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

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for car insurance, Farmers offers significantly less expensive rates than The Hartford
• Farmers offers more affordable average prices for policyholders who may not have much of a commute
• The Hartford has cheaper premiums for drivers who have received a ticket within the last few years

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

So, you're considering switching your auto insurance. With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering big discounts, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You might have narrowed your search down to Farmers or The Hartford, but between the two, which carrier has more affordable prices for insurance?

Looking at the national average rates for both companies, Farmers has average rates that are about 23% per month cheaper than those from The Hartford.

But that doesn't necessarily mean Farmers will be the less expensive option for each driver. After all, car insurance carriers can offer drastically different rates to each driver depending on rating factors like your driving record, your credit score, your age, or even where you call home (among other things), so rates could vary drastically from person to person.

Wanting to know if Farmers or The Hartford 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 or The Hartford: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Farmers and The Hartford only compete against each other in California, where Farmers offers the cheaper average rates. For California residents, Farmers offers auto insurance for $168 monthly on average. The Hartford's average prices come out to be over 50% more expensive, at $265 per month.

That being said, there's a lot more that goes into your car insurance payment than just where you live. Read on to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- normally pay a lot for auto insurance compared to older drivers. That's generally 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.

However, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high insurance premiums. As you can see above, teens who use The Hartford save nearly $100 a month compared to those who use Farmers. It's worth noting that Farmers offers auto insurance in 25 different states compared to The Hartford's one, which can skew the average prices a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

That being said, both companies will reduce rates by the time you turn 25. The Hartford offers the steepest drop, with 25-year-olds paying a third less what 18-year-old drivers are charged. That being said, Farmers still has the cheapest prices at $155 a month.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age typically enjoy some of the most affordable insurance rates you'll ever see. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which usually lowers their chances of accidents and other infractions that can increase premiums.

But who has the best prices for retired drivers between Farmers and The Hartford? Farmers gets the edge here, with average premiums coming in at around $143 per month compared to The Hartford's $192.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Those who are single tend to get offered slightly more expensive car insurance rates than married policyholders. That's because policies for married couples generally cover more than one car, which several carriers will offer you a discount for.

When it comes to relationship status, Farmers is the clear winner for single drivers, with prices about $48 per month more affordable than The Hartford, on average. The advantage for married drivers with Farmers is also obvious, where drivers save almost $80 a month.

Farmers vs. The Hartford: Average Rates by Gender

You may not know, but auto insurance is typically cheaper for women than it is for men. This is because men are statistically more likely than women to get into an accident or get pulled over for speeding, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher rates.

Generally, women see premiums around $7 per month less expensive with Farmers; and with The Hartford, both genders end up paying the same monthly premium.

Looking at overall affordability, Farmers comes out as the lowest option for both genders, with average rates 22% less for men and 25% cheaper for women.

Farmers or The Hartford: 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 terms and limits that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy.

Even so, most policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability only (which covers the other party's injuries and property damage if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which usually refers to having comprehensive and collision coverages alongside what you get with a liability policy).

If you're looking for state minimum limits for liability insurance, Farmers normally offers slightly cheaper premiums of $126 compared to The Hartford's $135. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Farmers again has the edge, with policies about $100 a month more affordable than The Hartford, on average.

Is Farmers or The Hartford Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

You've probably seen plenty of commercials from car insurance companies offering great prices for good drivers, but that doesn't mean people with less-than-perfect driving records can't save money, too.

Tickets and collisions will most likely raise your premiums, but is Farmers or The Hartford cheaper for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Farmers policyholders can expect their prices to go up an average of $44 per month if they get a ticket, while The Hartford usually raises rates around $71 a month, on average.

That being said, The Hartford has less expensive premiums for drivers in both categories -- their rates are around 22% more affordable for drivers with clean records and 4% less expensive for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their insurance through Farmers can expect to see about an $62 -- or around 28% -- increase in their auto insurance prices. Drivers who use The Hartford for their car insurance will see a monthly bill about $136 (or 52%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their insurance carrier.

Overall, drivers who use Farmers end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with monthly rates averaging $224 compared to The Hartford's $262.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge on your record, it's probably going to cost you more than a simple speeding ticket or even a collision. For example, The Hartford increases average prices by just under $350 per month -- that's just under a 75% increase.

Farmers has the overall most affordable 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 The Hartford, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Farmers and The Hartford Rates?

Often times, your credit score can be used as one of the factors to calculate your monthly auto insurance rates. This isn't always the case (Massachusetts, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a rating factor) but it does affect lots of drivers out there.

The reasoning car insurance carriers use is that policyholders with bad credit will be less likely to pay their bills on time; so normally, they'll be asked to pay more, while those with good credit will be rewarded with cheaper prices.

So, which company offers the cheapest premiums for drivers with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have fantastic credit, Farmers Insurance will generally reward you. With Farmers Insurance, improving your score from "good" to "excellent" will typically save you around 10%. Because undefined, doesn't have data available for credit scores, they most likely don't use credit to calculate your rates.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Having bad credit normally means you'll also see higher premiums with Farmers Insurance. If your credit score is in the "poor" range, at Farmers Insurance, you may pay about $45 more a month compared to those with "fair" scores (and even more compared to drivers with good or excellent scores). On the other hand, because undefined doesn't have data available for credit scores, they might have better rates for drivers with bad credit over Farmers Insurance.

Is Farmers or The Hartford 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 auto insurance companies will charge for coverage. Generally, those who drive fewer miles will end up with less expensive prices since there's less of a chance of getting into an accident 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 significant difference in monthly premiums for The Hartford, with policyholders who drive 6,000 miles every year paying around $55 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly. Still, Farmers is the cheaper option for drivers in both categories.

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

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

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

Policyholders in rural ZIP codes see the lowest premiums from both carriers, but Farmers comes out on top with average rates about $170 monthly. Farmers also has more affordable average prices for drivers in urban and suburban ZIP codes -- a 8% and 29% per month respective difference when compared to The Hartford policyholders in similar areas.

Farmers vs. The Hartford Discounts

Regardless of 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 possible, and the best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many insurance discounts as you can.

The difficult part is finding all of the discounts you can take advantage of, since it can feel sometimes like every company has different discounts and each one is advertised differently.

In the table below, we've broken down all of the different discounts offered by both Farmers and The Hartford so that you can find the company that has the most discounts and, therefore, the biggest savings.

Farmers knocks The Hartford out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 15 more discounts than The Hartford.

Both companies offer several of the same discounts -- like ABS discounts, discounts for being a defensive driver, discounts for being a good driver, and multi-policy discounts -- but Farmers also offers advance quote discounts, alternative fuel discounts, driver training discounts, and more that The Hartford does not.

On the flip side, The Hartford has a couple unique discounts of its own -- employee discounts, lay-up credit discounts, renewal discounts, and more.

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

So, we've broken down the average premiums for many of the variables car insurance carriers 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 best one for you and your specific needs?

Farmers might be best for you if....

• You're planning on moving to another state soon -- The Hartford is only available in California.
• You have above-average credit.
• You're married and plan to have both of your names on the vehicle's auto insurance policy.

The Hartford might be best for you if...

• You live in one of the following states: California.
• You've received a ticket for speeding recently and don't want to see your prices rise.
• You're buying car insurance for a teen and looking for a wallet-friendly option.

We hope this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Farmers and The Hartford and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your 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 auto insurance -- comparing quotes from multiple companies, not just Farmers and The Hartford. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of top insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Farmers vs. The Hartford FAQs

Is Farmers or The Hartford cheaper?

Looking just at the national average rates, Farmers is the less expensive of the two companies, offering average rates of $203 a month compared to $265 for The Hartford. However, Farmers won't necessarily be the most affordable carrier for every policyholder, since there are multiple different factors that come into play when it comes to your car insurance bill.

Who is better, Farmers or The Hartford?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". Neither company is "better" for each driver -- it all boils down to your unique insurance profile.

Why do Farmers and The Hartford offer me different rates?

Car insurance carriers take a look at quite a few different variables when calculating the prices they charge drivers. Factors such as where you park your vehicle, gender, where you live, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Farmers and The Hartford calculate rates using different variables, so each one will most likely offer different premiums. The only real way to see which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from several different companies.

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

The only way to find the auto insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from a handful of 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 free quotes from dozens of the best insurance companies in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the cheapest rate. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be Farmers or The Hartford 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.