and your wallet?

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

• You've received a ticket for speeding recently and don't want to see your rates climb.
• You want the most robust protection via a "full coverage" policy.

Farmers might be best for you if...

• Your driving record includes a DUI charge.
• Your neighborhood is in a rural area.
• You're married and plan to have both of your names on the vehicle's insurance policy.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Farmers and Farmers Union and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to 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 Farmers and Farmers Union. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of the top auto insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Farmers vs. Farmers Union FAQs

Is Farmers or Farmers Union cheaper?

Farmers Union is the cheaper of the two carriers when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $189 a month with Farmers Union and $203 for Farmers. That being said, that doesn't mean Farmers Union will be the cheapest carrier for every policyholder, since there are several different factors that are considered when it comes to your insurance cost.

Who is better, Farmers or Farmers Union?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". No single company is "better" for each policyholder -- it all comes down to what your unique car insurance profile looks like. For example, Farmers is more affordable for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit scores, while Farmers Union offers less expensive prices for drivers with an at-fault accident on their record.

Why do Farmers and Farmers Union offer me different rates?

Auto insurance companies use several different variables when determining the rates they charge. Things such as your driving record, where you live, age, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Farmers and Farmers Union calculate prices differently, so it's likely they'll offer different premiums. The best way to determine which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from lots of different carriers.

How do I know if Farmers or Farmers Union is right for me?

The only way to find the insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple companies 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 information once and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top car insurance carriers for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best premium. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Farmers or Farmers Union 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.