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

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for car insurance, Western National offers significantly cheaper prices than Farmers
• Farmers may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Western National Insurance Company
• Western National offers more affordable rates for policyholders whose driving record contains an at-fault collision

Farmers or Western National: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you in the market for a new insurance policy? You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering hefty savings, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed your search down to Farmers or Western National as your top options, but which carrier has more affordable premiums for insurance?

As you can see, Western National has average rates that are around 24% a month less expensive than those from Farmers when looking at the national average rates for auto insurance.

Even so, that doesn't mean Western National will necessarily be more affordable than Farmers for every driver. Car insurance carriers vary their prices depending on things like how old you are, how good your credit score is, how clean your driving record is, where you live, and all sorts of other factors, so rates will differ quite a bit from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of Farmers or Western National is really the best for you, keep reading to see average premiums for each carrier broken down by several different rate factors.

Farmers vs. Western National: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Farmers and Western National only compete against each other in three states, with Western National offering less expensive rates to the average driver in all of them. If you live in Wisconsin, Farmers is the cheaper of the two companies when looking at the overall average prices. Western National is the more affordable option in Iowa and South Dakota.

There are plenty of other factors that go into your 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 -- generally pay a lot for car insurance compared to older drivers. That's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

However, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high auto insurance premiums. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Western National for their car insurance pay almost 45% less than those who use Farmers.

That being said, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower prices by the time you turn 25. For example, average rates for Farmers policyholders reduce over 70% and Western National's prices lower nearly 50% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

So, which company offers the best prices to retired drivers? Western National gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older $34 less expensive than the national average for Farmers.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but auto insurance premiums tend to be more expensive for single policyholders than they are for married couples. That's typically because married policyholders tend to own and insure more than one vehicle, which can often earn you a discount.

For those who are single, the difference in average rates between these two companies is significant, with Western National prices coming in at a quarter less than Farmers's. For married drivers, the advantage is clear again - Western National has the edge when it comes to average premiums.

Farmers or Western National: Average Rates by Gender

Women tend to pay less for car insurance than men. That's because men are more likely to get tickets and get into accidents, which increases the chances of filing a claim with insurance.

Women usually pay about $7 per month less than men with Farmers, but with Western National, the difference is closer to $14 a month.

When it comes to the most affordable rates for each gender, Western National comes out on top for both men and women, with average prices $46 less for men and $53 cheaper for women.

Farmers vs. Western National: 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.

Insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. 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 end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (that covers bodily injury and property damage for other drivers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- alongside liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, Western National has the significant edge, with average monthly premiums coming in at $60. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Western National again has the edge, with policies averaging around $248 per month to Farmers's $281.

Is Farmers or Western National 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 at-fault accidents on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the lowest rates to drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders with Western National car insurance policies don't report seeing their premiums increase after getting a ticket, but Farmers policyholders can expect to see their monthly bill increase by about $45.

But Western National has cheaper prices for drivers in both categories, offering rates that are $8 and $52 more affordable, respectively, compared to Farmers Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both companies will increase prices pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault accident with Farmers increasing by around 28%. Western National has a less extreme increase, but you can still expect to pay 0% more than you were prior to your first collision.

At the end of the day, drivers who use Western National end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average premiums coming in at $154 compared to Farmers Insurance's $224.

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 auto insurance bill -- normally a lot more than an accident or speeding ticket. Farmers drivers usually see a 27% climb in their insurance rates after a DUI charge, while Western National will generally raise premiums by about 0%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable prices, Western National tends to be cheaper for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at around $154 to Farmers's $221.

How does Credit Score Impact Farmers and Western National Rates?

In many cases, your credit score can be used as one of the variables to determine your monthly car insurance premiums. This isn't true for everyone (for example, California and Massachusetts are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect a lot of drivers out there.

Insurance carriers 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 less expensive prices.

Looking specifically at Farmers and Western National, which company has the best rates for drivers at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a solid credit score, Western National will typically reward you the most. For policyholders with "excellent" credit scores, Western National comes in more than 57.32 more affordable. Drivers with "good" credit scores generally save about 38% with Western National compared to average premiums from Farmers.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

If you have bad credit, it can be somewhat of a toss-up as far as which company offers you the best prices. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 26% less with Western National than Farmers, but those whose credit is considered "poor" have it flipped -- saving about 8% a month with Farmers.

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

How much you drive can have a pretty big impact on your monthly auto insurance cost. Typically, those who drive fewer miles will end up with less expensive rates since there's less of a chance of causing a collision and filing 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 premiums for Western National, with policyholders who drive the least paying around $4 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, for drivers in both categories, Western National is the cheaper carrier.

Farmers or Western National: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you park your car can have a considerable impact on your monthly car insurance bill. Normally, drivers who live in less densely populated rural areas will pay quite a bit less than urban policyholders because of the small number of vehicles that are on the roads where they live.

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

If you live in a rural area, you can expect to pay about $158 per month with Western National compared to Farmers's $170. Drivers in suburban ZIP codes pay around $127 with Western National compared to Farmers's $189 monthly. In urban areas, Western National's average prices are about $177 per month compared to Farmers's $251.

Farmers vs. Western National 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, and the best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many insurance discounts as possible.

The hard 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.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and compared all of the different discounts offered by Farmers and Western National 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 Western National out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 16 more discounts than Western National.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like discounts for being a defensive driver, discounts for getting driver training, and discounts for being a good student. Farmers also offers discounts for ABS, advance quote, alternative fuel, and more.

On the other hand, Western National has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like corporate discounts, COVID-19 relief discount, employee discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Farmers or Western National Best for You?

You've seen the effect certain factors have on your auto insurance and the different discounts companies offer. But, at the end of the day, is Farmers or Western National the right one for you and your specific profile and needs?

Western National might be best for you if....

• You've received a ticket for speeding recently and don't want to see your premiums rise.
• You want to save money while purchasing insurance for a teenager.

Farmers might be best for you if...

• You're thinking about moving to another state -- Western National Insurance Company is only available in four states.
• You're looking for discounts -- Farmers has the most.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Farmers and Western National and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your car insurance.

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

Farmers vs. Western National FAQs

Is Farmers or Western National cheaper?

Western National is the less expensive of the two carriers when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $154 a month with Western National and $203 for Farmers. Even so, that doesn't mean Western National will be the cheapest carrier for everyone, since there are a range of different variables that come into play when it comes to your car insurance payment.

Who is better, Farmers or Western National?

Unfortunately, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No single company is necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all comes down to what your unique auto insurance profile looks like. For example, Farmers is more affordable for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit scores, while Western National offers cheaper rates for drivers with an at-fault accident on their record.

Why do Farmers and Western National offer me different rates?

Car insurance companies use quite a few different factors when determining the prices they charge. Things like where you live, where you call home, gender, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Farmers and Western National calculate premiums differently, so it's likely they'll offer different rates. The best way to determine which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from lots of different carriers.

How do I know if Farmers or Western National 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 information once and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top auto insurance carriers for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best premium. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Farmers or Western National 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.