Kemper vs. Safe Auto: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Wondering if Kemper or Safe Auto is the best car insurance carrier for you, your vehicle, and your wallet? We've broken down all the rates and discounts for both companies to help you make a more informed decision. Read on to learn more.
Newly insured car driving down the road
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Quick Facts

  • In general, Safe Auto offers slightly cheaper prices than Kemper
  • Kemper offers more affordable premiums for policyholders who have a clean driving record, free of collisions, tickets, or DUIs
  • Safe Auto offers less expensive average rates for policyholders whose driving record contains an at-fault collision


Kemper or Safe Auto: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're considering switching to a new insurance policy. With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering huge savings, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Kemper or Safe Auto as your top options, but which company will save you the most?

Kemper Safe Auto
$235$223

As you can see, Kemper is around $12 more a month than Safe Auto when looking at the national average rates for auto insurance.

That being said, that doesn't mean Safe Auto will necessarily be more affordable than Kemper for every driver. Car insurance carriers use a ton of complex algorithms to determine prices, so depending on how good your credit score is or how old you are (among lots of other factors), you could see wildly different premiums from the ones above.

So, if you want to find out which of Kemper or Safe Auto is really the best for you, keep reading to see average prices for each company broken down by multiple different rate factors.

Kemper vs. Safe Auto: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

State Kemper Safe Auto
MO$266$271

Kemper and Safe Auto only compete against each other in one states, with Kemper offering cheaper rates to the average driver in all of them. Missouri has the most noticable difference, where Kemper premiums are $5 less expensive than insurance rates at Safe Auto.

But there's more to calculating auto insurance prices than just the state you live in. Continue reading to see how other variables will affect your rates.


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Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Kemper Safe Auto
18-year-old drivers$490$443
25-year-old drivers$213$211

Young drivers -- especially teens -- generally pay a lot for car insurance compared to older drivers. The reason is that teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

However, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high insurance premiums. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of over 10% less per month by choosing Safe Auto over Kemper.

Even so, with both companies, you'll see your rates reduce significantly once you turn 25. Safe Auto offers the steepest drop, with 25-year-olds paying less than half what 18-year-old drivers are charged. Kemper's average prices decrease more than 55% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Kemper Safe Auto
65+-year-old drivers$179$179

When it comes to auto insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the cheapest premiums you'll ever find.

So, which carrier offers the best rates to retired drivers? In this case, Kemper has the slight edge, with premiums about $0 a month less than Safe Auto. But that difference is less than 5%, which means it ultimately will come down to other factors, like your credit score or where you live.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Kemper Safe Auto
Single$272$259
Married$185$175

Married drivers tend to get slightly more affordable insurance prices than those who are single. This usually boils down to married couples having more than one vehicle on their policy -- something quite a few car insurance carriers will reward with discounts.

If you're in the market for auto insurance, Safe Auto tends to have the most affordable average premiums regardless of if you're married or single, with prices around $15 less expensive for single drivers and about $10 cheaper for married policyholders.

Kemper or Safe Auto: Average Rates by Gender

Kemper Safe Auto
Male$244$231
Female$225$214

Did you know women tend to pay less for car insurance than men? This is because men are statistically more likely than women to get speeding tickets and get into accidents, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher rates.

Usually, women see prices almost $20 per month more affordable with Kemper, and around $15 cheaper with Safe Auto when compared to their male counterparts.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, Safe Auto comes out as the lowest option for both genders, with average premiums $13 less for men and $11 cheaper for women.


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Kemper vs. Safe Auto: Compare State Minimum vs. Full Coverage Rates

Kemper Safe Auto
State Minimum*$139$126
Full Coverage**$331$320

*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.

Insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. Everyone needs auto insurance, but there are so many different coverages and limits that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

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

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, Safe Auto has the slight edge, with average monthly rates coming in at $126. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Safe Auto again has the edge, with policies averaging about $320 a month to Kemper's $331.

Is Kemper or Safe Auto Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no secret -- drivers with good records end up getting the best deals on their car insurance. But that's not to say you can't save money if you don't have the best driving record, either.

It's no secret secret that speeding tickets and at-fault accidents lead to higher prices, but which carrier -- Kemper or Safe Auto -- has the cheapest premiums for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Kemper Safe Auto
Clean Record$174$180
1 Speeding Ticket$219$220

Policyholders who use Kemper for their insurance can normally expect their monthly bill to go up around 21% after getting a speeding ticket. Safe Auto policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of about 18%.

But Kemper is typically the cheaper option for drivers both with a ticket and with a clean record -- their rates are around 3% less expensive for drivers with clean records and 0% more affordable for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Kemper Safe Auto
Clean Record$174$180
1 At-Fault Accident$259$246

After an accident, drivers who have their auto insurance through Kemper can expect to see around an $85 -- or about 33% -- rise in their car insurance prices. Drivers who use Safe Auto for their auto insurance will see a monthly bill around $66 (or 27%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their insurance company.

At the end of the day, drivers who use Safe Auto end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average rates coming in at $246 compared to Kemper's $259.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

Kemper Safe Auto
Clean Record$174$180
1 DUI$287$245

If you get a DUI charge on your record, it's probably going to cost you more than a simple speeding ticket or even a collision. Kemper drivers usually see a 39% climb in their auto insurance prices after a DUI charge, while Safe Auto will usually raise rates by about 27%.


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How does Credit Score Impact Kemper and Safe Auto Rates?

Did you know many car insurance companies take into account your credit score when determining premiums? Certain states and carriers do not allow for credit score to be used as a car insurance factor, but it might come into play for several drivers.

Insurance companies argue that someone with bad credit is less likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them riskier to insure. Because of that, policyholders with bad credit will often be forced to pay more.

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Kemper Safe Auto
Excellent Credit Score$175$187
Good Credit Score$208$222

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Kemper Safe Auto
Fair Credit Score$240$230
Poor Credit Score$323$252

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Is Kemper or Safe Auto Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

Kemper Safe Auto
6,000 Annual Miles$234$223
12,000 Annual Miles$235$223

Did you know that the amount of time you spend in your car have a sizable impact on how much auto insurance carriers will charge for coverage? Typically, the more milage you drive, the more you can expect to pay for car insurance.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Safe Auto charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly premiums for Kemper, with policyholders who drive the least paying around $1 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, for drivers in both categories, Safe Auto is the cheaper company.

Kemper or Safe Auto: 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 insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a pretty big impact as well. Generally, if you live in an urban area with more cars on the road, you'll pay a little more for auto insurance, while the opposite is true for people in rural areas.

Kemper Safe Auto
Urban Areas$296$271
Suburban Areas$226$200
Rural Areas$182$197

When comparing these two companies side-by-side, Safe Auto tends to offer the lowest option for drivers in urban and suburban areas, while Kemper wins in rural areas.

For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Safe Auto's average rates are about 8% less than Kemper. People who live in suburban areas pay around 12% less with Safe Auto compared to Kemper. Those in rural areas can expect to save about 8% with Kemper compared to Safe Auto.

Kemper vs. Safe Auto 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, and 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 challenging to find all the ones you're eligible for or to nail down the company that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts Kemper and Safe Auto offer their customers so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Kemper Safe Auto
AAA Discount 
ABS Discount 
Advance Quote Discount 
Agency Transfer Discount 
Anti-Theft Discount
Claim Free Discount 
Continuous Insurance Discount 
Defensive Driver Discount
Distant Student Discount 
Driver Training Discount
DRL Discount 
EFT Discount 
ESC Discount 
Full Coverage Discount 
Good Driving Discount 
Good Student Discount 
Group Discount 
Homeowner Discount
Mature Driver Discount 
Military Discount

Kemper blows Safe Auto away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 10 more discounts than Safe Auto.

There are a couple discounts both carriers offer, but Kemper also offers discounts for AAA, ABS, advance quote, and more.

On the other hand, Safe Auto has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like agency transfer discounts, claim free discounts, non-owner discounts, and more.


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Final Thoughts: Is Kemper or Safe Auto Best for You?

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your insurance premiums. We've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers, too. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, is Kemper or Safe Auto the best one for you and your specific profile and needs?

Safe Auto might be best for you if....

  • You're thinking about moving to another state -- undefined only offers policies to residents.
  • You live in an urban area.
  • You have a short commute.


Kemper might be best for you if...

  • You've received a ticket for speeding recently and don't want to see your rates climb.
  • You want to save extra money with discounts.
  • You're of retirement age and want to take advantage of lower prices.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Kemper and Safe Auto and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your car insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your auto insurance policy is to compare quotes from several companies, not just Kemper and Safe Auto. Luckily, Compare.com makes 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.


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Kemper vs. Safe Auto FAQs

Is Kemper or Safe Auto cheaper?

Safe Auto is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $223 per month with Safe Auto and $235 for Kemper. That being said, that doesn't mean Safe Auto will be the cheapest company for each policyholder, since there are a range of different factors (things like age, gender, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Kemper or Safe Auto?

Unfortunately, the answer truly is "it depends.". No single carrier is "better" for every policyholder -- it all boils down to your unique auto insurance profile. For example, Kemper is more affordable for drivers who have already retired, while Safe Auto offers cheaper rates for single drivers.

Why do Kemper and Safe Auto offer me different rates?

Car insurance carriers use a lot of different variables when calculating the prices they charge. Things such as age, where you call home, gender, your driving record, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Kemper and Safe Auto calculate premiums using different factors, 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 companies.

How do I know if Kemper or Safe Auto 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 area information and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top car insurance companies for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the most affordable premium. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Kemper or Safe Auto 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.

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