Progressive vs. Southern Farm Bureau: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Southern Farm Bureau offers significantly more affordable prices than Progressive
• Progressive offers more discounts than Southern Farm Bureau Insurance
• Southern Farm Bureau offers more affordable rates for residents of rural areas

Progressive vs. Southern Farm Bureau: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you considering a new insurance policy? You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering huge discounts, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You might be considering Progressive or Southern Farm Bureau, but between the two, which company will offer you less expensive prices?

Looking at nationwide averages, Progressive has average rates that are about 45% per month more expensive than those from Southern Farm Bureau.

Even so, Southern Farm Bureau may not be the cheapest or best option for each driver out there. Insurance companies use a variety of complex algorithms to calculate rates, so depending on how good your credit score is or where you live (among a lot of other factors), you could see wildly different premiums from the ones above.

Wanting to know if Progressive or Southern 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.

Progressive or Southern Farm Bureau: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Progressive and Southern Farm Bureau only compete against each other in Arkansas, where Southern Farm Bureau offers the cheaper average rates. For Arkansas residents, Southern Farm Bureau offers car insurance for $103 a month on average. Progressive's average premiums come out to be over 50% more expensive, at $161 monthly.

There's a lot more that goes into your insurance payment than just where you live. Continue reading to see how other factors 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. Typically, that's because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

But that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their auto insurance. As you can see above, teens who use Southern Farm Bureau save more than $250 a month compared to those who use Progressive. It's worth noting that Progressive offers insurance in 44 different states compared to Southern Farm Bureau's one, which can skew the average rates a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

That being said, both carriers will lower premiums by the time you turn 25. For example, average prices for Progressive policyholders drop nearly 70% and Southern Farm Bureau's premiums decrease around 50% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll generally enjoy the lowest car insurance prices out there. You've been on the road for years, and all that experience pays off when it comes to your monthly rates for auto insurance.

When looking at Progressive and Southern Farm Bureau specifically, which company is best for retired drivers? Southern Farm Bureau gets the edge here, with average premiums coming in at about $76 per month compared to Progressive's $131.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but car insurance rates tend to be cheaper for married drivers than they are for those who are single. That's normally because married couples tend to own and insure multiple cars, which can often earn you a discount.

When it comes to relationship status, Southern Farm Bureau is the clear winner for single policyholders, with prices around $101 per month less expensive than Progressive, on average. For married policyholders, the advantage is clear again - Southern Farm Bureau has the edge when it comes to average premiums.

Progressive vs. Southern Farm Bureau: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get pulled over for speeding or get into an accident. That means when it comes to auto insurance men will usually end up paying a little more.

Men typically pay about $5 a month more than women with Progressive, and around $6 with Southern Farm Bureau.

Looking at the data for each carrier specifically, Southern Farm Bureau offers the most affordable average prices for both men and women, with average rates $77 less for men and $78 cheaper for women.

Progressive or Southern 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.

It's no secret that insurance can be pretty complicated. Everyone needs auto insurance, but there are so many different coverages and terms that it can be hard to find the right policy.

The two most common policies that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (which covers the other party's property damage and injuries if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes comprehensive and collision coverages that protect your own vehicle, in addition to what you get with liability).

If you're looking for state minimum limits for liability insurance, Southern Farm Bureau generally offers significantly cheaper prices of $54 compared to Progressive's $111. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Southern Farm Bureau again has the edge, with policies about $100 per month more affordable than Progressive, on average.

Is Progressive or Southern Farm Bureau Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

You'll probably end up paying more with at-fault accidents and tickets on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the lowest rates to drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Progressive policyholders can expect their prices to go up an average of $31 a month if they get a ticket, while Southern Farm Bureau normally raises rates around $8 per month, on average.

However, Southern Farm Bureau tends to offer the best prices for both drivers who have a recent speeding ticket and those with clean records, offering premiums that are $60 and $83 less expensive, respectively, compared to Progressive.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both companies will increase rates pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault accident with Progressive raising by $65. Southern Farm Bureau has a less extreme raise, but you can still expect to pay over $25 more than you were prior to your first collision.

Overall, the cheaper premiums come from Southern Farm Bureau, with monthly prices averaging $116 compared to Progressive's $214.

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 ticket when it comes to your car insurance bill. Progressive drivers usually see a 16% increase in their auto insurance premiums after a DUI charge, while Southern Farm Bureau will generally climb prices by about 18%.

Southern Farm Bureau has the overall most affordable rates for drivers with a DUI on their records at $108 a month, but it's worth noting that Progressive's average rates come from 44 states compared to just one for Southern Farm Bureau, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Progressive and Southern Farm Bureau Rates?

In many cases, your credit score can be used as one of the variables to determine your monthly car insurance premiums. This isn't always the case (for example, Michigan and Massachusetts are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it will come into play for a lot of drivers.

Insurance carriers argue that those with poor credit scores are less likely to pay their bills on time each month, which increases the risk involved on their end, while the opposite is true for those with good credit.

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a great credit score, you'll usually find a better deal with Southern Farm Bureau. Drivers with "excellent" credit can save over 45% compared to Progressive, and those with "good" scores can also expect to see savings -- around $72 or 46% more affordable every month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Southern Farm Bureau typically offers lower rates than Progressive when it comes to drivers with bad credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about $75 a month less with Southern Farm Bureau compared to Progressive, and those with "poor" scores usually save an average of around $99 monthly.

Is Progressive or Southern Farm Bureau Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a considerable impact on your monthly auto insurance cost. Typically, the more miles you put on your car, the more you can expect to pay for coverage.

In this case, neither Progressive or Southern Farm Bureau report increasing prices for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. Southern Farm Bureau comes out as the lowest for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their vehicle each year, with average rates of $103 per month for both.

Progressive vs. Southern Farm Bureau: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you park your car can play a large role in how much you pay for insurance. Normally, if you live in an urban area with more cars on the road, you'll pay a little more for car insurance, while the opposite is true for people in rural areas.

Southern Farm Bureau tends to offer the most affordable premiums for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

Policyholders in rural ZIP codes see the cheapest prices from both companies, but Southern Farm Bureau comes out on top with average rates about $83 per month. Southern Farm Bureau also has cheaper average premiums for drivers in urban and suburban ZIP codes -- a 47% and 36% a month respective difference when compared to Progressive policyholders in similar areas.

Progressive vs. Southern Farm Bureau Discounts

Regardless of why you might be in the market for a new insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as possible, and the best way to do that is by utilizing as many auto insurance discounts as you can.

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be challenging to find all the ones you qualify for or to nail down the carrier that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile.

In the table below, we've broken down all of the different discounts offered by both Progressive and Southern Farm Bureau so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the biggest savings.

Progressive blows Southern Farm Bureau away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 30 more discounts than Southern Farm Bureau.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like discounts for being a defensive driver, discounts for being a good student, and multi-policy discounts. Progressive also offers ABS discounts, advance quote discounts, advanced safety feature discounts, and more that Southern Farm Bureau does not.

On the flip side, Southern Farm Bureau has a unique discount of its own -- a driver training discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Progressive or Southern Farm Bureau Best for You?

So, you've seen how different factors can affect your car insurance rates. We've broken down the different discounts each company offers, too. That's all well and good, but at the end of the day, which carrier is the right carrier for you and your specific needs?

Southern Farm Bureau might be best for you if....

• You like the personalized touch of a small, regional company.
• You live in an suburban area.
• You're buying insurance for a teen and looking for a wallet-friendly option.

Progressive might be best for you if...

• You're planning on moving to another state soon -- Southern Farm Bureau Insurance only offers policies in Arkansas.
• You want to save extra money with discounts.

We hope this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Progressive and Southern Farm Bureau. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision about your car insurance.

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your auto insurance policy is to compare quotes from multiple carriers, not just Progressive and Southern Farm Bureau. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple quotes from some of the best car insurance companies in your area, all for free.

Progressive vs. Southern Farm Bureau FAQs

Is Progressive or Southern Farm Bureau cheaper?

Looking just at the national average premiums, Southern Farm Bureau is the more affordable of the two carriers, offering average rates of $103 per month compared to $180 for Progressive. But Southern Farm Bureau won't necessarily be the most affordable carrier for every policyholder, since there are several different variables (things like driving record, age, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Progressive or Southern Farm Bureau?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". One company is not "better" for everyone -- it all comes down to what your unique auto insurance profile looks like.

Why do Progressive and Southern Farm Bureau offer me different rates?

Insurance companies take a look at many different factors when calculating the prices they charge drivers. Things such as gender, age, where your home is, your driving record, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Progressive and Southern Farm Bureau use different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different premiums. The only real way to see which carrier is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a bunch of different carriers.

How do I know if Progressive or Southern Farm Bureau is right for me?

The only way to find the auto 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 ZIP code and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best insurance carriers in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the lowest premium. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be Progressive or Southern Farm Bureau 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.