South Carolina Farm Bureau vs. State Farm: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, South Carolina Farm Bureau offers significantly cheaper prices than State Farm
• South Carolina Farm Bureau tends to be a much more affordable option for policyholders who drive fewer than 6,000 miles every year
• State Farm may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than South Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance

South Carolina Farm Bureau or State Farm: 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 savings, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed it down to South Carolina Farm Bureau or State Farm as your top options, but which carrier has less expensive rates for auto insurance?

Looking at nationwide averages, State Farm is quite a bit more expensive than South Carolina Farm Bureau, with premiums averaging $158 a month compared to just $111 with South Carolina Farm Bureau.

That being said, that doesn't necessarily mean South Carolina Farm Bureau will be the cheaper option for every driver. Insurance carriers use a variety of complex algorithms to determine rates, so depending on how clean your driving record is or how good your credit score is (among a multitude of other factors), you could see wildly different prices from the ones above.

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

South Carolina Farm Bureau vs. State Farm: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

South Carolina Farm Bureau and State Farm only compete against each other in South Carolina, where South Carolina Farm Bureau offers the cheaper average prices. Undefined drivers tend to pay about undefined per month less on average compared to drivers who use undefined for their car insurance.

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 auto insurance companies calculate your rates. Continue reading to see how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive car insurance prices of any other group of drivers. The reason is that 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 that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high insurance rates. As you can see above, teens who use South Carolina Farm Bureau save almost 35% a month compared to those who use State Farm.

Even so, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower premiums by the time you turn 25. State Farm offers the steepest reduction, with 25-year-olds paying less than a third of what 18-year-old drivers are charged. That being said, South Carolina Farm Bureau still has the most affordable prices at $115 monthly.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

But who has the best prices for retired drivers between South Carolina Farm Bureau and State Farm? South Carolina Farm Bureau gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older over 30% less expensive than the national average for State Farm.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married drivers tend to get slightly more affordable insurance premiums than single policyholders. That's because policies for married couples usually cover more than one vehicle, which a lot of companies will give you a discount for.

For single drivers, the difference in average rates between these two carriers is significant, with South Carolina Farm Bureau premiums coming in at a quarter less than State Farm's. For married policyholders, the advantage is clear again - South Carolina Farm Bureau has the edge when it comes to average prices.

South Carolina Farm Bureau or State Farm: Average Rates by Gender

You may not know, but men typically pay more for car insurance than women do. This is because men are statistically more likely than women to get into accidents and file an insurance claim, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher rates.

Men generally pay around $6 per month more than women with South Carolina Farm Bureau, and about $10 with State Farm.

When it comes to the lowest prices for each gender, South Carolina Farm Bureau comes out on top for both men and women. On average, women save about $44 a month and men save around $50 with South Carolina Farm Bureau compared to the average State Farm policyholder.

South Carolina Farm Bureau 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.

For most people, auto insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are so many different terms and coverages that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

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

Looking specifically at state minimum liability limits, South Carolina Farm Bureau has the edge, with average monthly premiums coming in at $78. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, South Carolina Farm Bureau again has the edge, with policies averaging about $144 per month to State Farm's $216.

Is South Carolina Farm Bureau 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 car insurance. But that's not to say you can't save money if you don't have the best driving record, either.

Collisions and speeding tickets will most likely raise your rates, but is South Carolina Farm Bureau or State Farm cheaper for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use South Carolina Farm Bureau for their auto insurance can usually expect their monthly bill to go up around 11% after getting a speeding ticket. State Farm policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of about 14%.

However, South Carolina Farm Bureau is normally the less expensive option for drivers both with clean records and with a ticket, offering prices that are 29% and 31% more affordable, respectively, compared to State Farm.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both companies will increase premiums pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault collision with South Carolina Farm Bureau raising by around 24%. State Farm has a less extreme increase, but you can still expect to pay nearly 20% more than you were prior to your first accident.

At the end of the day, South Carolina Farm Bureau offers the most affordable prices for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average rates coming in at $125 compared to State Farm's $163.

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 insurance bill. For example, State Farm increases average premiums by $45 a month -- that's more than a 25% increase.

How does Credit Score Impact South Carolina Farm Bureau and State Farm Rates?

In many cases, your credit score can be used as one of the factors to determine your monthly auto insurance rates. This isn't true for everyone (California, for example, has banned the use of credit score as an insurance factor) but it might come into play for many drivers.

Insurance carriers argue that someone with good credit is more likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them less risky to insure. Because of that, policyholders with good credit will often be rewarded with less expensive premiums.

So, which carrier offers the cheapest prices for drivers 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 South Carolina Farm Bureau 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 premiums. Typically, the more milage you put on your vehicle each year, the more you can expect to pay for coverage.

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

South Carolina Farm Bureau or State Farm: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you live can have a pretty big impact on your monthly car insurance payment. Usually, those who live in urban areas will pay more than policyholders in rural areas since there are a lot more cars on the road where they live, which increases the chances of an accident.

South Carolina Farm Bureau boasts the lowest average rates for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save around 10% with South Carolina Farm Bureau compared to State Farm. People who live in suburban areas pay about 36% less with South Carolina Farm Bureau compared to State Farm. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, South Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance's average premiums are around 38% less than State Farm.

South Carolina Farm Bureau 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, and the best way to do that is by utilizing as many car insurance discounts as possible.

But where do you even start? With so many discounts out there, it may seem hard to find all the of the ones you can take advantage of.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and broke down all of the different discounts offered by both South Carolina Farm Bureau and State Farm so that you can see which one can save you the most money each month.

State Farm knocks South Carolina Farm Bureau out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 18 more discounts than South Carolina Farm Bureau.

Both companies offer quite a few of the same discounts -- like discounts for being a defensive driver, discounts for getting driver training, and multi-policy discounts -- but State Farm also offers discounts for ABS, annual mileage, anti-theft, and more.

South Carolina Farm Bureau's discounts come through just a few categories, including Defensive Driver, Distant Student, Driver Training, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is South Carolina Farm Bureau or State Farm Best for You?

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your insurance rates. We've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers, too. But, at the end of the day, which company is the best fit for you?

South Carolina Farm Bureau might be best for you if....

• You have a clean record.
• Your home is in a busy urban area.
• Your neighborhood is in a rural area.

State Farm might be best for you if...

• You value the experience that comes with a large national auto insurance carrier.
• You're looking for the company with the most discounts.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between South Carolina Farm Bureau and State Farm. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision about your 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 carriers, not just South Carolina Farm Bureau and State Farm. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple quotes from some of the best insurance companies in your area, all for free.

South Carolina Farm Bureau vs. State Farm FAQs

Is South Carolina Farm Bureau or State Farm cheaper?

South Carolina Farm Bureau is the more affordable of the two carriers when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $111 per month with South Carolina Farm Bureau and $158 for State Farm. Even so, that doesn't mean South Carolina Farm Bureau will be the most affordable carrier for every policyholder, since there are a range of different factors that are considered when it comes to your car insurance bill.

Who is better, South Carolina Farm Bureau or State Farm?

Sadly, the answer truly is "it depends.". No single company is "better" for everyone -- it all comes down to what your unique auto insurance profile looks like.

Why do South Carolina Farm Bureau and State Farm offer me different rates?

Insurance companies use several different variables when determining the premiums they charge. Things such as age, gender, your driving record, where you call home, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both South Carolina Farm Bureau and State Farm calculate prices using different factors, so it's likely they'll offer different rates. The best way to determine which carrier is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a variety of different carriers.

How do I know if South Carolina Farm Bureau or State Farm is right for me?

The only way to find the car 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 make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your area information and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top auto insurance carriers for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the lowest price. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't South Carolina Farm Bureau 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.