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

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for insurance, Travelers offers cheaper rates than Farmers Union
• Travelers offers more affordable average prices for policyholders who live in suburban areas
• Travelers has less expensive rates for drivers who have an at-fault accident on their record

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

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

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to Farmers Union or Travelers, but between the two, which one will save you the most?

Looking at the national average rates for both companies, Farmers Union is about $22 more per month than Travelers.

That being said, that doesn't mean Travelers will necessarily be more affordable than Farmers Union for every driver. After all, car insurance carriers can offer drastically different rates to each driver depending on rating factors like your driving record, where you call home, your age, or even your credit score (among other things), so premiums could differ drastically from person to person.

Luckily, we've broken down average prices from both Farmers Union and Travelers by a bunch of different rate factors, so read on to find out which company is the best for you.

Farmers Union or Travelers: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Farmers Union and Travelers only compete against each other in two states, with Travelers offering cheaper premiums to the average driver in all of them. Kansas has the most noticable difference, where Travelers prices are over 20% less expensive than insurance rates at Farmers Union.

That being said, there's a lot more that goes into your car insurance payment than just your home state. Keep reading to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive auto insurance premiums of any other group of drivers. Typically, that's because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

But that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high insurance rates. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Travelers for their auto insurance pay more than $20 less than those who use Farmers Union.

Even so, with both companies, you'll see your prices drop significantly once you turn 25. For example, average rates for Farmers Union policyholders decrease nearly 55% and Travelers's premiums reduce over 60% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age generally enjoy some of the most affordable car insurance prices out there. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which usually reduces their chances of accidents and other infractions that can increase rates.

When looking at Farmers Union and Travelers specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? Travelers gets the edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older $16 more affordable than the national average for Farmers Union.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Those who are single tend to get offered slightly more expensive insurance prices than married policyholders. This usually boils down to married couples having more than one car on their policy -- something a lot of auto insurance carriers will reward with discounts.

When it comes to relationship status, Travelers is the clear winner for single policyholders, with premiums around $26 a month cheaper than Farmers Union, on average. The advantage for married drivers with Travelers is also obvious, where drivers save more than 10% per month.

Farmers Union vs. Travelers: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into collisions and file an insurance claim, which means they'll normally end up paying more for car insurance than women.

On average, women see prices over $10 a month more affordable with Farmers Union, and about $11 less with Travelers.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, Travelers comes out as the cheapest option for both genders, with average rates 12% less for men and 13% cheaper for women.

Farmers Union or Travelers: 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.

Auto 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.

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

In this case, Farmers Union offers the lowest average prices for state minimum liability insurance, while Travelers has the edge for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Drivers looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $1 with Farmers Union Insurance, while full coverage comes out to be around $45 less expensive with Travelers.

Is Farmers Union or Travelers Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no big secret that drivers who are accident-free get better deals on their insurance. But even if you have a spotty record, you can still find plenty of ways to save some cash on your monthly bill.

You'll probably end up paying more with tickets and at-fault accidents on your record, but which of these two companies offers the cheapest rates to drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Farmers Union policyholders can expect their premiums to go up an average of $50 per month if they get a ticket, while Travelers generally raises prices about $32 a month, on average.

However, Travelers is typically the cheaper option for drivers both with clean records and with a speeding ticket, offering premiums that are 7% and 15% more affordable, respectively, compared to Farmers Union Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Farmers Union policyholders who get in a collision can expect to see their rates rise by just under $70, while those who have insurance through Travelers will see around a $45 increase.

Overall, Travelers offers the most affordable prices for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with monthly premiums averaging $173 compared to Farmers Union Insurance's $207.

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 ticket when it comes to your car insurance bill. Farmers Union drivers usually see a 39% climb in their auto insurance rates after a DUI charge, while Travelers will usually increase premiums by about 38%.

How does Credit Score Impact Farmers Union and Travelers Rates?

Did you know that many car insurance carriers take your credit score into account when calculating prices? This isn't always the case (Michigan, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a rating factor) but it might come into play for quite a few drivers.

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 cheaper rates.

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is Farmers Union or Travelers 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 car insurance cost. That's because the fewer miles you put on your vehicle, the less likely you are to get into an accident and cause an insurance claim.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Farmers Union charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly rates for Travelers, with policyholders who drive the least paying around $5 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles each year. Still, Travelers is the less expensive option for drivers in both categories.

Farmers Union vs. Travelers: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where your home is can have a sizable impact on your monthly auto insurance bill. Normally, policyholders who live in less densely populated rural areas will pay quite a bit less than urban drivers due to the small number of cars that are on the roads in those areas.

Travelers boasts the most affordable average rates for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Travelers offers premiums about $204 a month compared to Farmers Union's $226. People who live in suburban ZIP codes can expect to pay around $160 per month for Travelers and $172 for Farmers Union. Lastly, those in rural areas tend to get the cheapest prices from both carriers, with average monthly premiums coming in at $136 and $170 for Travelers and Farmers Union respectively.

Farmers Union vs. Travelers Discounts

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

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 qualify for.

In the section below, we've compared all of the different discounts offered by Farmers Union and Travelers so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Travelers blows Farmers Union away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 25 different discounts to Farmers Union's 11.

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

On the flip side, Farmers Union has a couple unique discounts of its own -- farm discounts, discounts for being a homeowner, and minor child discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Farmers Union or Travelers Best for You?

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

Travelers might be best for you if....

• You have a DUI charge on your record.
• You're worried about the impact your credit score will have on your prices.
• You drive fewer than 6,000 miles yearly.

Farmers Union might be best for you if...

• You want basic insurance coverage at the state minimum limits.

We hope this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Farmers Union and Travelers. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision when it comes to your car insurance.

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your auto insurance policy is to compare quotes from a handful of carriers, not just Farmers Union and Travelers. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Just 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 Union vs. Travelers FAQs

Is Farmers Union or Travelers cheaper?

Looking just at the national average rates, Travelers is the cheaper of the two carriers, offering average rates of $167 a month compared to $189 for Farmers Union. But Travelers won't necessarily be the lowest carrier for every policyholder, since there are multiple different variables that are considered when it comes to your insurance payment.

Who is better, Farmers Union or Travelers?

Sadly, the answer truly is "it depends.". No one company is necessarily "better" for each driver -- it all comes down to what your unique car insurance profile looks like.

Why do Farmers Union and Travelers offer me different rates?

Auto insurance companies take a look at several different factors when determining the premiums they charge drivers. Things such as where you park your vehicle, where you call home, gender, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Farmers Union and Travelers calculate rates differently, so each one will most likely offer different prices. The only real way to see which carrier is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from many different carriers.

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

The only way to find the insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from several companies and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best car insurance carriers in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the lowest premium. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be Farmers Union or Travelers 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.