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

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for car insurance, Farmers offers significantly more affordable prices than Pure
• Farmers tends to be a much less expensive option for drivers with a DUI charge on their record
• Pure offers more affordable rates for residents in California

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

So, you're thinking about switching your auto insurance. After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering sizable discounts. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed your search down to Farmers or Pure as your top options, but which carrier will offer you cheaper prices?

Looking at nationwide averages, Pure has average rates that are about 40% per month more expensive than those from Farmers.

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

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

Farmers or Pure: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Farmers and Pure only compete against each other in California, where Farmers offers the cheaper average premiums. For California residents, Farmers offers insurance for $168 per month on average. Pure's average prices come out to be over 70% more expensive, at $331 a month.

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

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers usually pay a lot more for auto insurance than any group on the road. That's typically because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in a car insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

However, that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their insurance. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of nearly $200 less a month by choosing Farmers over Pure. It's worth noting that Farmers offers car insurance in 25 different states compared to Pure's one, which can skew the average rates a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

But both carriers will drop premiums once you turn 25. Pure offers the steepest reduction, with 25-year-olds paying less than half what 18-year-old drivers are charged. That being said, Farmers still has the cheapest prices at $155 monthly.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

So, which company offers the best premiums to retired drivers? Farmers gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older almost 40% less expensive than the national average for Pure.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married couples tend to get slightly more affordable insurance rates than single drivers. That's because policies for married policyholders normally cover several cars, which quite a few companies will offer you a discount for.

When it comes to relationship status, Farmers is the clear winner for those who are single, with prices around $146 per month cheaper than Pure, on average. The advantage is also clear for married drivers - Farmers offers the cheapest average rates.

Farmers vs. Pure: Average Rates by Gender

You may not know, but men generally pay more for car insurance than women do. This is because men are statistically more likely than women to get pulled over for speeding or get into an accident, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher premiums.

With Farmers, women typically pay about 3% a month less than men; women and men end up paying same monthly rates with Pure.

When it comes to the most affordable prices for each gender, Farmers offers the lowest average premiums for both men and women. On average, women save about $131 per month and men save around $124 with Farmers compared to the average Pure policyholder.

Farmers or Pure: 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 insurance can be a complicated subject for most people. There are so many different limits and coverages that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy.

Even so, most policies that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (which provides bodily injury and property damage coverage for other drivers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- comprehensive and collision -- in addition to what you get with liability coverage).

If you're looking for state minimum liability limits, Farmers generally offers slightly more affordable rates of $126 compared to Pure's $134. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Farmers again has the edge, with policies about $250 a month less expensive than Pure, on average.

Is Farmers or Pure 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.

Tickets and at-fault accidents will most likely raise your prices, but is Farmers or Pure cheaper for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Farmers policyholders can expect their premiums to go up an average of $44 per month if they get a ticket, while Pure normally raises prices around $80 a month, on average.

But Farmers has more affordable rates for drivers in both categories -- their rates are around 20% less expensive for drivers with clean records and 27% cheaper for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their auto insurance through Farmers can expect to see about an $62 -- or around 28% -- increase in their car insurance premiums. Drivers who use Pure for their insurance will see a monthly bill about $150 (or 43%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their auto insurance carrier.

Overall, drivers who use Farmers end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with monthly rates averaging $224 compared to PURE Insurance's $352.

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. Pure drivers usually see a 59% climb in their insurance premiums after a DUI charge, while Farmers will usually increase prices by around 27%.

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

How does Credit Score Impact Farmers and Pure Rates?

You may not have known, but your credit score can come into play when carriers calculate your monthly bill. This isn't always the case (for example, are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect several drivers out there.

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

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Normally, if you have excellent credit, you can expect to be rewarded. Improving your "good" credit score to an "excellent" one will generally save Farmers Insurance customers about 10%. On the other hand, because undefined doesn't have data available for credit scores, they most likely don't use credit to calculate your prices.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Having bad credit normally means you'll also see higher premiums with Farmers Insurance. For drivers with less-than-stellar credit, at Farmers Insurance, you may pay around $45 per month more if you have "poor" credit compared to those with "fair" scores. It's an even larger difference when compared to drivers with "good" or "excellent" scores. On the other hand, because undefined doesn't have data available for credit scores, they could have better rates for drivers with bad credit over Farmers Insurance.

Is Farmers or Pure 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 your monthly insurance payment. Usually, the more miles you put on your vehicle 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 significant difference in monthly premiums for Pure, with policyholders who drive 6,000 miles yearly paying about $112 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles each year. Still, Farmers is the less expensive option for drivers in both categories.

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

Farmers boasts the most affordable average rates for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

Policyholders in rural ZIP codes see the cheapest premiums from both carriers, but Farmers comes out on top with average prices around $170 monthly. Farmers also has cheaper average rates for drivers in urban and suburban ZIP codes -- a $120 and $124 a month respective difference when compared to Pure policyholders in similar areas.

Farmers vs. Pure Discounts

Regardless of why you might be in the market for a new car insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as possible. That's where auto 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.

In the table below, we've compared all of the different discounts offered by Farmers and Pure so that you can see which one can save you the most money each month.

Farmers blows Pure away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 28 different discounts to Pure's 10.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like ABS discounts, distant student discounts, discounts for being a good student, and multi-policy discounts. Farmers also offers advance quote discounts, alternative fuel discounts, defensive driver discounts, and more that Pure does not.

On the flip side, Pure has a unique discount of its own -- a occasional operator discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Farmers or Pure Best for You?

You've seen the effect certain factors have on your insurance and the different discounts companies offer. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, which carrier is the right company for you and your specific driver profile?

Farmers might be best for you if....

• Your driving record contains an at-fault collision.
• You want to save extra money with discounts.
• Your home is located in the suburbs.

Pure might be best for you if...

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

We hope this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Farmers and Pure. 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 best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your insurance policy is to compare quotes from several carriers, not just Farmers and Pure. 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. Pure FAQs

Is Farmers or Pure cheaper?

Looking just at the national average premiums, Farmers is the less expensive of the two carriers, offering average rates of $203 per month compared to $331 for Pure. Even so, Farmers won't necessarily be the lowest company for every driver, since there are a bunch of different variables (things like gender, age, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Farmers or Pure?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". One carrier is not necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all boils down to your unique insurance profile.

Why do Farmers and Pure offer me different rates?

Auto insurance companies take a look at lots of different factors when calculating the prices they charge drivers. Things like gender, age, your driving record, where your home is, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Farmers and Pure calculate rates using different variables, so each one will most likely offer different prices. The only real way to see which company is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from multiple different carriers.

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

The only way to find the car insurance carrier 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 area information and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best auto insurance carriers in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best rate. And who knows, the best company for you might not be Farmers or Pure 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.