Auto-owners vs. Progressive: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for insurance, Auto-owners offers slightly more affordable rates than Progressive
• Auto-owners offers more affordable prices for policyholders who may not have much of a commute
• Progressive has less expensive rates for drivers with a DUI charge on their record

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Auto-owners vs. Progressive: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you in the market for a new insurance policy? You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering big discounts, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You might be considering Auto-owners or Progressive as your top options, but between the two, which company will save you the most?

Looking at nationwide averages, Auto-owners is about $1 per month cheaper than Progressive.

However, Auto-owners may not be the cheapest or best option for every driver out there. Car insurance companies use tons of complex algorithms to calculate prices, so depending on where you live or how clean your driving record is (among a bunch of other factors), you could see wildly different premiums from the ones above.

Luckily, we've broken down average rates from both Auto-owners and Progressive by a bunch of different rate factors, so read on to find out which carrier is the best for you.

Auto-owners or Progressive: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Auto-owners and Progressive compete against each other in 21 states, with Progressive offering more affordable premiums to the average driver in all of them. If you live in, undefined is the less expensive of the two carriers when looking at the overall average prices, but Progressive is the cheaper option in most of the others.

That being said, there are plenty of other factors that go into your auto insurance bill than just where you live. Continue reading to learn more about how other factors will affect your rates.

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Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers typically pay a lot more for car insurance than any group on the road. It's because young, inexperienced 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 still, even with seemingly sky-high rates, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Auto-owners for their insurance pay nearly $60 less than those who use Progressive.

Even so, with both companies, you'll see your premiums decrease significantly by the time you turn 25. For example, average prices for Auto-owners policyholders lower almost 60% and Progressive's premiums drop nearly 70% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age normally enjoy some of the lowest auto insurance rates you'll ever see. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which usually decreases their chances of accidents and other infractions that can increase prices.

So, which company offers the best rates to retired drivers? Progressive gets the slight edge here, with average premiums coming in at around $131 a month compared to Auto-owners's $133. But that difference is less than 5%, which means it ultimately will come down to other variables, such as your driving record or where you live.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but insurance prices tend to be more expensive for those who are single than they are for married couples. That's generally because married drivers tend to own and insure more than one car, which can often earn you a discount.

When it comes to relationship status, Auto-owners is the winner for single drivers, with rates about $10 a month more affordable than Progressive, on average.

Auto-owners vs. Progressive: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into an accident or get pulled over for speeding. That means when it comes to car insurance men will usually end up paying a little more.

On average, men see premiums more than $10 per month higher with Auto-owners, while with Progressive, the difference is closer to $5 a month.

Looking at the data for each carrier specifically, Progressive is the most affordable company for men. Rates with Progressive are $2 less for men, while women can save around $4 with Auto-owners.

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Auto-owners or 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.

It's no secret that auto insurance can be a complicated subject for most people. There are many different coverages that account for lots of 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.

The two most common policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability only (which provides bodily injury and property damage coverage for other drivers and passengers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which typically refers to having comprehensive and collision coverages alongside what you get with a liability policy).

In this case, Auto-owners offers the cheapest average prices for state minimum liability insurance, while Progressive has the edge for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Drivers looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $10 with Auto-Owners Insurance, while full coverage comes out to be about $10 cheaper with Progressive.

Is Auto-owners or Progressive Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

You've probably seen plenty of commercials from car insurance carriers offering great premiums 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 at-fault collisions and tickets lead to higher rates, but which carrier -- Auto-owners or Progressive -- has the lowest prices for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Auto-owners policyholders can expect their premiums to go up an average of $44 per month if they get a ticket, while Progressive generally raises prices around $31 a month, on average.

That being said, Auto-owners tends to offer the best prices for both drivers who have clean records and those with a recent speeding ticket. Drivers with a clean record can save about $28 per month and drivers with a ticket can save around $15 a month with Auto-Owners Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both companies will raise rates pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault accident with Progressive raising by $65. Auto-owners has a less extreme increase, but you can still expect to pay over $45 more than you were prior to your first collision.

Overall, the less expensive premiums come from Auto-owners, with monthly rates averaging $168 compared to Progressive's $214.

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 insurance bill -- normally a lot more than a collision or speeding ticket. For example, Auto-owners increases average prices by just under $150 per month -- that's just under a 55% increase.

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How does Credit Score Impact Auto-owners and Progressive Rates?

Often times, your credit score can be used as one of the factors to determine your monthly car insurance premiums. This isn't always the case (for example, California and Michigan are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it might come into play for lots of policyholders.

Insurance carriers argue that those with good credit scores are more likely to pay their bills on time each month, which lowers the risk involved on their end, while the opposite is true for those with bad credit.

Looking specifically at Auto-owners and Progressive, which one has the best prices for drivers 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 Auto-owners 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 your monthly auto insurance cost. That's because the more miles you drive, the more likely you are to get into an accident and cause 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 Auto-owners, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicle annually paying about $1 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly.

Auto-owners vs. Progressive: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you live can play a sizable role in how much you pay for car insurance. Generally, those who live in urban areas will pay more than policyholders in rural areas because of the number of cars that are on the roads in those areas.

Auto-owners typically comes out as the cheaper option for drivers in urban and suburban areas, while Progressive wins in rural areas.

In urban areas, Auto-Owners Insurance's average rates are around $2 less than Progressive. Drivers in suburban ZIP codes pay about $10 less with Auto-owners compared to Progressive. If you live in a rural area, you can expect to save around $10 with Progressive compared to Auto-owners.

Auto-owners vs. Progressive 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 utilizing as many insurance discounts as you can.

But where do you even start? With what seems like a million different discounts out there, it may be difficult to find all the ones you qualify for.

Below, we've taken a look at all of the different discounts Auto-owners and Progressive offer their customers so that you can see which carrier offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Progressive knocks Auto-owners out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 34 different discounts to Auto-owners's 34.

There are a couple discounts both companies offer, but Progressive also offers advanced safety feature discounts, agency transfer discounts, continuous insurance discounts, and more that Auto-owners does not.

On the flip side, Auto-owners has a couple unique discounts of its own -- company car discounts, discounts for getting driver training, inside storage discounts, and more.

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Final Thoughts: Is Auto-owners or Progressive Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average prices for many of the variables car insurance carriers look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers. But, at the end of the day, which company is the best one for you and your specific needs?

Auto-owners might be best for you if....

• You have a clean driving record, free of accidents, tickets, or DUIs.
• You live in an urban area.
• Your neighborhood is in the suburbs.

Progressive might be best for you if...

• You value the experience that comes with a large national auto insurance carrier.
• You care about discounts (Progressive offers the most).
• You are over 65 years old and want to save some money on your insurance.

We hope this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Auto-owners and Progressive and that it aids in making a more informed decision about 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 multiple companies, not just Auto-owners and Progressive. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of top insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

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Auto-owners vs. Progressive FAQs

Is Auto-owners or Progressive cheaper?

Looking just at the national average premiums, Auto-owners is the more affordable of the two companies, offering average rates of $179 a month compared to $180 for Progressive. However, Auto-owners won't necessarily be the lowest company for each driver, since there are several different factors (things like age, gender, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Auto-owners or Progressive?

Unfortunately, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No single carrier is "better" for every driver -- it all comes down to what your unique car insurance profile looks like. For example, Auto-owners offers less expensive prices for single drivers, while Progressive is cheaper for drivers who have already retired.

Why do Auto-owners and Progressive offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers take a look at many different variables when calculating the rates they charge policyholders. Factors 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 Auto-owners and Progressive use different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different premiums. The only real way to see which company is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from multiple different companies.

How do I know if Auto-owners or Progressive is right for me?

The only way to find the insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from a handful of carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best car insurance companies in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best rate. And who knows, the best company for you might not be Auto-owners or Progressive at all!

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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.