Main Street America vs. Penn National: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for auto insurance, Penn National offers slightly more affordable rates than Main Street America
• Main Street America offers more discounts than Penn National Insurance
• Penn National tends to be a much cheaper option for policyholders who may not have much of a commute

Main Street America vs. Penn National: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're considering switching your auto insurance. You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering hefty discounts, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Main Street America or Penn National as your top options, but which one has less expensive prices for insurance?

As you can see, Penn National is about $9 per month cheaper than Main Street America when looking at the national average rates for car insurance.

That being said, Penn National may not be the most affordable or best option for every driver out there. After all, insurance companies can offer drastically different rates to each driver depending on rating factors like your driving record, your age, where you call home, or even your credit score (among other things), so rates will differ quite a bit from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of Main Street America or Penn National is really the best for you, keep reading to see average premiums for each company broken down by many different rate factors.

Main Street America or Penn National: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Main Street America and Penn National only compete against each other in one states, with Penn National offering more affordable prices to the average driver in all of them. Virginia has the most noticable difference, where Penn National rates are over 40% less expensive than auto insurance prices at Main Street America.

But there's more to calculating insurance premiums than just your home state. Read on to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers generally pay a lot more for car insurance than any group on the road. It's usually 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 prices, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Penn National for their auto insurance pay $4 less than those who use Main Street America.

But both carriers will offer you dramatically lower rates once you turn 25. For example, average premiums for Main Street America policyholders reduce more than $250 and Penn National's rates decrease nearly $300 over that time.

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 lowest prices you can find.

But who has the best premiums for retired drivers between Main Street America and Penn National? Penn National gets the slight edge here, with average prices coming in at around $163 per month compared to Main Street America's $181.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Those who are single tend to get offered slightly more expensive insurance premiums than married policyholders. That's normally because married drivers tend to own and insure more than one car, which can often earn you a discount.

If you're in the market for auto insurance, Penn National tends to have the most affordable average rates regardless of relationship status, with prices about $4 cheaper for married couples and around $15 less expensive for single drivers.

Main Street America vs. Penn National: Average Rates by Gender

Because men are more likely to get speeding tickets and get into collisions, they have a higher chance of filing a claim with insurance. Therefore, men tend to pay more for insurance than women.

Surprisingly, women typically pay about $6 a month more than men with Main Street America, while with Penn National, the difference is closer to $5 per month.

When it comes to the cheapest premiums for each gender, Penn National comes out on top for both men and women, with average prices 2% less for men and 7% cheaper for women.

Main Street America or Penn National: 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 a bunch of different coverages that account for several different things. Some protect you and your vehicle, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause an accident.

Even so, most policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability only (which provides property damage and bodily injury coverage for other drivers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes comprehensive and collision coverages that protect your own vehicle, alongside liability coverage).

If you're looking for state minimum liability limits, Penn National normally offers slightly more affordable rates of $144 compared to Main Street America's $159. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Penn National again has the edge, with policies around $3 a month less expensive than Main Street America, on average.

Is Main Street America or Penn National Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no big secret that drivers who are accident-free get better deals on their car insurance. But even if you have a spotty record, you can still find plenty of ways to save some cash on your monthly bill.

It's no secret secret that accidents and tickets lead to higher prices, but which carrier -- Main Street America or Penn National -- has the lowest rates for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Main Street America policyholders can expect their premiums to go up an average of $61 per month if they get a ticket, while Penn National typically raises rates about $40 a month, on average.

However, Penn National is generally the cheaper option for drivers both with a speeding ticket and with a clean record, offering prices that are $36 and $57 more affordable, respectively, compared to Main Street America Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Main Street America drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their premiums increase by $40, while those who have insurance through Penn National will see around a $65 increase.

Overall, the cheaper rates come from Penn National, with monthly premiums averaging $206 compared to Main Street America Insurance's $215.

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. Penn National drivers usually see a 60% climb in their auto insurance prices after a DUI charge, while Main Street America will usually raise premiums by about 38%.

If you have a DUI on your record and are looking for more affordable rates, Main Street America tends to be the much less expensive option with average prices of $283 a month compared to $346 from Penn National.

How does Credit Score Impact Main Street America and Penn National Rates?

Did you know that many insurance companies take your credit score into account when calculating rates? This isn't always the case (for example, California and Massachusetts are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it will come into play for several policyholders.

The reasoning car insurance carriers use is that drivers with bad credit will be less likely to pay their bills on time; so typically, they'll be asked to pay more, while those with good credit will be rewarded with more affordable premiums.

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is Main Street America or Penn National Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a sizable impact on your monthly insurance bill. That's because the fewer miles you drive, the less likely you are to get into an accident and cause an insurance claim.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Penn National charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly rates for Main Street America, with policyholders who drive the least paying around $4 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, Penn National is the less expensive option for drivers in both categories.

Main Street America vs. Penn National: 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. Generally, drivers who live in less densely populated rural areas will pay quite a bit less than urban policyholders because there are a lot fewer cars on the roads in those areas.

When comparing these two companies side-by-side, Penn National tends to offer the lowest option for drivers in rural and suburban areas, while Main Street America wins in urban areas.

In urban areas, Main Street America Insurance's average prices are about 4% less than Penn National Insurance. Drivers in suburban ZIP codes pay around 8% less with Penn National compared to Main Street America. If you live in a rural area, you can expect to save about 12% with Penn National compared to Main Street America.

Main Street America vs. Penn National 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.

The difficult part is finding all of the discounts you qualify for, since it can feel sometimes like every company has different discounts and each one is advertised differently.

In the section below, we've broken down all of the different discounts offered by both Main Street America and Penn National so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the biggest savings.

Overall, Main Street America has a slight advantage when it comes to total number of discounts. Penn National offers a grand total of 16 discounts, while Main Street America has 18.

There are a couple discounts both carriers offer, but Main Street America also offers EFT discounts, good driving discounts, good payer discounts, and more that Penn National does not.

On the flip side, Penn National has a couple unique discounts of its own -- added pip option discounts, advance quote discounts, group discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Main Street America or Penn National Best for You?

You've seen the role certain factors have on your car insurance and the different discounts companies offer. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, is Main Street America or Penn National the best fit for you?

Penn National might be best for you if....

• You've received a ticket for speeding recently and don't want to see your rates climb.
• You're looking for more protection with "full coverage" insurance.
• You're buying auto insurance for a teen and looking for a wallet-friendly option.

Main Street America might be best for you if...

• You already have a great credit score.
• You care about discounts (Main Street America offers the most).
• You live in an urban area.

We hope this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Main Street America and Penn National. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision about your car 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 auto insurance -- comparing quotes from several carriers, not just Main Street America and Penn National. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple quotes from some of the best insurance companies in your area, all for free.

Main Street America vs. Penn National FAQs

Is Main Street America or Penn National cheaper?

Looking just at the national average premiums, Penn National is the more affordable of the two carriers, offering average rates of $218 per month compared to $227 for Main Street America. But Penn National won't necessarily be the most affordable carrier for each policyholder, since there are a range of different variables that are considered when it comes to your auto insurance payment.

Who is better, Main Street America or Penn National?

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

Why do Main Street America and Penn National offer me different rates?

Insurance companies take a look at many different factors when determining the rates they charge drivers. Variables such as your driving record, gender, where you live, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Main Street America and Penn National calculate prices using different factors, so each one will most likely offer different premiums. The only real way to see which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from multiple different carriers.

How do I know if Main Street America or Penn National is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from a handful of 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 information once and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best auto insurance carriers in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the cheapest rate. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be Main Street America or Penn National 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.