Houston General vs. Mercury: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Houston General offers significantly cheaper prices than Mercury
• Houston General offers more affordable premiums for policyholders who have a clean driving record, free of accidents, tickets, or DUIs
• Mercury offers more discounts than Houston General Insurance Exchange

Houston General vs. Mercury: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you considering a new insurance policy? With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering big discounts, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Houston General or Mercury as your top options, but between the two, which company has less expensive rates for insurance?

Looking at the national average rates for both companies, Mercury is quite a bit more expensive than Houston General, with prices averaging $295 per month compared to just $160 with Houston General.

Even so, Houston General may not be the lowest or best option for each driver out there. Car insurance carriers 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 tons of other factors, so prices could change drastically from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of Houston General or Mercury is really the best for you, keep reading to see average rates for each company broken down by multiple different rate factors.

Houston General or Mercury: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Houston General and Mercury only compete against each other in Texas, where Houston General offers the cheaper average premiums. For Texas residents, undefined offers insurance for undefined monthly on average. undefined's average prices come out to be more expensive, at undefined a month.

That being said, there are plenty of other factors that go into your auto insurance bill than just your home state. Keep reading to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

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

But still, even with seemingly sky-high premiums, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Houston General for their auto insurance pay more than $400 less than those who use Mercury.

That being said, with both companies, you'll see your rates decrease significantly once you turn 25. For example, average premiums for Houston General policyholders reduce nearly $150 and Mercury's prices drop about $500 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll generally enjoy the most affordable insurance premiums 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 Houston General and Mercury specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? Houston General gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older over 50% more affordable than the national average for Mercury.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but car insurance rates 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 several cars, which can often earn you a discount.

When it comes to relationship status, Houston General is the clear winner for those who are single, with prices around $175 a month cheaper than Mercury, on average. The advantage for married policyholders with Houston General is also obvious, where drivers save almost 40% per month.

Houston General vs. Mercury: Average Rates by Gender

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

With Houston General, women generally pay more than $10 a month less than men, while with Mercury, the difference is closer to $14 per month.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, Houston General comes out as the lowest option for both genders, with average premiums 45% less for men and 47% cheaper for women.

Houston General or Mercury: 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, car insurance can be pretty complicated. There are so many different limits and coverages 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 bodily injury and property damage for other drivers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which typically refers to having comprehensive and collision coverages in addition to liability).

If you're looking for state minimum liability insurance, Houston General usually offers significantly more affordable rates of $83 compared to Mercury's $184. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Houston General again has the edge, with policies about $150 a month less expensive than Mercury, on average.

Is Houston General or Mercury 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.

Tickets and collisions will most likely raise your premiums, but is Houston General or Mercury more affordable for drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Houston General policyholders can expect their prices to go up an average of $37 per month if they get a ticket, while Mercury normally raises premiums around $57 a month, on average.

However, Houston General is typically the cheaper option for drivers both with clean records and with a speeding ticket, offering rates that are 53% and 50% less expensive, respectively, compared to Mercury Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Houston General drivers who get in a collision can expect to see their prices increase by over 50%, while those who have insurance through Mercury will see about a 30% increase.

Overall, drivers who use Houston General end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with monthly rates averaging $233 compared to Mercury Insurance's $346.

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 ticket or even an accident. For example, Mercury increases average prices by over $65 per month -- that's over a 20% increase.

How does Credit Score Impact Houston General and Mercury Rates?

In many cases, your credit score can be used as one of the factors to calculate your monthly auto insurance premiums. Certain states and carriers do not allow for credit score to be used as a rating factor, but it does affect a lot of policyholders out there.

The reasoning insurance companies 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 normally be forced to pay more.

Looking specifically at Mercury and Houston General, which one has the best premiums 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 Houston General or Mercury 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 auto insurance cost. Usually, the more miles you drive, the more you can expect to pay for coverage.

In this case, neither Houston General or Mercury report increasing rates for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. Even so, Houston General comes out as the cheapest for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their vehicle annually, with average premiums of $160 a month for both.

Houston General vs. Mercury: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you live can play a pretty big role in how much you pay for car insurance. Generally, those who live in urban areas will pay more than drivers in rural areas due to the number of cars that are on the roads in those areas.

Houston General boasts the most affordable average rates for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

If you live in a rural area, you can expect to pay around $165 per month with Houston General and $209 with Mercury. People in suburban areas pay about $149 with Houston General compared to Mercury's $275 a month. In urban areas, Houston General's average prices are around $166 per month compared to Mercury's $401.

Houston General vs. Mercury Discounts

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

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're eligible for.

In the section below, we've taken a look at all of the different discounts Houston General and Mercury offer their customers so that you can find the carrier that has the most discounts and, therefore, the biggest savings.

Mercury blows Houston General away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 27 different discounts to Houston General's eight.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like advance quote discounts, distant student discounts, and discounts for being a good student. Mercury also offers continuous insurance discounts, COVID-19 relief discount, defensive driver discounts, and more that Houston General does not.

On the flip side, Houston General has a unique discount of its own -- a excess vehicle discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Houston General or Mercury Best for You?

You've seen the role certain variables have on your car insurance and the different discounts carriers offer. But, when it comes down to it, which insurance carrier is the best company for you and your specific driver profile?

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

• Your driving record contains an at-fault accident.
• Your neighborhood is in a city.
• You've started working from home and don't have much of a commute.

Mercury might be best for you if...

• You're thinking about moving to another state -- undefined only offers policies to residents.
• You care about discounts (Mercury offers the most).

We hope this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Houston General and Mercury and that it aids in making a more informed 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 several companies, not just Houston General and Mercury. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of the top insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Houston General vs. Mercury FAQs

Is Houston General or Mercury cheaper?

Looking just at the national average rates, Houston General is the cheaper of the two companies, offering average rates of $160 a month compared to $295 for Mercury. But Houston General won't necessarily be the cheapest company for everyone, since there are a bunch of different factors that come into play when it comes to your auto insurance payment.

Who is better, Houston General or Mercury?

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

Why do Houston General and Mercury offer me different rates?

Insurance carriers take a look at several different variables when calculating the prices they charge policyholders. Factors like age, where you park your vehicle, your driving record, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Houston General and Mercury calculate premiums differently, so each one will most likely offer different rates. The only real way to see which company is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from many different companies.

How do I know if Houston General or Mercury is right for me?

The only way to find the auto 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, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best insurance companies in your area. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the lowest rate. And who knows, the best company for you might not be Houston General or Mercury 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.