American Family vs. Progressive: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for car insurance, American Family offers significantly cheaper rates than Progressive
• American Family tends to be a much less expensive option for drivers with a DUI
• Progressive may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than American Family Insurance

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American Family or Progressive: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you considering a new insurance policy? After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering hefty savings. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You might be considering American Family or Progressive for your next policy, but which carrier will offer you more affordable prices?

As you can see, Progressive is around $40 more a month than American Family when looking at the national average rates for insurance.

Even so, that doesn't mean American Family will necessarily be less expensive than Progressive for each driver. Car insurance carriers use a variety of complex algorithms to determine premiums, so depending on where you live or how clean your driving record is (among a lot of other factors), you could see wildly different rates from the ones above.

Wanting to know if American Family or Progressive 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.

American Family vs. Progressive: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

American Family and Progressive compete against each other in 14 states, with American Family offering more affordable rates to the average driver in all of them. If you live in, undefined is the cheaper of the two companies when looking at the overall average prices, but Progressive is the cheaper option in most of the others.

That being said, there's a lot more that goes into your insurance bill than just where you live. Read on to learn more.

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Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- usually pay a lot for auto insurance compared to older drivers. It'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.

But that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their insurance. As you can see above, teens who use American Family save almost 30% per month compared to those who use Progressive.

However, both carriers will lower premiums by the time you turn 25. For example, average prices for American Family policyholders decrease about $200 and Progressive's premiums reduce around $300 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to auto insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the cheapest rates you'll ever see.

But who has the best premiums for retired drivers between American Family and Progressive? American Family gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older nearly 20% more affordable than the national average for Progressive.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Those who are single tend to get offered slightly more expensive car insurance prices than married couples. This usually boils down to married drivers having more than one vehicle on their policy -- something many auto insurance companies will reward with discounts.

For single drivers, the difference in average premiums between these two carriers is significant, with American Family rates coming in at a quarter less than Progressive's. The advantage for married policyholders with American Family is also obvious, where drivers save about $20 a month.

American Family or Progressive: Average Rates by Gender

You may not know, but car insurance is normally cheaper for women than it is for men. This is because men are statistically more likely than women to get into accidents and get speeding tickets, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher prices.

Normally, men see premiums around 3% per month higher with American Family, and about 3% with Progressive.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, American Family comes out as the most affordable option for both genders, with average rates $40 less for men and $40 cheaper for women.

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American Family vs. Progressive: 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.

Insurance can be a complicated subject for most people. There are many different coverages that account for a range of different things. Some protect you and your car, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause a collision.

That being said, most policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (which provides bodily injury and property damage coverage for other drivers and their passengers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- in addition to liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability insurance, American Family has the edge, with average monthly prices coming in at $96. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, American Family again has the edge, with policies averaging around $185 a month to Progressive's $250.

Is American Family or Progressive Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

It's no secret secret that speeding tickets and collisions lead to higher prices, but which carrier -- American Family or Progressive -- has the cheapest premiums for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use American Family for their car insurance can generally expect their monthly bill to go up about 20% after getting a speeding ticket. Progressive policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of around 17%.

However, American Family tends to offer the best prices for drivers both with a ticket and with a clean record. With American Family Insurance, drivers with a clean record can save about $31 per month and drivers with a speeding ticket can save around $33 a month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

American Family drivers who get in a collision can expect to see their prices rise by just under 15%, while those who have insurance through Progressive will see about a 30% increase.

At the end of the day, American Family offers the most affordable rates for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average premiums coming in at $138 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 ticket or even an accident. For example, American Family increases average prices by $40 per month -- that's more than a 25% increase.

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How does Credit Score Impact American Family and Progressive Rates?

Did you know many insurance carriers take your credit score into account when determining premiums? This isn't true for everyone (for example, California and Massachusetts are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect lots of policyholders out there.

The reasoning auto 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 typically be forced to pay more.

Looking specifically at American Family and Progressive, which company has the lowest prices for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

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Is American Family or Progressive 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 more milage you drive, the more likely you are to be in a collision 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 Progressive charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly rates for American Family, with policyholders who drive the least paying around $5 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, for drivers in both categories, American Family is the cheaper company.

American Family or Progressive: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where your home is can have a pretty big impact on your monthly insurance cost. Generally, drivers who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural policyholders because of the number of cars that are on the roads where they live.

American Family tends to offer the cheapest premiums for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

For drivers in urban ZIP codes, American Family Insurance's average rates are about 20% less than Progressive. People who live in suburban areas pay around 25% less with American Family compared to Progressive. Those in rural areas can expect to save about 21% with American Family compared to Progressive.

American Family vs. Progressive Discounts

No matter why you might be in the market for a new car insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as you can. That's where insurance discounts comes into play.

But where do you even start? With so many discounts out there, it may seem difficult 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 American Family and Progressive so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

Progressive blows American Family away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 13 more discounts than American Family.

There are a couple discounts both companies offer, but Progressive also offers discounts for ABS, advanced safety feature, agency transfer, and more.

On the other hand, American Family has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like connect partner discounts, ESC discounts, generational discounts, and more.

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Final Thoughts: Is American Family or Progressive Best for You?

You've seen the role certain variables have on your auto insurance and the different discounts carriers offer. That's all well and good, but at the end of the day, which insurance company is the best fit for you?

American Family might be best for you if....

• You've been pulled over for speeding recently.
• You want the most robust protection via a "full coverage" policy.
• You don't spend much time in your car.

Progressive might be best for you if...

• You already have plans to move to another state -- undefined only offers policies in.
• You want to save extra money with discounts.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between American Family and Progressive. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision about your 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 multiple companies, not just American Family and Progressive. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get free quotes from dozens of top auto insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

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American Family vs. Progressive FAQs

Is American Family or Progressive cheaper?

American Family is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $140 a month with American Family and $180 for Progressive. Even so, that doesn't mean American Family will be the lowest carrier for each driver, since there are lots of different factors (things like age, gender, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, American Family or Progressive?

Sadly, the answer truly is "it depends.". One company is not necessarily "better" for every policyholder -- it all depends on what your unique insurance profile looks like.

Why do American Family and Progressive offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers use several different variables when calculating the rates they charge. Things like age, your driving record, gender, where you park your vehicle, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both American Family and Progressive use different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which carrier is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a variety of different companies.

How do I know if American Family or Progressive is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from several carriers 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 ZIP code and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance companies for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best price. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't American Family or Progressive at all, but another you hadn't even thought of!

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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.