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

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for auto insurance, Root offers significantly less expensive prices than State Farm
• Root has cheaper rates for policyholders who live in suburban areas
• State Farm may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Root Insurance

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

Are you considering a new insurance policy? With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering big savings, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You might have narrowed your search down to Root or State Farm for your next policy, but between the two, which carrier will save you the most?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, State Farm is quite a bit more expensive than Root, with premiums averaging $158 a month compared to just $65 with Root.

That being said, that doesn't mean Root will necessarily be more affordable than State Farm for every single driver. Insurance companies use a ton of complex algorithms to determine rates, so depending on how good your credit score is or how old you are (among lots of other factors), you could see wildly different prices from the ones above.

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

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

Root and State Farm only compete against each other in Arizona, where Root 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 car insurance.

There are plenty of other factors that go into your insurance payment than just where you live. Keep reading to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers generally pay a lot more for auto insurance than any other group of drivers out there on the road. That's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in a car insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

Even so, that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their car insurance. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of over 60% less a month by choosing Root over State Farm.

But with both carriers, you'll see your prices drop significantly by the time you turn 25. State Farm offers the steepest decrease, with 25-year-olds paying less than a third of what 18-year-old drivers are charged. That being said, Root still has the lowest premiums at $52 per month.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll usually enjoy the cheapest auto insurance rates you'll ever find. You've been on the road for years, and all that experience pays off when it comes to your monthly prices for insurance.

When looking at Root and State Farm specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? Root gets the edge here, with average premiums coming in at around $57 a month compared to State Farm's $111.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that car insurance rates are typically cheaper for married policyholders than they are for single drivers? That's normally because married drivers tend to own and insure more than one vehicle, which can often earn you a discount.

For those who are single, the difference in average prices between these two companies is significant, with Root premiums coming in at about 60% less than State Farm's. For married couples, the advantage is clear again - Root has the edge when it comes to average rates.

Root or State Farm: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into collisions and file an insurance claim, which means they'll generally end up paying more for auto insurance than women.

Generally, women see prices around $2 per month less expensive with Root, but with State Farm, the difference is closer to $12 a month.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, Root offers the most affordable average premiums for both men and women. On average, women save about $88 per month and men save about $98 with Root compared to the average State Farm policyholder.

Root 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 pretty complicated. Everyone needs auto insurance, but there are so many different limits and terms that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

The two most common policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (that covers bodily injury and property damage for other drivers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, in addition to liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability insurance, Root has the significant edge, with average monthly prices coming in at $46. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Root again has the edge, with policies averaging around $84 a month to State Farm's $216.

Is Root 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 speeding tickets and accidents lead to higher rates, but which carrier -- Root or State Farm -- has the lowest prices for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Root for their car insurance can typically expect their monthly bill to go up about 15% after getting a speeding ticket. State Farm policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of around 14%.

However, Root is usually the more affordable option for drivers both with clean records and with a ticket -- their rates are around 57% cheaper for drivers with clean records and 57% less expensive for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Root drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their rates rise by just under 30%, while those who have insurance through State Farm will see about a 20% increase.

At the end of the day, drivers who use Root end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average premiums coming in at $79 compared to State Farm's $163.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge, you can expect some pretty significant increases in your monthly auto insurance bill -- normally a lot more than a collision or speeding ticket. For example, State Farm increases average rates by $45 per month -- that's more than a 25% increase.

How does Credit Score Impact Root and State Farm Rates?

In many cases, your credit score can come into play when carriers calculate your monthly bill. This isn't true for everyone (for example, California and Hawaii are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it will come into play for quite a few policyholders.

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.

Looking at Root and State Farm specifically, which company 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 Root or State Farm Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a large impact on how much insurance carriers will charge for coverage. That's because the fewer miles you put on your vehicle each year, the less likely you are to be in an accident and file an insurance claim.

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

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

Where you call home can have a big impact on your monthly auto insurance bill. Usually, those who live in urban areas will pay more than policyholders in rural areas due to the number of cars that are on the roads where they live.

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

Those in rural areas can expect to save about 54% with Root compared to State Farm. People who live in suburban areas pay around 63% less with Root compared to State Farm. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Root Insurance's average premiums are about 58% less than State Farm.

Root vs. State Farm Discounts

You want to save as much money as you can, right? The best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many car insurance discounts as possible.

But where do you even start? With so many discounts out there, it may seem difficult to find all the of the ones you qualify for.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and broke down all of the different discounts offered by both Root and State Farm so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

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

Both companies offer lots of the same discounts -- like discounts for being a good driver and discounts for being a homeowner -- but State Farm also offers discounts for ABS, annual mileage, anti-theft, and more.

On the other hand, Root has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like auto-steer discounts, paid in full discounts, and paperless discounts.

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

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your insurance rates. We've broken down the different discounts each company offers, too. But, at the end of the day, is Root or State Farm the best one for you, your vehicle, and your wallet?

Root might be best for you if....

• You don't have any speeding tickets, DUIs, or at-fault collisions on your record.
• Your neighborhood is in the suburbs.
• You want to save money while purchasing auto insurance for a teenager.

State Farm might be best for you if...

• You're thinking about moving to another state -- undefined is only available in.
• You're looking for discounts -- State Farm has the most.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Root and State Farm and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your car insurance.

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

Root vs. State Farm FAQs

Is Root or State Farm cheaper?

Root is the cheaper of the two carriers when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $65 a month with Root and $158 for State Farm. That being said, that doesn't mean Root will be the most affordable carrier for each driver, since there are multiple different factors (things like age, driving record, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Root or State Farm?

Unfortunately, the answer truly is "it depends.". One company is not necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all comes down to what your unique car insurance profile looks like.

Why do Root and State Farm offer me different rates?

Insurance companies use many different variables when determining the prices they charge. Things such as where you park your vehicle, gender, age, where your home is, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Root and State Farm calculate rates differently, so it's likely they'll offer different premiums. The best way to determine which carrier is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a bunch of different carriers.

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

The only way to find the auto insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from several companies and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your area information and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top car insurance carriers for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the lowest rate. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Root 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.