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

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for insurance, Farmers offers less expensive rates than The General
• Farmers offers more affordable average prices for policyholders who live in urban areas
• The General has cheaper premiums in AZ, MO, and UT

Farmers or The General: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're considering switching to a new insurance policy. With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering substantial savings, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Farmers or The General, but between the two, which company will save you the most?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, The General is around $38 more a month than Farmers.

That being said, that doesn't mean Farmers will necessarily be less expensive than The General for every single driver. Auto insurance companies use a ton of complex algorithms to determine rates, so depending on where you live or how old you are (among a multitude of other factors), you could see wildly different prices from the ones above.

So, if you want to find out which of Farmers or The General is really the best for you, keep reading to see average premiums for each company broken down by many different rate factors.

Farmers vs. The General: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Farmers and The General only compete against each other in two states, with Farmers offering more affordable rates to the average driver in all of them. If you live in Arizona, Farmers is the cheaper of the two carriers when looking at the overall average prices. The General is the less expensive option in Utah.

There are plenty of other factors that go into your insurance cost than just the state you live in. Read on to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive car insurance rates of any other group of drivers. That's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in an auto insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

But that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their insurance. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of over 15% less per month by choosing The General over Farmers. It's worth noting that Farmers offers car insurance in 25 different states compared to The General's three, which can skew the average premiums a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

Even so, both companies will offer you dramatically lower rates once you turn 25. For example, average prices for Farmers policyholders reduce about $400 and The General's premiums decrease around $200 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

But who has the best prices for retired drivers between Farmers and The General? Farmers gets the edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older more than 25% cheaper than the national average for The General.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that car insurance prices are typically more expensive for single drivers than they are for married drivers? That's normally because married policyholders tend to own and insure multiple vehicles, which can often earn you a discount.

For those who are single, the difference in average rates between these two carriers is significant, with Farmers prices coming in at about 10% less than The General's. For married couples, the advantage is clear again - Farmers has the edge when it comes to average rates.

Farmers or The General: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into a collision or get pulled over for speeding, which means they'll typically end up paying more for auto insurance than women.

Women usually pay around 3% a month less than men with Farmers, but with The General, the difference is closer to 12% per month.

When it comes to the most affordable premiums for each gender, Farmers comes out as the lowest option for both genders, with average rates $50 less for men and $25 cheaper for women.

Farmers vs. The General: 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 a bunch of different coverages that account for multiple different things. Some protect you and your car, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause an accident.

The two most common policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (which covers the other party's injuries and property damage 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 limits for liability insurance, Farmers has the edge, with average monthly premiums 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 The General's $329.

Is Farmers or The General 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 accidents on your record, but which of these two companies offers the cheapest prices to drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Farmers for their car insurance can generally expect their monthly bill to go up around 21% after getting a speeding ticket. The General policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of about 20%.

However, Farmers is normally the more affordable option for drivers both with a ticket and with a clean record -- their rates are around 16% cheaper for drivers with clean records and 14% less expensive for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Farmers drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their premiums climb by just under 30%, while those who have insurance through The General will see around a 30% increase.

At the end of the day, the more affordable rates come from Farmers, with average prices coming in at $224 compared to The General's $279.

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 -- usually a lot more than a collision or speeding ticket. For example, The General increases average rates by more than $60 per month -- that's nearly a 25% increase.

Farmers has the overall lowest prices 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 three for The General, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Farmers and The General Rates?

Did you know many car insurance carriers take your credit score into account when determining premiums? Certain states and companies do not allow for credit score to be used as a car insurance factor, but it does affect many policyholders out there.

Insurance carriers argue that someone with bad credit is less likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them riskier to insure. Because of that, drivers with bad credit will often be forced to pay more.

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have solid credit, Farmers will generally reward you the most. For drivers with "excellent" credit scores, Farmers comes in NaN cheaper. Drivers with "good" credit scores normally save about 15% with Farmers compared to average premiums from The General.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Farmers typically offers lower rates than The General when it comes to drivers with a below average credit score. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 15% a month less with Farmers compared to The General, and those with "poor" scores typically save an average of about 21% monthly.

Is Farmers or The General 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 prices. Normally, the more milage you put on your car, the more you can expect to pay for auto insurance.

In this case, neither Farmers or The General report increasing premiums for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. Farmers comes out as the lowest for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their vehicle annually, with average rates of $203 per month for both.

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

Where your home is can have a pretty big impact on your monthly insurance payment. Typically, policyholders who live in less densely populated rural areas will pay quite a bit less than urban drivers since there are a lot fewer cars on the roads where they live.

Farmers tends to offer the cheapest rates for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Farmers Insurance's average prices are around 19% less than The General. People who live in suburban areas pay about 16% less with Farmers compared to The General. Those in rural areas can expect to save around 10% with Farmers compared to The General.

Farmers vs. The General 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 car insurance discounts comes into play.

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be difficult to nail down the carrier that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile and to find all the discounts you're eligible for.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts Farmers and The General 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 The General out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 28 different discounts to The General's six.

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

On the other hand, The General has a few proprietary discounts of their own like liability only discounts and star level discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Farmers or The General Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average rates for many of the variables insurance carriers look at, and walked through the different discounts each company offers, too. But, at the end of the day, which insurance carrier is the right carrier for you and your specific needs?

Farmers might be best for you if....

• You have received a ticket within the last few years.
• Your neighborhood is in a city.
• You don't spend much time in your car.

The General might be best for you if...

• You live in one of the following states: Arizona, Missouri, and Utah.
• You want to save money while purchasing auto insurance for a teenager.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Farmers and The General and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your car 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 multiple companies, not just Farmers and The General. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple quotes from some of the best auto insurance carriers in your area, all for free.

Farmers vs. The General FAQs

Is Farmers or The General cheaper?

Farmers is the more affordable of the two companies when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $203 a month with Farmers and $241 for The General. But that doesn't mean Farmers will be the most affordable company for every policyholder, since there are a range of different factors that are considered when it comes to your car insurance bill.

Who is better, Farmers or The General?

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

Why do Farmers and The General offer me different rates?

Car insurance carriers use a lot of different variables when calculating the rates they charge. Factors such as gender, age, where you park your vehicle, your driving record, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Farmers and The General calculate prices using different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different premiums. The best way to determine which company is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from several different companies.

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

The only way to find the auto insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from several carriers 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 quotes from dozens of your local top car insurance companies for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best premium. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Farmers or The General 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.