Hanover vs. Main Street America: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for car insurance, Main Street America offers significantly cheaper premiums than Hanover
• Hanover offers more discounts than Main Street America Insurance
• Main Street America tends to be a much more affordable option for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit

Hanover vs. Main Street America: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you in the market for a new insurance policy? After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering substantial discounts. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You might be considering Hanover or Main Street America as potential options, but which company will offer you less expensive prices?

Looking at nationwide averages, Main Street America is quite a bit cheaper than Hanover, with rates averaging $227 per month compared to $853 with Hanover.

However, Main Street America may not be the lowest or best option for every single driver out there. After all, insurance companies can offer drastically different rates to each driver depending on rating factors like your age, your driving record, your credit score, or even where you call home (among other things), so premiums will vary quite a bit from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of Hanover or Main Street America is really the best for you, keep reading to see average prices for each company broken down by a range of different rate factors.

Hanover or Main Street America: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Hanover and Main Street America only compete against each other in one states, with Main Street America offering more affordable premiums to the average driver in all of them. New York has the most noticable difference, where Main Street America prices are over 60% less expensive than car insurance rates at Hanover.

That being said, there are plenty of other factors that go into your auto insurance bill than just where you call home. Keep reading to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

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

That being said, that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their car insurance. As you can see above, teens who use Main Street America save more than $500 a month compared to those who use Hanover.

But both carriers will decrease rates by the time you turn 25. For example, average prices for Hanover policyholders reduce over $500 and Main Street America's rates drop about $250 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

So, which carrier offers the best prices to retired drivers? Main Street America gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older $432 cheaper than the national average for Hanover.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Single policyholders tend to get offered slightly more expensive insurance premiums than married couples. This usually boils down to married policyholders having more than one car on their policy -- something quite a few auto insurance companies will reward with discounts.

When it comes to relationship status, Main Street America is the clear winner for those who are single, with prices around $735 per month more affordable than Hanover, on average. The advantage for married drivers with Main Street America is also obvious, where drivers save nearly 75% a month.

Hanover vs. Main Street America: Average Rates by Gender

Did you know women tend to pay less for insurance than men? This is because men are more likely to get tickets and get into collisions, which raises the chances of an insurance claim.

On average, men see premiums about $60 per month higher with Hanover, but surprisingly, with Main Street America, men usually pay around $6 a month less than women.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, Main Street America comes out on top for both men and women. On average, male drivers save about $659 per month and women save about $593 with Main Street America compared to the average Hanover policyholder.

Hanover or Main Street America: 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 car insurance can be a complicated subject for most people. Everyone needs auto insurance, but there are so many different limits and coverages that it can be hard to find the right policy.

Even so, the most common policies that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (which provides property damage and bodily injury coverage for other drivers and passengers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes comprehensive and collision coverages that protect your own vehicle, in addition to liability coverage).

If you're looking for state minimum liability insurance, Main Street America normally offers significantly cheaper rates of $159 compared to Hanover's $509. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Main Street America again has the edge, with policies around $500 a month less expensive than Hanover, on average.

Is Hanover or Main Street America Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

You've probably seen plenty of commercials from car insurance carriers offering great premiums 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 rates, but is Hanover or Main Street America cheaper for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Hanover policyholders can expect their prices to go up an average of $221 per month if they get a ticket, while Main Street America usually raises rates about $61 a month, on average.

However, Main Street America has less expensive premiums for drivers in both categories, offering prices that are 72% and 72% more affordable, respectively, compared to Hanover Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Hanover drivers who get in a collision can expect to see their rates increase by just under $350, while those who have insurance through Main Street America will see around a $40 increase.

Overall, drivers who use Main Street America end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with monthly premiums averaging $215 compared to Hanover Insurance's $943.

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 an accident. On average, Hanover will raise your prices about 39% after a DUI, while Main Street America's average premiums climb by just under 40%.

If you have a DUI on your record and are looking for more affordable prices, Main Street America tends to be the much less expensive option with average rates of $283 monthly compared to 1013 from Hanover.

How does Credit Score Impact Hanover and Main Street America Rates?

You may not realized it, but your credit score can be used as one of the factors to calculate your monthly insurance premiums. This isn't always the case (for example, Hawaii and Michigan are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it might come into play for lots of policyholders.

Car insurance companies argue that those with poor credit scores are less likely to pay their bills on time every month, which increases the risk involved on their end, while the opposite is true for those with good credit.

So, which carrier offers the best rates for drivers with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a great credit score, you'll usually find a better deal with Main Street America. Policyholders with "excellent" credit can save over 50% compared to Hanover, and those with "good" scores can also expect to see savings -- around $389 or 74% cheaper each month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Main Street America typically offers lower prices than Hanover when it comes to drivers with less-than-perfect credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about $677 per month less with Main Street America compared to Hanover, and those with "poor" scores generally save an average of around 1420 a month.

Is Hanover or Main Street America Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a sizable impact on how much insurance carriers will charge for coverage. That's because the more miles you drive, the more likely you are to get into a collision and cause an insurance claim.

Main Street America tends to be the more affordable option for both drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicles every year, as well as those who average twice that figure. Main Street America's average rates for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in about $627 less expensive than Hanover. Those who drive 12,000 miles annually can expect to pay around $624 less with Main Street America over Hanover.

Hanover vs. Main Street America: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you live can play a considerable role in how much you pay for auto insurance. Typically, 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.

Main Street America boasts the most affordable average premiums for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Drivers in rural ZIP codes see the cheapest prices from both companies, but Main Street America comes out on top with average rates about $188 per month. Main Street America also has more affordable average premiums for policyholders in urban and suburban ZIP codes -- a 73% and 73% a month respective difference when compared to Hanover drivers in similar areas.

Hanover vs. Main Street America Discounts

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

The challenging part is finding all of the discounts you qualify for, since it can feel sometimes like every carrier has different discounts and each one is advertised differently.

Below, we've taken a look at all of the different discounts Hanover and Main Street America offer their customers so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the biggest savings.

Looking at the total number of discounts, Hanover comes out ahead with 21 discounts to Main Street America's 18.

Both carriers offer quite a few of the same discounts -- like anti-theft discounts, distant student discounts, discounts for getting driver training, and discounts for being a good driver -- but Hanover also offers advance quote discounts, annual mileage discounts, education discounts, and more that Main Street America does not.

On the flip side, Main Street America has a couple unique discounts of its own -- good payer discounts, new business discounts, new vehicle discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Hanover or Main Street America Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average prices for many of the variables insurance companies look at, and walked through the different discounts each company offers, too. But, when it comes down to it, which carrier is the best carrier for you and your specific needs?

Main Street America might be best for you if....

• You have a speeding ticket on your driving record.
• You have above-average credit.
• You've started working from home and don't have much of a commute.

Hanover might be best for you if...

• You're looking for the company with the most discounts.

We hope this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Hanover and Main Street America. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision when it comes to your auto insurance.

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your car insurance policy is to compare quotes from several carriers, not just Hanover and Main Street America. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get free quotes from dozens of top auto insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Hanover vs. Main Street America FAQs

Is Hanover or Main Street America cheaper?

Looking just at the national average premiums, Main Street America is the cheaper of the two carriers, offering average rates of $227 per month compared to $853 for Hanover. But Main Street America won't necessarily be the lowest carrier for everyone, since there are many different factors (things like age, driving record, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Hanover or Main Street America?

Unfortunately, the answer truly is "it depends.". Neither company is "better" for everyone -- it all boils down to your unique car insurance profile.

Why do Hanover and Main Street America offer me different rates?

Insurance companies take a look at many different variables when calculating the rates they charge policyholders. Factors like your driving record, age, where your home is, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Hanover and Main Street America calculate premiums differently, so each one will most likely offer different rates. The only real way to see which carrier is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a bunch of different carriers.

How do I know if Hanover or Main Street America is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple 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 information once and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best auto insurance carriers in your area. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the most affordable rate. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be Hanover or Main Street America 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.