Hanover vs. Patriot: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Patriot offers significantly more affordable premiums than Hanover
• Hanover may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Patriot Insurance
• Patriot offers more affordable rates for policyholders who have a clean record

Hanover or Patriot: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

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

You might be considering Hanover or Patriot as potential options, but between the two, which carrier will save you the most?

Looking at nationwide averages, Patriot is quite a bit cheaper than Hanover, with prices averaging $191 a month compared to $853 with Hanover.

However, that doesn't mean Patriot will necessarily be less expensive than Hanover for every single driver. Insurance carriers vary their premiums depending on things like how old you are, how clean your driving record is, how good your credit score is, where you live, and tons of other factors. So, at the end of the day, rates from every carrier will differ quite a bit from person to person.

Luckily, we've broken down average premiums from both Hanover and Patriot by many different rate factors, so read on to find out which company is the best for you.

Hanover vs. Patriot: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Hanover and Patriot only compete against each other in one states, with Patriot offering cheaper prices to the average driver in all of them. New Hampshire has the most noticable difference, where Patriot rates are $353 more affordable than auto insurance premiums at Hanover.

That being said, there are plenty of other factors that go into your insurance payment than just the state you live in. Continue reading to learn more about how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers generally pay a lot more for auto insurance than any group out there on the road. That's typically because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

Even so, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high car insurance prices. As you can see above, teens who use Patriot save over 80% per month compared to those who use Hanover.

But both companies will drop rates once you turn 25. For example, average premiums for Hanover policyholders decrease more than 60% and Patriot's rates lower over 55% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll normally enjoy the lowest insurance prices out there. You've been on the road for years, and all that experience pays off when it comes to your monthly rates for auto insurance.

When looking at Hanover and Patriot specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? Patriot gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older $485 cheaper than the national average for Hanover.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but car insurance premiums tend to be more expensive for single drivers than they are for married couples. That's usually because married drivers tend to own and insure multiple vehicles, which can often earn you a discount.

For those who are single, the difference in average rates between these two carriers is significant, with Patriot premiums coming in at around a quarter of Hanover's. The advantage is also clear for married policyholders - Patriot offers the most affordable average prices.

Hanover or Patriot: Average Rates by Gender

Because women are less likely to get into collisions and get tickets, they run a lower risk of filing a claim with insurance. So, insurance companies will often charge women less than men.

With Hanover, women typically pay about 7% a month less than men, and around 9% less with Patriot.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, Patriot offers the lowest average premiums for both men and women, with average prices $683 less for men and $641 cheaper for women.

Hanover vs. Patriot: 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.

For most people, auto insurance can be pretty complicated. There are so many different coverages and terms that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

That being said, most policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (which provides bodily injury and property damage coverage for other drivers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- alongside liability).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, Patriot has the significant edge, with average monthly rates coming in at $80. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Patriot again has the edge, with policies averaging about $303 per month to Hanover's 1196.

Is Hanover or Patriot Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

You've probably seen plenty of commercials from insurance carriers offering great prices 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 at-fault collisions and speeding tickets lead to higher premiums, but which carrier -- Hanover or Patriot -- has the most affordable rates for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Hanover for their car insurance can usually expect their monthly bill to go up around 26% after getting a speeding ticket. Patriot policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of about 21%.

Even so, Patriot is normally the less expensive option for drivers both with a ticket and with a clean record. With Patriot Insurance, drivers with a clean record can save around $533 a month and drivers with a speeding ticket can save about $731 per month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both companies will raise premiums pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault collision with Hanover climbing by around 35%. Patriot has a less extreme climb, but you can still expect to pay nearly 20% more than you were prior to your first accident.

At the end of the day, drivers who use Patriot end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average rates coming in at $103 compared to Hanover Insurance's $943.

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 -- generally a lot more than an accident or ticket. For example, Hanover increases average prices by nearly $400 a month -- that's just under a 40% increase.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable rates, Patriot tends to be cheaper for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at about $472 to Hanover's 1013.

How does Credit Score Impact Hanover and Patriot Rates?

In many cases, your credit score can be used as one of the factors to determine your monthly insurance premiums. This isn't true for everyone (for example, Michigan and Massachusetts are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it might come into play for quite a few drivers.

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

So, which company offers the cheapest prices for policyholders with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a solid credit score, Patriot will normally reward you the most. For drivers with "excellent" credit scores, Patriot comes in more than 27.27 less expensive. Drivers with "good" credit scores generally save around 67% with Patriot compared to average rates from Hanover.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Patriot typically offers lower prices than Hanover when it comes to drivers with bad credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about 78% per month less with Patriot compared to Hanover, and those with "poor" scores typically save an average of around 87% a month.

Is Hanover or Patriot 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 premiums. Usually, 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 Patriot charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly prices for Hanover, with policyholders who drive 6,000 miles annually paying about $1 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles each year. Still, for drivers in both categories, Patriot is the more affordable carrier.

Hanover or Patriot: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you park your vehicle can have a big impact on your monthly auto insurance bill. Typically, 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 where they live.

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

For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Patriot Insurance's average prices are around 80% less than Hanover Insurance. People who live in suburban areas pay about 76% less with Patriot compared to Hanover. Those in rural areas can expect to save around 76% with Patriot compared to Hanover.

Hanover vs. Patriot Discounts

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

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.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and compared all of the different discounts offered by Hanover and Patriot so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Hanover blows Patriot away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 10 more discounts than Patriot.

There are a couple discounts both companies offer, but Hanover also offers discounts for ABS, annual mileage, anti-theft, and more.

On the other hand, Patriot has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like full coverage discounts, life policy discounts, and renewal discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Hanover or Patriot Best for You?

You've seen the effect certain variables have on your insurance and the different discounts carriers offer. But, at the end of the day, is Hanover or Patriot the best fit for you?

Patriot might be best for you if....

• You have an at-fault collision on your record.
• Your neighborhood is in the suburbs.
• You drive fewer than 6,000 miles yearly.

Hanover might be best for you if...

• You care about discounts (Hanover offers the most).

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Hanover and Patriot. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision about your car insurance.

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your insurance policy is to compare quotes from multiple companies, not just Hanover and Patriot. 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 auto insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Hanover vs. Patriot FAQs

Is Hanover or Patriot cheaper?

Patriot is the cheaper of the two companies when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $191 a month with Patriot and $853 for Hanover. But that doesn't mean Patriot will be the cheapest company for everyone, since there are multiple different factors (things like age, gender, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Hanover or Patriot?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No single carrier is necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all comes down to what your unique car insurance profile looks like.

Why do Hanover and Patriot offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers use several different variables when determining the rates they charge. Factors such as where your home is, where you live, age, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Hanover and Patriot calculate premiums differently, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which company is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from several different companies.

How do I know if Hanover or Patriot is right for me?

The only way to find the insurance carrier 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, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your information once and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top auto insurance companies 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 Hanover or Patriot 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.