Hastings Mutual vs. State Farm: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for car insurance, State Farm offers significantly cheaper premiums than Hastings Mutual
• Hastings Mutual has less expensive prices for policyholders whose driving record contains an at-fault collision
• State Farm tends to be a much more affordable option for policyholders who live in rural neighborhoods

Hastings Mutual or State Farm: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

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

You might have narrowed it down to Hastings Mutual or State Farm, but between the two, which one will save you the most?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, Hastings Mutual has average rates that are around 25% a month more expensive than those from State Farm.

That being said, that doesn't mean State Farm will necessarily be less expensive than Hastings Mutual for every single driver. Insurance companies vary their premiums depending on things like how clean your driving record is, where you live, how old you are, how good your credit score is, and a ton of other factors, so prices could differ drastically from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of Hastings Mutual or State Farm is really the best for you, keep reading to see average rates for each carrier broken down by a variety of different rate factors.

Hastings Mutual vs. State Farm: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Hastings Mutual and State Farm compete against each other in six states, with State Farm offering more affordable prices to the average driver in all of them. Illinois has the most noticable difference, where State Farm rates are $108 cheaper than car insurance premiums at Hastings Mutual.

There are plenty of other factors that go into your auto insurance cost than just the state you live in. Keep reading to find out more.

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.

However, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high car insurance prices. As you can see above, teens who use State Farm save over 6% per month compared to those who use Hastings Mutual.

But both carriers will offer you dramatically lower premiums by the time you turn 25. State Farm offers the steepest reduction, with 25-year-olds paying less than a third of what 18-year-old drivers are charged. Hastings Mutual's average prices decrease more than 45% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

When looking at Hastings Mutual and State Farm specifically, which company is best for retired drivers? State Farm gets the edge here, with average prices coming in at about $111 a month compared to Hastings Mutual's $167.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that car insurance rates are normally more expensive for single policyholders than they are for married policyholders? That's generally because married couples tend to own and insure several vehicles, which can often earn you a discount.

For single drivers, the difference in average premiums between these two companies is significant, with State Farm prices coming in at a quarter less than Hastings Mutual's. The advantage for married drivers with State Farm is also obvious, where drivers save over 30% a month.

Hastings Mutual or State Farm: Average Rates by Gender

You may not know, but auto insurance is usually more expensive for men than for women. That's because women are less likely to get into accidents and get tickets, which lowers the chances of filing a claim with insurance.

Women normally pay around $5 per month less than men with Hastings Mutual, but with State Farm, the difference is closer to $12 a month.

Looking at overall affordability, State Farm comes out as the most affordable option for both genders, with average rates $49 less for men and $56 cheaper for women.

Hastings Mutual 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 insurance can be pretty complicated. There are a range of different coverages that account for a bunch of different things. Some protect you and your car, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause a collision.

Even so, most policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (which covers the other party's property damage and injuries if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which typically refers to having collision and comprehensive coverages alongside liability).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability limits, State Farm has the significant edge, with average monthly premiums coming in at $99. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, State Farm again has the edge, with policies averaging about $216 per month to Hastings Mutual's $279.

Is Hastings Mutual or State Farm 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 at-fault accidents and speeding tickets on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the lowest rates to drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Hastings Mutual for their insurance can generally expect their monthly bill to go up around 16% after getting a speeding ticket. State Farm policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of about 14%.

That being said, Hastings Mutual is normally the less expensive option for both drivers who have a recent ticket and those with clean records, offering premiums that are $25 and $26 cheaper, respectively, compared to State Farm.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their car insurance through Hastings Mutual can expect to see around an $17 -- or about 13% -- rise in their insurance prices. Drivers who use State Farm for their car insurance will see a monthly bill around $29 (or 18%) more expensive after reporting a collision to their auto insurance carrier.

At the end of the day, the more affordable premiums come from Hastings Mutual, with average prices coming in at $126 compared to State Farm's $163.

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, Hastings Mutual will increase your rates about 77% after a DUI, while State Farm's average prices climb by more than 25%.

How does Credit Score Impact Hastings Mutual and State Farm Rates?

Often times, your credit score can be used as one of the variables to determine your monthly car insurance rates. This isn't true for everyone (Massachusetts, for example, has banned the use of credit score as an insurance factor) but it will come into play for quite a few drivers.

Insurance companies argue that those with good credit scores are more likely to pay their bills on time every month, which reduces the risk involved on their end, while the opposite is true for those with bad credit.

So, which company offers the best premiums for policyholders 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 Hastings Mutual 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 your monthly rates. Typically, those who drive less will end up with less expensive prices 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 Hastings Mutual charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly premiums for State Farm, with policyholders who drive the least paying around $13 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, for drivers in both categories, State Farm is the cheaper carrier.

Hastings Mutual or State Farm: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you live can play a pretty big role in how much you pay for auto insurance. Usually, 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.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, State Farm generally comes out as the most affordable option for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save about $37 with State Farm compared to Hastings Mutual. People who live in suburban areas pay around $16 less with State Farm compared to Hastings Mutual. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, State Farm's average prices are about $106 less than Hastings Mutual Insurance Company.

Hastings Mutual vs. State Farm 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. That's where car insurance discounts comes into play.

The challenging 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 Hastings Mutual and State Farm so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

State Farm blows Hastings Mutual away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 23 different discounts to Hastings Mutual's 10.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like anti-theft discounts, discounts for being a good driver, and discounts for being a good student. State Farm also offers discounts for annual mileage, distant student, drive safe & save, and more.

On the other hand, Hastings Mutual has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like company car discounts, prior carrier discounts, and workloss exclusion discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Hastings Mutual or State Farm Best for You?

So, you've seen how different factors can affect your insurance premiums. We've broken down the different discounts each carrier offers, too. But, when it comes down to it, which insurance company is the right company for you and your specific driver profile?

State Farm might be best for you if....

• You care about discounts (State Farm offers the most).
• You live in a rural area.
• You want to save money while purchasing car insurance for a teenager.

Hastings Mutual might be best for you if...

• You don't have any speeding tickets, DUIs, or at-fault collisions on your record.
• You've received a ticket for speeding recently and don't want to see your rates increase.
• You want to save money on your auto insurance after an accident.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Hastings Mutual and State Farm. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision about your 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 a handful of companies, not just Hastings Mutual and State Farm. 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 carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Hastings Mutual vs. State Farm FAQs

Is Hastings Mutual or State Farm cheaper?

State Farm is the more affordable of the two companies when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $158 a month with State Farm and $211 for Hastings Mutual. But that doesn't mean State Farm will be the cheapest carrier for every policyholder, since there are lots of different variables that are considered when it comes to your car insurance bill.

Who is better, Hastings Mutual or State Farm?

Sadly, the answer truly is "it depends.". No one company is necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all boils down to your unique auto insurance profile.

Why do Hastings Mutual and State Farm offer me different rates?

Insurance carriers use many different factors when determining the rates they charge. Variables like where you park your car, gender, where you call home, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Hastings Mutual and State Farm use different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different premiums. The best way to determine which carrier is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from several different companies.

How do I know if Hastings Mutual or State Farm is right for me?

The only way to find the auto insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from several carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your information once and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance companies for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the cheapest rate. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Hastings Mutual 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.