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

Quick Facts

• In general, Farmers offers less expensive premiums than Kemper
• Farmers offers cheaper average prices for policyholders who drive a short distance to work everyday
• Farmers offers more affordable premiums for policyholders who have a clean driving record, free of collisions, tickets, or DUIs

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

Are you considering 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 it down to Farmers or Kemper, but which company will save you the most?

Looking at nationwide averages, Kemper is around $32 more a month than Farmers.

But that doesn't mean Farmers will necessarily be less expensive than Kemper for each driver. Auto insurance carriers vary their prices depending on things like how old you are, how good your credit score is, how clean your driving record is, where you live, and all sorts of other factors, so rates could vary drastically from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of Farmers or Kemper is really the best for you, keep reading to see average prices for each carrier broken down by a bunch of different rate factors.

Farmers vs. Kemper: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Farmers and Kemper compete against each other in 10 states, with Kemper offering more affordable premiums to the average driver in all but four of them. If you live in Montana, South Dakota, Washington, or Wisconsin, Farmers is the cheaper of the two companies when looking at the overall average rates, but Kemper is the cheaper option in most of the others.

There's a lot more that goes into your insurance bill than just where you live. Keep reading to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive car insurance prices of any group out there on the road. Usually, that's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in an insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

That being said, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high insurance rates. As you can see above, teens who use Kemper save almost 10% per month compared to those who use Farmers.

However, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower premiums by the time drivers turn 25. For example, average rates for Farmers policyholders reduce about $400 and Kemper's premiums decrease nearly $300 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll normally enjoy the most affordable auto insurance prices 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.

So, which company offers the best prices to retired drivers? Farmers gets the edge here, with average premiums coming in at around $143 monthly compared to Kemper's $179.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that insurance rates are generally more expensive for those who are single than they are for married couples? That's typically because married drivers tend to own and insure more than one vehicle, which can often earn you a discount.

For single drivers, the difference in average prices between these two companies is not very significant, with Farmers premiums coming in at about 10% less than Kemper's. But for married policyholders, the advantage is clear - Farmers offers the lowest average rates.

Farmers or Kemper: Average Rates by Gender

Because women are less likely to get into accidents and get tickets, they are less likely to file a claim with insurance. So, women tend to get cheaper rates than men.

Usually, women see premiums around 3% a month less with Farmers, and about 8% less with Kemper.

Looking at the data for each carrier specifically, Farmers comes out on top for both men and women. On average, women save about $25 per month and men save around $37 with Farmers compared to the average Kemper policyholder.

Farmers vs. Kemper: 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.

Auto insurance can be a complicated subject for most people. Everyone needs car insurance, but there are so many different limits and coverages that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

The two most common 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 usually refers to having collision and comprehensive coverages in addition to what you get with liability).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability limits, Farmers has the slight edge, with average monthly prices coming in at $126. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Farmers again has the edge, with policies averaging about $281 a month to Kemper's $331.

Is Farmers or Kemper 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 at-fault accidents on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the cheapest premiums to drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Farmers for their insurance can generally expect their monthly bill to go up around 21% after getting a speeding ticket. Kemper policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of about 21%.

Even so, Farmers has less expensive rates for drivers in both categories, offering prices that are 7% and 6% cheaper, respectively, compared to Kemper.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their auto insurance through Farmers can expect to see around an $62 -- or about 28% -- rise in their car insurance premiums. Drivers who use Kemper for their insurance will see a monthly bill around $85 (or 33%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their auto insurance company.

At the end of the day, the more affordable rates come from Farmers, with average prices coming in at $224 compared to Kemper's $259.

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 a collision or ticket. On average, Kemper will increase your rates about 39% after a DUI, while Farmers's average premiums increase by more than 25%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable prices, Farmers tends to be cheaper for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at around $221 to Kemper's $287.

How does Credit Score Impact Farmers and Kemper Rates?

You may not have known, but your credit score can come into play when companies determine your monthly bill. Certain states and carriers do not allow for credit score to be used as a car insurance factor, but it will come into play for a lot of drivers.

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, policyholders with good credit will often be rewarded with more affordable premiums.

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a solid credit score, Farmers will normally reward you the most. For policyholders with "excellent" credit scores, Farmers comes in NaN less expensive. Drivers with "good" credit scores usually save about 11% with Farmers compared to average rates from Kemper.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Farmers typically offers lower prices than Kemper when it comes to drivers with bad credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 13% per month less with Farmers compared to Kemper, and those with "poor" scores typically save an average of about 21% a month.

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

How much you drive can have a substantial impact on your monthly car insurance cost. Normally, the more milage you put on your car each year, 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 Farmers charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly premiums for Kemper, with policyholders who drive 6,000 miles every year paying around $1 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, for drivers in both categories, Farmers is the cheaper carrier.

Farmers or Kemper: 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 auto insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a pretty big impact as well. Generally, if you live in an urban area with more cars on the road, you'll pay a little more for insurance, while the opposite is true for people in rural areas.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, Farmers usually comes out as the most affordable 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 about 7% with Farmers compared to Kemper. People who live in suburban areas pay around 16% less with Farmers compared to Kemper. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Farmers Insurance's average rates are about 15% less than Kemper.

Farmers vs. Kemper 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. That's where insurance discounts comes into play.

The difficult 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.

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

Looking at the total number of discounts, Farmers has the advantage when it comes to total number of discounts. Kemper offers a grand total of 24 discounts, while Farmers has 28.

Both companies offer a lot of the same discounts -- like advance quote discounts, discounts for being a defensive driver, distant student discounts, and ESC discounts -- but Farmers also offers discounts for alternative fuel, good payer, life policy, and more.

On the other hand, Kemper has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like AAA discounts, continuous insurance discounts, DRL discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Farmers or Kemper Best for You?

You've seen the role certain variables have on your car insurance and the different discounts carriers offer. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, is Farmers or Kemper the best fit for you?

Farmers might be best for you if....

• You have less-than-stellar credit.
• You have above-average credit.
• You're of retirement age and want to take advantage of lower prices.

Kemper might be best for you if...

• You want to save money while purchasing insurance for a teenager.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Farmers and Kemper. 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 sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your car insurance policy is to compare quotes from several companies, not just Farmers and Kemper. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple quotes from some of the best insurance carriers in your area, all for free.

Farmers vs. Kemper FAQs

Is Farmers or Kemper cheaper?

Farmers is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at national average rates, with policies averaging $203 a month with Farmers and $235 for Kemper. But that doesn't mean Farmers will be the lowest carrier for every driver, since there are multiple different factors (things like driving record, age, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Farmers or Kemper?

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

Why do Farmers and Kemper offer me different rates?

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

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

The only way to find the car 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 ZIP code 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 most affordable rate. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Farmers or Kemper 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.