Progressive vs. West Bend Mutual: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for auto insurance, West Bend Mutual offers significantly less expensive premiums than Progressive
• Progressive offers more discounts than West Bend Mutual Insurance
• West Bend Mutual tends to be a much cheaper option for residents of urban areas

Progressive vs. West Bend Mutual: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

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

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Progressive or West Bend Mutual as potential options, but which company will save you the most?

Looking at the national average rates for both companies, West Bend Mutual has average rates that are about 25% per month more affordable than those from Progressive.

However, that doesn't mean West Bend Mutual will necessarily be less expensive than Progressive for every driver. After all, car insurance carriers can offer drastically different rates to each driver depending on rating factors like where you call home, your credit score, your age, or even your driving record (among other things). So, at the end of the day, prices from every company will differ quite a bit from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of Progressive or West Bend Mutual is really the best for you, keep reading to see average premiums for each carrier broken down by a variety of different rate factors.

Progressive or West Bend Mutual: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Progressive and West Bend Mutual only compete against each other in two states, with West Bend Mutual offering cheaper prices to the average driver in all of them. If you live in Wisconsin, Progressive is the more affordable of the two companies when looking at the overall average rates. West Bend Mutual is the less expensive option in Iowa.

But there's more to calculating insurance prices than just where you call home. Read on to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers normally pay a lot more for auto insurance than any group on the road. It's usually because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

That being said, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high car insurance premiums. As you can see above, teens who use West Bend Mutual save more than $100 a month compared to those who use Progressive. It's worth noting that Progressive offers auto insurance in 44 different states compared to West Bend Mutual's three, which can skew the average rates a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

But both carriers will offer you dramatically lower prices by the time drivers turn 25. For example, average rates for Progressive policyholders lower over $300 and West Bend Mutual's premiums decrease around $200 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the most affordable rates you can find.

But who has the best prices for retired drivers between Progressive and West Bend Mutual? West Bend Mutual gets the edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older nearly 30% cheaper than the national average for Progressive.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married policyholders tend to get slightly more affordable auto insurance prices than single policyholders. That's because policies for married couples typically cover more than one car, which a lot of companies will offer you a discount for.

When it comes to relationship status, West Bend Mutual is the clear winner for single drivers, with premiums about $59 per month cheaper than Progressive, on average. The advantage for married drivers with West Bend Mutual is also obvious, where drivers save more than $35 a month.

Progressive vs. West Bend Mutual: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into an accident or get pulled over for speeding, which means they'll generally end up paying more for insurance than women.

On average, men see rates around 3% per month higher with Progressive, and over 10% with West Bend Mutual.

When it comes to the lowest prices for each gender, West Bend Mutual comes out as the most affordable option for both genders. On average, male drivers save about $44 a month and women save about $55 with West Bend Mutual compared to the average Progressive policyholder.

Progressive or West Bend Mutual: 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, car insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are several different coverages that account for multiple different things. Some protect you and your vehicle, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause a collision.

Even so, the most common policies that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (which provides property damage and bodily injury coverage for other drivers and passengers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- comprehensive and collision -- alongside what you get with a liability policy).

If you're looking for state minimum liability limits, West Bend Mutual normally offers significantly less expensive rates of $77 compared to Progressive's $111. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, West Bend Mutual again has the edge, with policies around $65 per month more affordable than Progressive, on average.

Is Progressive or West Bend Mutual Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

You'll probably end up paying more with tickets and at-fault accidents on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the cheapest premiums to drivers with less-than-perfect 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 West Bend Mutual typically raises rates about $25 per month, on average.

However, West Bend Mutual has less expensive premiums for drivers in both categories, offering prices that are 44% and 39% cheaper, respectively, compared to Progressive.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Progressive drivers who get in a collision can expect to see their rates climb by $65, while those who have insurance through West Bend Mutual will see around a $80 increase.

Overall, West Bend Mutual offers the lowest premiums for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with monthly rates averaging $163 compared to Progressive's $214.

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. West Bend Mutual drivers usually see a 50% climb in their auto insurance prices after a DUI charge, while Progressive will usually increase premiums by about 16%.

West Bend Mutual has the overall cheapest prices for drivers with a DUI on their records at $169 per month, but it's worth noting that Progressive's average rates come from 44 states compared to just three for West Bend Mutual, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Progressive and West Bend Mutual Rates?

Did you know that many car insurance companies take your credit score into account when calculating rates? This isn't always the case (Massachusetts, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a rating factor) but it will come into play for many policyholders.

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, drivers with bad credit will often be forced to pay more.

Looking specifically at West Bend Mutual and Progressive, which one has the most affordable premiums for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have great credit, you'll usually find a better deal with West Bend Mutual. Drivers with "excellent" credit can save just under 30% compared to Progressive, and those with "good" scores can also expect to see savings -- around $42 or 27% more affordable each month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

West Bend Mutual typically offers lower rates than Progressive when it comes to drivers with less-than-perfect credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about $48 a month less with West Bend Mutual compared to Progressive, and those with "poor" scores generally save an average of around $67 monthly.

Is Progressive or West Bend Mutual Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a big impact on your monthly prices. Normally, those who drive fewer miles will end up with cheaper premiums since there's less of a chance of getting into a collision and causing an insurance claim.

In this case, neither Progressive or West Bend Mutual report increasing rates for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. That being said, West Bend Mutual comes out as the lowest for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their vehicle yearly, with average prices of $131 per month for both.

Progressive vs. West Bend Mutual: 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 pretty big impact as well. Usually, policyholders who live in less densely populated rural areas will pay quite a bit less than urban drivers because there are a lot fewer cars on the road in those areas, which reduces the chances of an accident.

West Bend Mutual tends to offer the cheapest premiums for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Policyholders in rural ZIP codes see the most affordable rates from both companies, but West Bend Mutual comes out on top with average premiums about $113 a month. West Bend Mutual also has less expensive average prices for drivers in urban and suburban ZIP codes -- a $49 and $57 a month respective difference when compared to Progressive policyholders in similar areas.

Progressive vs. West Bend Mutual Discounts

Regardless of 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 possible, and the best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many car insurance discounts as you can.

The hard 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.

Below, we've taken a look at all of the different discounts Progressive and West Bend Mutual 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.

Progressive blows West Bend Mutual away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 34 different discounts to West Bend Mutual's 16.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like advanced safety feature discounts, discounts for being a defensive driver, distant student discounts, and group discounts. Progressive also offers advance quote discounts, agency transfer discounts, continuous insurance discounts, and more that West Bend Mutual does not.

On the flip side, West Bend Mutual has a couple unique discounts of its own -- excess vehicle discounts, marital status discounts, new business discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Progressive or West Bend Mutual Best for You?

You've seen the role certain factors have on your insurance and the different discounts carriers offer. That's all well and good, but at the end of the day, is Progressive or West Bend Mutual the best carrier for you and your specific driver profile?

West Bend Mutual might be best for you if....

• You have a DUI charge on your record.
• You're looking for more protection with "full coverage" auto insurance.
• You are purchasing your insurance with a spouse.

Progressive might be best for you if...

• You already have plans to move to another state -- West Bend Mutual Insurance only offers policies in three states.
• You're looking for the carrier with the most discounts.

We hope this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Progressive and West Bend Mutual. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision when it comes to your auto insurance.

At the end of the day, the sure-fire 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 Progressive and West Bend Mutual. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple quotes from some of the best insurance carriers in your area, all for free.

Progressive vs. West Bend Mutual FAQs

Is Progressive or West Bend Mutual cheaper?

Looking just at the national average premiums, West Bend Mutual is the more affordable of the two companies, offering average rates of $131 per month compared to $180 for Progressive. But West Bend Mutual won't necessarily be the lowest company for everyone, since there are lots of different variables (things like age, driving record, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Progressive or West Bend Mutual?

Unfortunately, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". Neither carrier is "better" for everyone -- it all comes down to what your unique car insurance profile looks like.

Why do Progressive and West Bend Mutual offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers take a look at quite a few different factors when determining the prices they charge drivers. Variables like gender, age, your driving record, where you live, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Progressive and West Bend Mutual calculate rates differently, so each one will most likely offer different prices. The only real way to see which company is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a bunch of different companies.

How do I know if Progressive or West Bend Mutual is right for me?

The only way to find the 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 information once and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best car insurance companies in your area. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the lowest price. And who knows, the best company for you might not be Progressive or West Bend Mutual 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.