Patriot vs. State Farm: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, State Farm offers less expensive prices than Patriot
• Patriot has cheaper rates for policyholders who haven't received any speeding tickets or been in a collision in the last few years
• State Farm offers more affordable average prices for residents of suburban areas

Patriot or State Farm: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you in the market for 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 be considering Patriot or State Farm as your top options, but between the two, which company will save you the most?

Looking at nationwide averages, Patriot is around $33 more a month than State Farm.

But that doesn't mean State Farm will necessarily be cheaper than Patriot for each driver. Insurance carriers use tons of complex algorithms to determine rates, so depending on where you live or how clean your driving record is (among a variety of other factors), you could see wildly different premiums from the ones above.

Wanting to know if Patriot or State Farm 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.

Patriot vs. State Farm: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Patriot and State Farm only compete against each other in three states, with State Farm offering less expensive premiums to the average driver in all of them. New Hampshire has the most noticable difference, where State Farm rates are $135 more affordable than auto insurance premiums at Patriot.

But there's more to insurance than just the state you live in. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how car insurance companies calculate your rates. Read on to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive auto insurance prices of any group out there on the road. That's typically because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

But still, even with seemingly sky-high rates, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of 20% less per month by choosing State Farm over Patriot.

However, with both carriers, you'll see your prices reduce significantly by the time you turn 25. For example, average premiums for Patriot policyholders decrease about $250 and State Farm's rates drop around $200 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 out there.

When looking at Patriot and State Farm specifically, which company is best for retired drivers? State Farm gets the edge here, with average premiums coming in at about $111 a month compared to Patriot's $128.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married couples tend to get slightly cheaper insurance prices than single drivers. This usually boils down to married drivers having several vehicles on their policy -- something a lot of auto insurance companies will reward with discounts.

For single policyholders, the difference in average rates between these two carriers is significant, with State Farm premiums coming in at around 20% less than Patriot's. The advantage is also clear for married policyholders - State Farm offers the most affordable average rates.

Patriot or State Farm: Average Rates by Gender

You may not know, but men generally pay more for car insurance than women do. This is because men are statistically more likely than women to get pulled over for speeding or get into an accident, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher prices.

With Patriot, women usually pay almost $20 a month less than men, and over $10 cheaper with State Farm when compared to their male counterparts.

When it comes to the lowest premiums for each gender, State Farm comes out as the most affordable option for both genders. On average, women save about $30 per month and men save about $36 with State Farm compared to the average Patriot policyholder.

Patriot vs. State Farm: 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.

Auto insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are a bunch of different coverages that account for lots of 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.

That being said, most policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (which provides bodily injury and property damage coverage for other drivers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, alongside what you get with a liability policy).

When it comes to state minimum liability limits, Patriot has the edge, while State Farm offers the cheapest average rates for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Policyholders looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $20 with Patriot Insurance, while full coverage comes out to be around $85 more affordable with State Farm.

Is Patriot or State Farm Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no secret -- drivers with good records end up getting the best deals on their 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 at-fault collisions and speeding tickets lead to higher premiums, but which carrier -- Patriot or State Farm -- has the most affordable prices for drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Drivers who use Patriot for their auto insurance can normally expect their monthly bill to go up about 21% after getting a speeding ticket. State Farm policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of around 14%.

Even so, Patriot is usually the less expensive option for drivers both with a ticket and with a clean record, offering premiums that are 37% and 31% more affordable, respectively, compared to State Farm.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Patriot policyholders who get in a collision can expect to see their prices climb by just under $20, while those who have insurance through State Farm will see about a $30 increase.

At the end of the day, drivers who use Patriot end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average rates coming in at $103 compared to State Farm's $163.

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 speeding ticket or even an accident. Patriot drivers usually see a 82% increase in their insurance prices after a DUI charge, while State Farm will normally raise rates by around 25%.

How does Credit Score Impact Patriot and State Farm Rates?

You may not have known, but your credit score can come into play when companies determine your monthly bill. Certain states and carriers do not allow for credit score to be used as an insurance factor, but it will come into play for many drivers.

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

So, which company offers the cheapest premiums 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 Patriot or State Farm Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a big impact on your monthly prices. Typically, the more milage you put on your vehicle, the more you can expect to pay for insurance.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Patriot charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly premiums for State Farm, with policyholders who drive 6,000 miles each year paying about $13 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly. Still, for drivers in both categories, State Farm is the less expensive carrier.

Patriot or State Farm: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you call home can have a substantial impact on your monthly car insurance bill. Generally, drivers who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural policyholders due to the number of cars that are on the roads where they live.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, State Farm usually comes out as the lowest option for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

For drivers in urban ZIP codes, State Farm's average rates are around $8 less than Patriot Insurance. People who live in suburban areas pay about $37 less with State Farm compared to Patriot. Those in rural areas can expect to save around $56 with State Farm compared to Patriot.

Patriot vs. State Farm Discounts

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

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 can take advantage of.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts Patriot and State Farm 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.

State Farm knocks Patriot out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 12 more discounts than Patriot.

Both companies offer quite a few of the same discounts -- like distant student discounts, discounts for insuring multiple cars with the same company, and multi-policy discounts -- but State Farm also offers discounts for ABS, annual mileage, anti-theft, and more.

On the other hand, Patriot has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like advance quote discounts, full coverage discounts, life policy discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Patriot or State Farm Best for You?

You've seen the role certain variables have on your auto insurance and the different discounts carriers offer. But, when it comes down to it, is Patriot or State Farm the right carrier for you and your specific driver profile?

State Farm might be best for you if....

• You will be the only person on the car insurance policy.
• You live in a rural area.
• You've started working from home and don't have much of a commute.

Patriot might be best for you if...

• You've received a ticket for speeding recently and don't want to see your premiums increase.
• You have an at-fault collision on your record.
• You're looking for the best rates on liability only coverage.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Patriot and State Farm. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision about your auto 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 multiple companies, not just Patriot and State Farm. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Patriot vs. State Farm FAQs

Is Patriot or State Farm cheaper?

State Farm is the cheaper of the two companies when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $158 a month with State Farm and $191 for Patriot. That being said, that doesn't mean State Farm will be the most affordable company for each driver, since there are a variety of different factors (things like driving record, age, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Patriot or State Farm?

Unfortunately, the answer truly is "it depends.". No one carrier is necessarily "better" for every policyholder -- it all depends on what your unique car insurance profile looks like.

Why do Patriot and State Farm offer me different rates?

Insurance carriers use quite a few different variables when determining the rates they charge. Factors like age, gender, your driving record, where you live, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Patriot and State Farm calculate prices differently, so it's likely they'll offer different premiums. The best way to determine which company is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a range of different companies.

How do I know if Patriot or State Farm 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 information once 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 cheapest price. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Patriot or State Farm 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.