Main Street America vs. Virginia Farm Bureau: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for car insurance, Virginia Farm Bureau offers significantly more affordable prices than Main Street America
• Main Street America may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance
• Virginia Farm Bureau has cheaper rates for single people who will be the only person on the auto insurance policy

Main Street America or Virginia Farm Bureau: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're thinking about 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 Main Street America or Virginia Farm Bureau as your top options, but between the two, which company will offer you less expensive premiums?

As you can see, Virginia Farm Bureau has average rates that are around 55% a month cheaper than those from Main Street America when looking at the national average rates for car insurance.

That being said, that doesn't mean Virginia Farm Bureau will necessarily be less expensive than Main Street America for every driver. Insurance carriers use a ton of complex algorithms to determine prices, so depending on how clean your driving record is or where you live (among quite a few other factors), you could see wildly different rates from the ones above.

Wanting to know if Main Street America or Virginia Farm Bureau is really the right carrier for you? Keep on reading to see how average prices can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

Main Street America vs. Virginia Farm Bureau: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Main Street America and Virginia Farm Bureau only compete against each other in Virginia, where Virginia Farm Bureau offers the cheaper average premiums. Virginia Farm Bureau drivers tend to pay about $121 per month less on average compared to drivers who use Main Street America for their car insurance.

There are plenty of other factors that go into your insurance bill than just your home state. Continue reading to learn more about how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- normally pay a lot for auto insurance compared to older drivers. That's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in an auto insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

However, that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their insurance. As you can see above, teens who use Virginia Farm Bureau save almost 60% a month compared to those who use Main Street America.

But with both companies, you'll see your rates decrease significantly by the time drivers turn 25. For example, average premiums for Main Street America policyholders drop about $250 and Virginia Farm Bureau's rates reduce over $100 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

When looking at Main Street America and Virginia Farm Bureau specifically, which company is best for retired drivers? Virginia Farm Bureau gets the edge here, with average prices coming in at around $91 per month compared to Main Street America's $181.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but car insurance premiums tend to be more expensive for single policyholders than they are for married couples. That's generally because married drivers tend to own and insure multiple vehicles, which can often earn you a discount.

For those who are single, the difference in average prices between these two carriers is significant, with Virginia Farm Bureau premiums coming in at about half of Main Street America's. The advantage is also clear for married policyholders - Virginia Farm Bureau offers the most affordable average rates.

Main Street America or Virginia Farm Bureau: Average Rates by Gender

Because women are less likely to get speeding tickets and get into collisions, they run a lower risk of filing a claim with insurance. So, women tend to get cheaper rates than men.

Surprisingly, with Main Street America, men normallypay around 3% less per month than women, but with Virginia Farm Bureau, the difference is closer to 4% a month.

When it comes to the lowest prices for each gender, Virginia Farm Bureau offers the most affordable average rates for both men and women. On average, women save about $131 per month and men save about $121 with Virginia Farm Bureau compared to the average Main Street America policyholder.

Main Street America vs. Virginia Farm Bureau: 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, insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are many different coverages that account for several 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.

The two most common policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (that covers bodily injury and property damage for other drivers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- in addition to what you get with a liability policy).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability limits, Virginia Farm Bureau has the significant edge, with average monthly premiums coming in at $66. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Virginia Farm Bureau again has the edge, with policies averaging around $136 a month to Main Street America's $295.

Is Main Street America or Virginia Farm Bureau 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.

You'll probably end up paying more with accidents and speeding tickets on your record, but which of these two companies offers the cheapest prices to drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Main Street America for their auto insurance can typically expect their monthly bill to go up about 26% after getting a speeding ticket. Virginia Farm Bureau policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of around 23%.

Even so, Virginia Farm Bureau has more affordable rates for drivers in both categories -- their rates are around 53% less expensive for drivers with clean records and 55% more affordable for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Main Street America drivers who get in a collision can expect to see their premiums rise by just under 20%, while those who have insurance through Virginia Farm Bureau will see about a 20% increase.

At the end of the day, the cheaper rates come from Virginia Farm Bureau, with average prices coming in at $105 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 an accident. For example, Main Street America increases average premiums by more than $100 per month -- that's nearly a 40% increase.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable rates, Virginia Farm Bureau tends to be less expensive for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at around $111 to Main Street America's $283.

How does Credit Score Impact Main Street America and Virginia Farm Bureau Rates?

Did you know many insurance carriers take your credit score into account when determining premiums? This isn't true for everyone (Hawaii, for example, has banned the use of credit score as an insurance factor) but it will come into play for quite a few policyholders.

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

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have solid credit, Virginia Farm Bureau will usually reward you the most. For policyholders with "excellent" credit scores, Virginia Farm Bureau comes in more than 40.37 cheaper. Drivers with "good" credit scores generally save about 36% with Virginia Farm Bureau compared to average rates from Main Street America.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Virginia Farm Bureau typically offers lower premiums than Main Street America when it comes to drivers with less-than-perfect credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 39% a month less with Virginia Farm Bureau compared to Main Street America, and those with "poor" scores usually save an average of about 71% monthly.

Is Main Street America or Virginia Farm Bureau 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 payment. That's because the fewer miles you drive, the less likely you are to be in a collision and file an insurance claim.

Virginia Farm Bureau tends to be the more affordable option for both remote workers and those taking short commutes. Main Street America's average prices for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in over 55% more expensive than Virginia Farm Bureau. Those who drive 12,000 miles annually can expect to pay more than 55% more with Main Street America over Virginia Farm Bureau.

Main Street America or Virginia Farm Bureau: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where your home is can have a big impact on your monthly car insurance cost. Normally, drivers who live in less densely populated rural areas will pay quite a bit less than urban policyholders since there are a lot fewer cars on the road where they live, which reduces the chances of an accident.

Virginia Farm Bureau boasts the most affordable average rates for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save around $110 with Virginia Farm Bureau compared to Main Street America. People who live in suburban areas pay about $114 less with Virginia Farm Bureau compared to Main Street America. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance's average premiums are around $155 less than Main Street America Insurance.

Main Street America vs. Virginia Farm Bureau 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 utilizing as many auto 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 can take advantage of or to nail down the carrier 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 Main Street America and Virginia Farm Bureau 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.

Main Street America blows Virginia Farm Bureau away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 10 more discounts than Virginia Farm Bureau.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like discounts for being a defensive driver, discounts for getting driver training, and discounts for being a good student. Main Street America also offers discounts for anti-theft, DRL, EFT, and more.

On the other hand, Virginia Farm Bureau has a proprietary discount of their own -- a umbrella policy discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Main Street America or Virginia Farm Bureau Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average prices for many of the factors car insurance carriers look at, and walked through the different discounts each company offers, too. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, which carrier is the right carrier for you and your specific profile and needs?

Virginia Farm Bureau 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 the best prices on liability only coverage.
• You and your spouse are buying auto insurance together.

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

• You care about discounts (Main Street America offers the most).

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Main Street America and Virginia Farm Bureau. 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 best 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 Main Street America and Virginia Farm Bureau. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. 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.

Main Street America vs. Virginia Farm Bureau FAQs

Is Main Street America or Virginia Farm Bureau cheaper?

Virginia Farm Bureau is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $101 per month with Virginia Farm Bureau and $227 for Main Street America. However, that doesn't mean Virginia Farm Bureau will be the cheapest company for each driver, since there are multiple different variables that are considered when it comes to your insurance bill.

Who is better, Main Street America or Virginia Farm Bureau?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". Neither carrier is necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique auto insurance profile.

Why do Main Street America and Virginia Farm Bureau offer me different rates?

Insurance carriers use lots of different factors when calculating the rates they charge. Variables such as age, your driving record, where you park your vehicle, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Main Street America and Virginia Farm Bureau calculate premiums using different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different rates. The best way to determine which company is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from lots of different companies.

How do I know if Main Street America or Virginia Farm Bureau is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top auto insurance companies for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the lowest price. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Main Street America or Virginia Farm Bureau 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.