Island vs. Progressive: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for car insurance, Progressive offers less expensive premiums than Island
• Island offers more affordable rates for policyholders who have a clean record
• Progressive tends to be a much more affordable option for policyholders who live in urban areas

Island or Progressive: 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 hefty savings. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed your search down to Island or Progressive as your top options, but between the two, which one has cheaper prices for insurance?

As you can see, Progressive has average rates that are around 14% a month more affordable than those from Island when looking at the national average rates for car insurance.

Even so, that doesn't mean Progressive will necessarily be less expensive than Island for every single driver. After all, auto insurance carriers can offer drastically different rates to every driver depending on rating factors like your driving record, your credit score, where you call home, or even your age (among other things). So, at the end of the day, premiums from each carrier will differ quite a bit from person to person.

Wanting to know if Island or Progressive is really the right company for you? Keep on reading to see how average rates can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

Island vs. Progressive: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Island and Progressive only compete against each other in Hawaii, where Progressive offers the cheaper average prices. Progressive drivers tend to pay about $71 per month less on average compared to drivers who use Island for their car insurance.

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

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- typically pay a lot for insurance compared to older drivers. Generally, that's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

That being said, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high auto insurance rates. As you can see above, teens who use Island save almost 55% a month compared to those who use Progressive.

However, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower premiums by the time drivers turn 25. Progressive offers the steepest reduction, with 25-year-olds paying less than a third of what 18-year-old drivers are charged. Island's average prices drop about 0% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to car insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the cheapest rates you can find.

But who has the best prices for retired drivers between Island and Progressive? Progressive gets the edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older nearly 40% cheaper than the national average for Island.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that insurance rates are usually less expensive for married policyholders than they are for single policyholders? That's because policies for married couples normally cover more than one vehicle, which quite a few companies will give you a discount for.

For single drivers, the difference in average prices between these two carriers is not very significant, with Island premiums coming in at around 5% less than Progressive's. But for married drivers, the advantage is clear - Progressive has the edge when it comes to average rates.

Island or Progressive: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into a collision or get pulled over for speeding, which means they'll generally end up paying more for auto insurance than women.

Men and women end up paying the same monthly prices with Island, and about $5 with Progressive.

Looking at overall affordability, Progressive comes out as the lowest option for both genders, with average rates $27 less for men and $32 cheaper for women.

Island vs. Progressive: 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 pretty complicated. Everyone needs insurance, but there are so many different terms and coverages 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 (that covers property damage and bodily injury for other drivers and their passengers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- alongside what you get with a liability policy).

When it comes to state minimum limits for liability insurance, Island has the edge, while Progressive offers the cheapest average premiums for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Policyholders looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $6 with Island Insurance, while full coverage comes out to be around $65 more affordable with Progressive.

Is Island or Progressive 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 speeding tickets and collisions on your record, but which of these two companies offers the most affordable rates to drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Drivers who use Island for their car insurance can usually expect their monthly bill to go up about 8% after getting a speeding ticket. Progressive policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of around 17%.

But Island has cheaper prices for drivers in both categories, offering premiums that are $79 and $104 less expensive, respectively, compared to Progressive.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both carriers will raise prices pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault collision with Progressive increasing by about 30%. Island has a less extreme climb, but you can still expect to pay nearly 25% more than you were prior to your first accident.

At the end of the day, Island offers the lowest premiums for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average rates coming in at $93 compared to Progressive's $214.

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 a collision. On average, Island will climb your prices around 88% after a DUI, while Progressive's average rates increase by more than 15%.

How does Credit Score Impact Island and Progressive Rates?

Did you know many auto insurance companies take into account your credit score when determining premiums? 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 many policyholders.

Insurance carriers argue that someone with good credit is more likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them less risky to insure. Because of that, drivers with good credit will often be rewarded with more affordable rates.

Looking at Island and Progressive specifically, which company has the most affordable prices for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Generally, if you have great credit, you can expect to be rewarded. With Progressive, improving your score from "good" to "excellent" will typically save you about 15%. On the other hand, Island doesn't have data available for credit scores, which means they most likely don't use credit to calculate your premiums.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

If you have bad credit, it can cost you with Progressive. For drivers with less-than-stellar credit, at Progressive, you may pay around 25% per month more if you have "poor" credit compared to those with "fair" scores. It's an even larger difference when compared to drivers with "good" or "excellent" scores. On the other hand, Island doesn't have data available for credit scores, which means drivers with bad credit could find better rates with Island over Progressive.

Is Island or Progressive Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

Did you know that the amount of time you spend in your car have a pretty big impact on your monthly prices? That's because the fewer miles you put on your car, the less likely you are to be in an accident and file an insurance claim.

In this case, neither Island or Progressive report increasing premiums for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. That being said, Progressive comes out as the lowest for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their vehicle every year, with average rates of $180 a month for both.

Island or Progressive: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

We've already mentioned how your home state can play a role in how much you pay for car insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a large impact as well. Normally, drivers who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural policyholders because of the number of cars that are on the roads where they live.

Progressive tends to offer the most affordable rates for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Progressive's average prices are about 5% less than Island Insurance. People who live in suburban areas pay around 18% less with Progressive compared to Island. Those in rural areas can expect to save about 20% with Progressive compared to Island.

Island vs. Progressive Discounts

No matter why you might be in the market for a new insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as you can. That's where auto insurance discounts comes into play.

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be challenging to nail down the company 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 Island and Progressive so that you can see which carrier offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Progressive blows Island away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 34 different discounts to Island's seven.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like ABS discounts, discounts for insuring multiple cars with the same company, and passive restraint discounts. Progressive also offers discounts for advance quote, advanced safety feature, agency transfer, and more.

On the other hand, Island has a few proprietary discounts of their own like employee discounts and special customer discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Island or Progressive Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average premiums for many of the factors car insurance companies look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers. But, at the end of the day, is Island or Progressive the best company for you and your specific needs?

Progressive might be best for you if....

• You're thinking about moving to another state -- undefined only offers policies to residents.
• You care about discounts (Progressive offers the most).
• You're of retirement age and want to take advantage of lower rates.

Island might be best for you if...

• You will be the only person on the insurance policy.
• You want to save money on your auto insurance after a collision.
• You want to save money while purchasing car insurance for a teenager.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Island and Progressive and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your insurance.

But, at the end of the day, there's only one way to know for sure that you're getting the best possible deal on car insurance -- comparing quotes from a handful of carriers, not just Island and Progressive. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple quotes from some of the best auto insurance companies in your area, all for free.

Island vs. Progressive FAQs

Is Island or Progressive cheaper?

Progressive is the cheaper of the two carriers when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $180 per month with Progressive and $210 for Island. Even so, that doesn't mean Progressive will be the cheapest company for each policyholder, since there are several different variables (things like driving record, age, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Island or Progressive?

Sadly, the answer truly is "it depends.". No single carrier is "better" for every policyholder -- it all comes down to what your unique car insurance profile looks like. For example, Progressive is less expensive for drivers who have already retired, while Island offers cheaper prices for single policyholders.

Why do Island and Progressive offer me different rates?

Insurance companies use a lot of different factors when calculating the rates they charge. Variables like where you park your vehicle, gender, where your home is, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Island and Progressive use different formulas, 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 many different carriers.

How do I know if Island or Progressive is right for me?

The only way to find the auto insurance carrier 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 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 rate. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Island or Progressive 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.