Travelers vs. Utica National: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for insurance, Travelers offers significantly more affordable premiums than Utica National
• Travelers has less expensive prices for drivers with a DUI
• Utica National has cheaper premiums in NY

Travelers or Utica National: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're thinking about switching to a new insurance policy. You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering large savings, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed it down to Travelers or Utica National as potential options, but which one will offer you less expensive prices?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, Utica National is quite a bit more expensive than Travelers, with rates averaging $394 a month compared to just $167 with Travelers.

However, that doesn't mean Travelers will necessarily be cheaper than Utica National for each driver. Auto insurance companies vary their prices depending on things like how clean your driving record is, where you live, how good your credit score is, how old you are, and all sorts of other factors, so rates could vary drastically from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of Travelers or Utica National is really the best for you, keep reading to see average premiums for each company broken down by a range of different rate factors.

Travelers vs. Utica National: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Travelers and Utica National only compete against each other in New York, where Travelers offers the cheaper average prices. Travelers drivers tend to pay about $17 per month less on average compared to drivers who use Utica National for their insurance.

There are plenty of other factors that go into your car insurance cost than just the state you live in. Read on to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- normally pay a lot for insurance compared to older drivers. That's generally because teen 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 car insurance. As you can see above, teens who use Travelers save almost 50% a month compared to those who use Utica National. It's worth noting that Travelers offers auto insurance in 31 different states compared to Utica National's one, which can skew the average premiums a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

That being said, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower rates by the time you turn 25. Utica National offers the steepest decrease, with 25-year-olds paying less than half what 18-year-old drivers are charged. That being said, Travelers still has the most affordable premiums at $141 per month.

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 cheapest prices you'll ever see.

So, which carrier offers the best rates to retired drivers? Travelers gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older $180 more affordable than the national average for Utica National.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married policyholders tend to get slightly less expensive auto insurance rates than single drivers. That's typically because married drivers tend to own and insure multiple vehicles, which can often earn you a discount.

For those who are single, the difference in average premiums between these two companies is significant, with Travelers prices coming in at around half of Utica National's. The advantage for married couples with Travelers is also obvious, where drivers save about 60% per month.

Travelers or Utica National: Average Rates by Gender

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

Usually, men see rates around $10 a month higher with Travelers, and about $30 with Utica National.

When it comes to the lowest premiums for each gender, Travelers comes out as the cheapest option for both genders, with average rates 58% less for men and 58% cheaper for women.

Travelers vs. Utica National: 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 car 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 for you.

Even so, most 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 two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- alongside what you get with a liability policy).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, Travelers has the significant edge, with average monthly prices coming in at $108. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Travelers again has the edge, with policies averaging around $225 per month to Utica National's $592.

Is Travelers or Utica National 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.

You'll probably end up paying more with speeding tickets and collisions on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the lowest premiums to drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Travelers for their car insurance can usually expect their monthly bill to go up about 20% after getting a speeding ticket. Utica National policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of around 16%.

But Travelers has more affordable rates for drivers in both categories -- their rates are around 58% cheaper for drivers with clean records and 56% more affordable for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Travelers drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their premiums climb by $45, while those who have insurance through Utica National will see about a $60 increase.

At the end of the day, Travelers offers the most affordable prices for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average rates coming in at $173 compared to Utica National's $362.

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 ticket or even a collision. On average, Utica National will raise your prices around 45% after a DUI, while Travelers's average premiums increase by nearly 40%.

Travelers has the overall lowest prices for drivers with a DUI on their records at $205 a month, but it's worth noting that Travelers's average rates come from 31 states compared to just one for Utica National, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Travelers and Utica National Rates?

You may not have known, but your credit score can come into play when companies determine your monthly bill. Certain states and carriers do not allow for credit score to be used as an insurance factor, but it does affect quite a few policyholders out there.

The reasoning insurance companies use is that drivers with good credit will be more likely to pay their bills on time; so they'll reward them with cheaper rates, while those with poor credit will normally be forced to pay more.

Looking specifically at Travelers and Utica National, which company has the most affordable premiums for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have solid credit, Travelers will usually reward you the most. For drivers with "excellent" credit scores, Travelers comes in just under 69.8 less expensive. Drivers with "good" credit scores typically save about 64% with Travelers compared to average rates from Utica National.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Travelers typically offers lower premiums than Utica National when it comes to drivers with less-than-stellar credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 56% a month less with Travelers compared to Utica National, and those with "poor" scores generally save an average of about 41% monthly.

Is Travelers or Utica National 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 carriers will charge for coverage. That's because the fewer miles you drive, 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 Utica National charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly prices for Travelers, with policyholders who drive 6,000 miles yearly paying around $5 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, for drivers in both categories, Travelers is the cheaper company.

Travelers or Utica National: 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 auto insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a substantial impact as well. Usually, policyholders who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural drivers due to the number of cars that are on the roads where they live.

Travelers boasts the most affordable average rates for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

If you live in a rural area, you can expect to pay about $136 per month with Travelers and $333 with Utica National. People in suburban areas pay a monthly price of around $160 with Travelers compared to $316 with Utica National. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Travelers's average prices are about $204 per month compared to Utica National's $533.

Travelers vs. Utica National 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 utilizing as many car insurance discounts as possible.

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be hard to nail down the company 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 Travelers and Utica National so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

Travelers knocks Utica National out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 25 different discounts to Utica National's 18.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like anti-theft discounts, discounts for getting driver training, DRL discounts, and group discounts. Travelers also offers discounts for advance quote, alternative fuel, continuous insurance, and more.

On the other hand, Utica National has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like ESC discounts, greenhouse gas discounts, low mileage discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Travelers or Utica National Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average rates for many of the variables auto insurance companies look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, which company is the best carrier for you and your specific driver profile?

Travelers might be best for you if....

• You have a clean driving record, free of accidents, tickets, or DUIs.
• You live in an urban area.
• You live in a rural area.

Utica National might be best for you if...

• You're looking for the best rates in NY.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Travelers and Utica National and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your car 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 insurance -- comparing quotes from multiple carriers, not just Travelers and Utica National. 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 auto insurance companies in your area, all for free.

Travelers vs. Utica National FAQs

Is Travelers or Utica National cheaper?

Travelers is the less expensive of the two carriers when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $167 a month with Travelers and $394 for Utica National. Even so, that doesn't mean Travelers will be the cheapest carrier for each driver, since there are a bunch of different factors that come into play when it comes to your car insurance bill.

Who is better, Travelers or Utica National?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No single company is "better" for every policyholder -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique auto insurance profile.

Why do Travelers and Utica National offer me different rates?

Insurance companies use many different variables when determining the prices they charge. Things like gender, your driving record, where your home is, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Travelers and Utica National calculate premiums differently, so it's likely they'll offer different rates. The best way to determine which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from lots of different carriers.

How do I know if Travelers or Utica National 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, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your information once and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance carriers for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best rate. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Travelers or Utica National 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.