General Casualty vs. State Farm: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for car insurance, General Casualty offers more affordable prices than State Farm
• General Casualty offers more affordable rates for policyholders who drive fewer than 6,000 miles annually
• State Farm may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than General Casualty

General Casualty or State Farm: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're considering switching to a new insurance policy. After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering huge savings. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed your search down to General Casualty or State Farm as your top options, but which one will offer you less expensive premiums?

Looking at nationwide averages, State Farm is around $19 more a month than General Casualty.

However, General Casualty may not be the lowest or best option for each driver out there. Auto insurance carriers use tons of complex algorithms to determine prices, so depending on how clean your driving record is or how old you are (among many other factors), you could see wildly different rates from the ones above.

Luckily, we've broken down average premiums from both General Casualty and State Farm by a range of different rate factors, so read on to find out which carrier is the best for you.

General Casualty vs. State Farm: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

General Casualty and State Farm compete against each other in eight states, with General Casualty offering cheaper prices to the average driver in all of them. Utah has the most noticable difference, where General Casualty rates are $65 more affordable than insurance prices at State Farm.

But there's more to car insurance than just where you live. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how auto insurance companies calculate your premiums. Continue reading to learn more about how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive insurance rates of any group out there on the road. It's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

That being said, that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their car insurance. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of over 25% less per month by choosing General Casualty over State Farm.

But with both carriers, you'll see your premiums decrease significantly once you turn 25. For example, average rates for General Casualty policyholders drop more than 55% and State Farm's prices reduce almost 60% 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 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 prices.

When looking at General Casualty and State Farm specifically, which company is best for retired drivers? State Farm gets the edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older $13 less expensive than the national average for General Casualty.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but insurance prices tend to be more expensive for single policyholders than they are for married drivers. 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 premiums between these two companies is significant, with General Casualty rates coming in at about 10% less than State Farm's. The advantage for married couples with General Casualty is also obvious, where drivers save over 10% a month.

General Casualty or State Farm: Average Rates by Gender

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

With General Casualty, men generally pay nearly 10% more per month than women., and around 7% with State Farm.

Looking at the data for each carrier specifically, General Casualty offers the lowest average prices for both men and women. On average, male drivers save about $18 a month and women save about $20 with General Casualty compared to the average State Farm policyholder.

General Casualty vs. State Farm: 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 auto insurance can be a complicated subject for most people. Everyone needs insurance, but there are so many different limits and terms that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

The two most common policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (which provides bodily injury and property damage coverage for other drivers and passengers 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 liability insurance, General Casualty has the edge, with average monthly premiums coming in at $82. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, General Casualty again has the edge, with policies averaging around $195 per month to State Farm's $216.

Is General Casualty or State Farm Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

It's no secret secret that speeding tickets and at-fault accidents lead to higher premiums, but which company -- General Casualty or State Farm -- has the most affordable prices for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use General Casualty for their auto insurance can typically expect their monthly bill to go up about 32% after getting a speeding ticket. State Farm policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of around 14%.

Even so, General Casualty tends to offer the best prices for drivers both with a ticket and with a clean record, offering rates that are $44 and $22 cheaper, respectively, compared to State Farm.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

General Casualty drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their premiums rise by just under 40%, while those who have insurance through State Farm will see about a 20% increase.

At the end of the day, drivers who use General Casualty end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average prices coming in at $146 compared to State Farm's $163.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

On average, a DUI offense is going to cost you much more than a single collision or speeding ticket when it comes to your insurance bill. For example, General Casualty increases average rates by more than $95 a month -- that's more than a 50% increase.

How does Credit Score Impact General Casualty and State Farm Rates?

Did you know many car insurance companies take into account your credit score when determining premiums? This isn't true for everyone (for example, Michigan and California are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it will come into play for quite a few policyholders.

The reasoning insurance carriers use is that drivers with good credit will be more likely to pay their bills on time; so they'll reward them with cheaper prices, while those with poor credit will usually be forced to pay more.

Looking at General Casualty and State Farm specifically, which carrier has the best rates for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is General Casualty or State Farm 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, the more milage you put on your car 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 General Casualty charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly premiums for State Farm, with policyholders who drive 6,000 miles yearly paying around $13 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles each year. Still, for drivers in both categories, General Casualty is the more affordable carrier.

General Casualty or State Farm: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

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

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, General Casualty tends to offer the lowest option for drivers in urban and suburban areas, while State Farm wins in rural areas.

Those in rural areas can expect to save about 3% with State Farm compared to General Casualty. People who live in suburban areas pay around 17% less with General Casualty compared to State Farm. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, General Casualty's average premiums are about 18% less than State Farm.

General Casualty vs. State Farm Discounts

No matter 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 you can, and the best way to do that is by utilizing as many insurance discounts as possible.

But where do you even start? With what seems like a million different discounts out there, it may be difficult to find all the ones you qualify for.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and broke down all of the different discounts offered by both General Casualty and State Farm so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

State Farm blows General Casualty away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 23 different discounts to General Casualty's 12.

Both companies offer a lot of the same discounts -- like discounts for being a defensive driver, discounts for being a good driver, and discounts for being a good student -- but State Farm also offers discounts for ABS, annual mileage, drive safe & save, and more.

On the other hand, General Casualty has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like advance quote discounts, employee discounts, new vehicle discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is General Casualty or State Farm Best for You?

So, you've seen how different factors can affect your car insurance prices. We've broken down the different discounts each carrier offers, too. But, at the end of the day, is General Casualty or State Farm the right company for you and your specific profile and needs?

General Casualty might be best for you if....

• You will be the only person on the insurance policy.
• You're looking for the best rates on liability only coverage.
• You want to save money while purchasing auto insurance for a teenager.

State Farm might be best for you if...

• Your driving record includes a DUI charge.
• You care about discounts (State Farm offers the most).
• You're of retirement age and want to take advantage of lower prices.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between General Casualty and State Farm and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your 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 multiple carriers, not just General Casualty and State Farm. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of top car insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

General Casualty vs. State Farm FAQs

Is General Casualty or State Farm cheaper?

General Casualty is the less expensive of the two carriers when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $139 per month with General Casualty and $158 for State Farm. But that doesn't mean General Casualty will be the most affordable company for every driver, since there are lots of different variables that come into play when it comes to your insurance payment.

Who is better, General Casualty or State Farm?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No one carrier is necessarily "better" for each policyholder -- it all boils down to your unique auto insurance profile. For example, State Farm is cheaper for drivers who have already retired, while General Casualty offers more affordable rates for single policyholders.

Why do General Casualty and State Farm offer me different rates?

Car insurance companies use several different factors when calculating the premiums they charge. Things like gender, where your home is, age, your driving record, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both General Casualty and State Farm use different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different rates. The best way to determine which company is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from many different carriers.

How do I know if General Casualty or State Farm is right for me?

The only way to find the auto insurance carrier 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 do all the hard work for you. Just enter your area information and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance carriers for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best premium. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't General Casualty or State Farm 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.