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

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for insurance, Farmers offers cheaper premiums than Motorists
• Farmers has less expensive rates for people who are single and purchasing car insurance by yourself
• Motorists offers more affordable average premiums for drivers who have received a ticket within the last few years

Farmers vs. Motorists: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're thinking about switching your auto insurance. You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering big discounts, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to Farmers or Motorists as potential options, but which carrier has cheaper prices for auto insurance?

As you can see, Farmers is about $48 per month less expensive than Motorists when looking at the national average rates for insurance.

However, Farmers may not be the lowest or best option for each driver out there. Car insurance companies use tons of complex algorithms to calculate rates, so depending on how good your credit score is or where you live (among a whole range of other factors), you could see wildly different premiums from the ones above.

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

Farmers or Motorists: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Farmers and Motorists only compete against each other in two states, with Motorists offering more affordable prices to the average driver in all of them. Ohio has the most noticable difference, where Motorists premiums are over 10% less expensive than auto insurance rates at Farmers.

That being said, there's a lot more that goes into your car insurance cost than just the state you live in. Read on to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers usually pay a lot more for insurance than any other group of drivers. It's normally because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in an insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

But still, even with seemingly sky-high prices, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of more than $100 less a month by choosing Motorists over Farmers.

That being said, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower premiums once you turn 25. For example, average prices for Farmers policyholders reduce nearly $400 and Motorists's rates lower around $200 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age generally enjoy some of the most affordable car insurance premiums out there. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which typically decreases their chances of accidents and other infractions that can increase prices.

So, which company offers the best rates to retired drivers? Farmers gets the edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older $76 more affordable than the national average for Motorists.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married drivers tend to get slightly cheaper insurance rates than single policyholders. That's normally because married policyholders tend to own and insure more than one car, which can often earn you a discount.

When it comes to relationship status, Farmers is the clear winner for those who are single, with prices about $29 per month less expensive than Motorists, on average. The advantage for married couples with Farmers is also obvious, where drivers save over $70 a month.

Farmers vs. Motorists: Average Rates by Gender

Because men are more likely to get into accidents and get tickets, they have an increased chance of filing a claim with insurance. Therefore, insurance companies will tend to offer men more expensive rates.

Generally, women see prices around $7 per month more affordable with Farmers, and about $10 with Motorists.

When it comes to the cheapest premiums for each gender, Farmers offers the lowest average rates for both men and women. On average, male drivers save about $50 a month and women save around $45 with Farmers compared to the average Motorists policyholder.

Farmers or Motorists: 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.

For most people, auto insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are a variety of different coverages that account for a range of different things. Some protect you and your vehicle, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause an accident.

But the most common policies that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (that covers bodily injury and property damage for other drivers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes comprehensive and collision coverages that protect your own vehicle, in addition to what you get with liability).

In this case, Motorists offers the cheapest average prices for state minimum liability limits, while Farmers has the edge for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Drivers looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $3 with Motorists Insurance Group, while full coverage comes out to be about $100 cheaper with Farmers Insurance.

Is Farmers or Motorists Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no big secret that drivers who are accident-free get better deals on their car insurance. But even if you have a spotty record, you can still find plenty of ways to save some cash on your monthly bill.

You'll probably end up paying more with at-fault collisions and tickets on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the most affordable premiums to drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Farmers policyholders can expect their rates to go up an average of $44 per month if they get a ticket, while Motorists generally raises prices around $18 a month, on average.

If you have a clean record, Farmers tends to offer the best premiums at about 4% less expensive, while Motorists has the edge for drivers with a speeding ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their insurance through Farmers can expect to see around an $62 -- or about 28% -- increase in their auto insurance prices. Drivers who use Motorists for their car insurance will see a monthly bill around $37 (or 18%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their insurance carrier.

Overall, Motorists offers the cheapest premiums for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with monthly rates averaging $206 compared to Farmers Insurance's $224.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

On average, a DUI offense is going to cost you much more than a single collision or ticket when it comes to your auto insurance bill. For example, Motorists increases average prices by over $250 per month -- that's over a 60% increase.

If you have a DUI on your record and are looking for more affordable premiums, Farmers tends to be the much more affordable option with average rates of $221 monthly compared to $442 from Motorists.

How does Credit Score Impact Farmers and Motorists Rates?

Did you know that many insurance companies take your credit score into account when calculating prices? This isn't always the case (for example, California and Michigan are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect lots of policyholders out there.

The reasoning auto insurance carriers use is that drivers with good credit will be more likely to pay their bills on time; so they'll reward them with cheaper premiums, while those with poor credit will typically be forced to pay more.

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have solid credit, you'll usually find a better deal with Motorists for an "excellent" credit score. Drivers with "excellent" credit can save 3% compared to Farmers, while those with "good" scores can expect to see better savings from Farmers -- about $0 or 0% cheaper than Motorists each month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Farmers typically offers lower premiums than Motorists when it comes to drivers with bad credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around $22 a month less with Farmers compared to Motorists, and those with "poor" scores usually save an average of about $173 a month.

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

The amount of time you spend behind the wheel of your car plays a big role in how much car insurance companies will charge for coverage. Generally, those who drive less will end up with more affordable prices since there's less of a chance of getting into a collision and causing an insurance claim.

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 rates for Motorists, with policyholders who drive the least paying around $10 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, Farmers is the less expensive option for drivers in both categories.

Farmers vs. Motorists: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you call home can play a large role in how much you pay for insurance. Normally, if you live in a rural area with fewer cars on the road, you'll pay a little less for auto insurance, while the opposite is true for people in urban areas.

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

In urban areas, Farmers Insurance's average premiums are about 12% less than Motorists Insurance Group. Drivers in suburban ZIP codes pay around 12% less with Farmers compared to Motorists. If you live in a rural area, you can expect to save about 33% with Farmers compared to Motorists.

Farmers vs. Motorists Discounts

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

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.

Below, we've broken down all of the different discounts offered by both Farmers and Motorists so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the biggest savings.

Farmers knocks Motorists out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 14 more discounts than Motorists.

Both carriers offer several of the same discounts -- like advance quote discounts, discounts for being a defensive driver, discounts for being a homeowner, and paid in full discounts -- but Farmers also offers alternative fuel discounts, distant student discounts, driver training discounts, and more that Motorists does not.

On the flip side, Motorists has a couple unique discounts of its own -- empty nester discounts, hybrid vehicle discounts, marital status discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Farmers or Motorists Best for You?

You've seen the role certain factors have on your insurance and the different discounts companies offer. That's all well and good, but at the end of the day, is Farmers or Motorists the best one for you and your specific needs?

Farmers might be best for you if....

• You're single and purchasing auto insurance by yourself.
• You're looking for the company with the most discounts.
• You live in a rural neighborhood.

Motorists might be best for you if...

• You like the personalized touch of a small, local carrier.
• You have an at-fault accident on your record.
• You're buying car insurance for a teen and looking for a wallet-friendly option.

We hope this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Farmers and Motorists and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your auto insurance.

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your insurance policy is to compare quotes from multiple carriers, not just Farmers and Motorists. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of the top car insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Farmers vs. Motorists FAQs

Is Farmers or Motorists cheaper?

Looking just at the national average rates, Farmers is the cheaper of the two carriers, offering average rates of $203 per month compared to $251 for Motorists. Even so, Farmers won't necessarily be the most affordable company for each driver, since there are many different variables (things like gender, age, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Farmers or Motorists?

Unfortunately, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". Neither carrier is "better" for everyone -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique auto insurance profile. For example, Motorists offers more affordable prices for policyholders with an at-fault collision on their record, while Farmers is cheaper for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit scores.

Why do Farmers and Motorists offer me different rates?

Car insurance companies take a look at many different factors when determining the premiums they charge drivers. Variables like your driving record, gender, age, where your home is, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Farmers and Motorists calculate prices using different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different rates. The only real way to see which company is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from several different carriers.

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

The only way to find the insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from several companies and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your area information and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best auto insurance carriers in your area. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best rate. And who knows, the best company for you might not be Farmers or Motorists at all!

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.