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

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for car insurance, State Farm offers significantly more affordable rates than Personal Service
• State Farm has less expensive prices for policyholders who drive a short distance to work everyday
• State Farm tends to be a much cheaper option for single people who will be the only person on the auto insurance policy

Personal Service 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 big savings. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Personal Service or State Farm, but between the two, which carrier will offer you more affordable rates?

Looking at nationwide averages, Personal Service is quite a bit more expensive than State Farm, with premiums averaging $325 a month compared to just $158 with State Farm.

Even so, State Farm may not be the lowest or best option for each driver out there. 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 many other factors), you could see wildly different premiums from the ones above.

Luckily, we've broken down average prices from both Personal Service and State Farm by a variety of different rate factors, so read on to find out which company is the best for you.

Personal Service vs. State Farm: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Personal Service and State Farm only compete against each other in New Jersey, where Personal Service offers the cheaper average rates. Undefined drivers tend to pay about undefined per month less on average compared to drivers who use undefined for their insurance.

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

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers usually pay a lot more for car insurance than any group out there on the road. Normally, 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.

But that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their auto insurance. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of over 45% less a month by choosing State Farm over Personal Service.

However, with both carriers, you'll see your rates reduce significantly by the time you turn 25. For example, average prices for Personal Service policyholders lower almost 50% and State Farm's premiums drop nearly 60% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

When looking at Personal Service and State Farm specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? State Farm gets the edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older $120 cheaper than the national average for Personal Service.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

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

For single drivers, the difference in average rates between these two companies is significant, with State Farm premiums coming in at around half of Personal Service's. The advantage for married drivers with State Farm is also obvious, where drivers save about $150 per month.

Personal Service or State Farm: Average Rates by Gender

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

Usually, women see rates almost 15% a month less with Personal Service, and around 7% less with State Farm.

Looking at overall affordability, State Farm offers the cheapest average prices for both men and women, with average premiums $184 less for men and $150 cheaper for women.

Personal Service 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.

It's no secret that insurance can be a complicated subject for most people. There are so many different terms and limits that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

The two most common policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (which covers the other party's property damage and injuries if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which generally refers to having collision and comprehensive coverages in addition to liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, State Farm has the significant edge, with average monthly prices coming in at $99. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, State Farm again has the edge, with policies averaging about $216 per month to Personal Service's $422.

Is Personal Service or State Farm Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

You've probably seen plenty of commercials from auto insurance carriers offering great rates for good drivers, but that doesn't mean people with less-than-perfect driving records can't save money, too.

It's no secret secret that at-fault accidents and speeding tickets lead to higher premiums, but which company -- Personal Service or State Farm -- has the most affordable prices for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Personal Service for their car insurance can typically expect their monthly bill to go up around 12% after getting a speeding ticket. State Farm policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of about 14%.

That being said, State Farm tends to offer the best prices for both drivers who have clean records and those with a recent ticket -- their rates are around 48% more affordable for drivers with clean records and 47% cheaper for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their auto insurance through Personal Service can expect to see around an $90 -- or about 26% -- rise in their insurance rates. Drivers who use State Farm for their car insurance will see a monthly bill around $29 (or 18%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their auto insurance carrier.

At the end of the day, State Farm offers the lowest prices for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average premiums coming in at $163 compared to Personal Service Insurance Company's $348.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

On average, a DUI offense is going to cost you much more than a single accident or speeding ticket when it comes to your car insurance bill. For example, Personal Service increases average rates by nearly $150 a month -- that's more than a 35% increase.

How does Credit Score Impact Personal Service and State Farm Rates?

You may not realized it, but your credit score can come into play when companies determine your monthly bill. This isn't true for everyone (for example, are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect quite a few drivers out there.

Insurance carriers 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.

Looking specifically at Personal Service and State Farm, which one has the best premiums for drivers at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is Personal Service or State Farm 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 how much car insurance companies will charge for coverage. Normally, the more milage you put on your car each year, the more you can expect to pay for auto insurance.

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

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

Where your home is can play a big role in how much you pay for insurance. Usually, if you live in a rural area with fewer cars on the road, you'll pay a little less for auto insurance, while the opposite is true for people in urban areas.

State Farm boasts the cheapest average rates for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save around 41% with State Farm compared to Personal Service. People who live in suburban areas pay about 55% less with State Farm compared to Personal Service. For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, State Farm's average premiums are around 54% less than Personal Service Insurance Company.

Personal Service vs. State Farm 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 difficult to nail down the carrier 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 broke down all of the different discounts offered by both Personal Service and State Farm so that you can see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

State Farm knocks Personal Service out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 23 different discounts to Personal Service's 23.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like anti-theft discounts, discounts for being a homeowner, and passive restraint discounts. State Farm also offers discounts for ABS, annual mileage, distant student, and more.

On the other hand, Personal Service has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like cellphone safety discounts, good payer discounts, multi-car/single driver discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Personal Service or State Farm Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average rates for many of the factors auto insurance carriers look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each company offers. But, at the end of the day, is Personal Service or State Farm the best carrier for you and your specific profile and needs?

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

• You already have plans to move to another state -- undefined is only available to residents.
• You're looking for the best prices on liability only coverage.
• You don't spend much time in your car.

Personal Service might be best for you if...

• You have a more unique driver profile than those we mentioned above.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Personal Service and State Farm. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision when it comes to your car insurance.

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your insurance policy is to compare quotes from multiple companies, not just Personal Service and State Farm. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best auto insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Personal Service vs. State Farm FAQs

Is Personal Service or State Farm cheaper?

State Farm is the more affordable of the two companies when looking at national average rates, with policies averaging $158 per month with State Farm and $325 for Personal Service. But that doesn't mean State Farm will be the lowest carrier for every policyholder, since there are several different variables that are considered when it comes to your car insurance payment.

Who is better, Personal Service or State Farm?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". Neither company is necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all comes down to what your unique insurance profile looks like.

Why do Personal Service and State Farm offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers use several different factors when determining the premiums they charge. Variables such as your driving record, where you live, gender, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Personal Service and State Farm use different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which carrier is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a bunch of different companies.

How do I know if Personal Service or State Farm is right for me?

The only way to find the insurance company 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 do all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code 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 premium. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Personal Service 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.