Farmers vs. Pioneer State Mutual: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for insurance, Farmers offers significantly more affordable rates than Pioneer State Mutual
• Farmers tends to be a much less expensive option for policyholders who live in rural neighborhoods
• Pioneer State Mutual has cheaper prices in MI

Farmers or Pioneer State Mutual: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're thinking about switching to 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 have narrowed it down to Farmers or Pioneer State Mutual as your top options, but between the two, which carrier has less expensive premiums for auto insurance?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, Farmers is quite a bit cheaper than Pioneer State Mutual, with rates averaging $203 a month compared to $310 with Pioneer State Mutual.

That being said, Farmers may not be the most affordable or best option for each driver out there. After all, car insurance companies can offer drastically different rates to every driver depending on rating factors like your age, your credit score, where you call home, or even your driving record (among other things). So, at the end of the day, prices from each carrier will differ quite a bit from person to person.

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

Farmers vs. Pioneer State Mutual: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Farmers and Pioneer State Mutual only compete against each other in Michigan, where Pioneer State Mutual offers the cheaper average prices. Pioneer State Mutual drivers tend to pay about $304 per month less on average compared to drivers who use Farmers for their insurance.

But there's more to calculating auto insurance rates than just your home state. Continue reading to learn more about how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- usually pay a lot for insurance compared to older drivers. That's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

However, that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their car insurance. As you can see above, teens who use Farmers save over 3% a month compared to those who use Pioneer State Mutual. It's worth noting that Farmers offers insurance in 25 different states compared to Pioneer State Mutual's one, which can skew the average prices a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

But with both carriers, you'll see your premiums decrease significantly by the time you turn 25. Pioneer State Mutual offers the steepest decrease, with 25-year-olds paying less than half what 18-year-old drivers are charged. That being said, Farmers still has the cheapest rates at $155 a month.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age normally enjoy some of the most affordable auto insurance prices you'll ever find. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which typically reduces their chances of collisions and other infractions that can raise premiums.

But who has the best rates for retired drivers between Farmers and Pioneer State Mutual? Farmers gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older more than 40% more affordable than the national average for Pioneer State Mutual.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Single policyholders tend to get offered slightly more expensive car insurance premiums than married policyholders. That's because policies for married couples generally cover multiple vehicles, which many companies will give you a discount for.

For those who are single, the difference in average rates between these two carriers is significant, with Farmers prices coming in at a quarter less than Pioneer State Mutual's. The advantage for married drivers with Farmers is also obvious, where drivers save around $100 per month.

Farmers or Pioneer State Mutual: Average Rates by Gender

You may not know, but insurance is usually cheaper for women than it is for men. This is because men are statistically more likely than women to get into accidents and file an insurance claim, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher premiums.

On average, women see rates about 3% a month less with Farmers; everyone gets the same monthly premiums regardless of gender with Pioneer State Mutual.

Looking at the data for each carrier specifically, Farmers offers the lowest average prices for both men and women. On average, women save about $110 per month and men save around $103 with Farmers compared to the average Pioneer State Mutual policyholder.

Farmers vs. Pioneer State 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.

For most people, auto insurance can be pretty complicated. There are so many different coverages and limits that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

The two most common policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (that covers property damage and bodily injury for other drivers and passengers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- alongside what you get with a liability policy).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability insurance, Farmers has the significant edge, with average monthly rates 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 Pioneer State Mutual's $438.

Is Farmers or Pioneer State Mutual Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

Speeding tickets and at-fault collisions will most likely raise your premiums, but is Farmers or Pioneer State Mutual cheaper for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Farmers for their insurance can typically expect their monthly bill to go up around 21% after getting a speeding ticket. Pioneer State Mutual policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of about 42%.

Even so, Farmers tends to offer the best prices for both drivers who have a recent ticket and those with clean records, offering prices that are $46 and $154 more affordable, respectively, compared to Pioneer State Mutual.

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 rates. Drivers who use Pioneer State Mutual for their insurance will see a monthly bill around $39 (or 16%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their auto insurance company.

At the end of the day, Farmers offers the cheapest premiums for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average prices coming in at $224 compared to Pioneer State Mutual's $247.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

On average, a DUI offense is going to cost you much more than a single accident or speeding ticket when it comes to your car insurance bill. For example, Pioneer State Mutual increases average rates by more than $200 per month -- that's more than a 50% increase.

Farmers has the overall lowest prices for drivers with a DUI on their records at $221 monthly, but it's worth noting that Farmers's average rates come from 25 states compared to just one for Pioneer State Mutual, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Farmers and Pioneer State 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, Hawaii and Michigan are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it will come into play for quite a few drivers.

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

Looking specifically at Pioneer State Mutual and Farmers, which one has the cheapest rates for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Michigan is one of a small number of states that restricts car insurance companies from using credit scores to determine premiums. And since Pioneer State Mutual is only available in Michigan, there is no data available on how credit score impacts rates because it's not a factor at all. This may be a good thing, since Farmers and other carriers tend to increase prices quite a bit in other states if you don't have excellent credit.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

If you have less-than-perfect credit and live in Michigan, the good news is it won't cost you extra when it comes to auto insurance. As you can see, poor credit can really cost Farmers drivers in other states, but no need to worry if you live in Michigan.

Is Farmers or Pioneer State Mutual 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 insurance companies will charge for coverage. That's because the fewer miles you put on your car each year, the less likely you are to be in a collision and file an insurance claim.

In this case, neither Farmers or Pioneer State Mutual report increasing premiums for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. Farmers comes out as the most affordable for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their vehicle each year, with average rates of $203 a month for both.

Farmers or Pioneer State Mutual: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you live can play a considerable role in how much you pay for car insurance. Generally, those who live in urban areas will pay more than drivers in rural areas due to the number of cars that are on the roads where they live.

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

Those in rural areas can expect to save about $61 with Farmers compared to Pioneer State Mutual. People who live in suburban areas pay around $115 less with Farmers compared to Pioneer State Mutual. For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Farmers Insurance's average rates are about $144 less than Pioneer State Mutual.

Farmers vs. Pioneer State Mutual Discounts

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

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be challenging to nail down the company that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile and to find all the discounts you can take advantage of.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and broke down all of the different discounts offered by both Farmers and Pioneer State Mutual 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 Pioneer State Mutual out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 16 more discounts than Pioneer State Mutual.

Both carriers offer quite a few of the same discounts -- like anti-theft discounts, discounts for being a good student, and group discounts -- but Farmers also offers discounts for advance quote, alternative fuel, defensive driver, and more.

On the other hand, Pioneer State Mutual has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like affiliation policy experience discounts, comp only discounts, employee discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Farmers or Pioneer State Mutual Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average prices for many of the factors insurance companies look at, and walked through the different discounts each carrier offers, too. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, which insurance company is the right company for you, your vehicle, and your wallet?

Farmers might be best for you if....

• You already have plans to move to another state -- Pioneer State Mutual only offers policies in Michigan.
• You drive fewer than 12,000 miles yearly.

Pioneer State Mutual might be best for you if...

• You're looking for the best rates in MI.

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

But, at the end of the day, there's only one way to know for sure that you're getting the best possible deal on insurance -- comparing quotes from multiple carriers, not just Farmers and Pioneer State Mutual. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best auto insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Farmers vs. Pioneer State Mutual FAQs

Is Farmers or Pioneer State Mutual cheaper?

Farmers is the cheaper of the two carriers when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $203 per month with Farmers and $310 for Pioneer State Mutual. However, that doesn't mean Farmers will be the most affordable carrier for every policyholder, since there are a range of different variables that are considered when it comes to your car insurance payment.

Who is better, Farmers or Pioneer State Mutual?

Sadly, the answer truly is "it depends.". No one company is "better" for everyone -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique auto insurance profile.

Why do Farmers and Pioneer State Mutual offer me different rates?

Car insurance companies use lots of different factors when calculating the rates they charge. Variables such as your driving record, where you call home, gender, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Farmers and Pioneer State Mutual calculate prices using different factors, 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 a variety of different carriers.

How do I know if Farmers or Pioneer State 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 companies 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 carriers for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the most affordable premium. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Farmers or Pioneer State 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.