Progressive Vs. State Farm: Comparing Car Insurance 2024 (2024)

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Progressive is a better option than State Farm in many cases thanks to its low rates and robust coverage offerings. Make sure to compare other insurers as well, since neither company could turn out to be your optimal option.

Comparing Progressive vs. State Farm Car Insurance

1

Progressive

Average annual cost for good drivers

$1,826

Average annual cost for drivers with a speeding ticket

$2,350

Complaint level

Low

1

Progressive

Progressive Vs. State Farm: Comparing Car Insurance 2024 (1)

Progressive Vs. State Farm: Comparing Car Insurance 2024 (2)

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2

State Farm

Average annual cost for good drivers

$2,025

Average annual cost for drivers with a speeding ticket

$2,270

Complaint level

Low

2

State Farm

Progressive Vs. State Farm: Comparing Car Insurance 2024 (3)

Progressive Vs. State Farm: Comparing Car Insurance 2024 (4)

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Progressive earned 4.4 stars in our analysis of the best car insurance companies, outperforming State Farm’s 3.5 stars. Our analysis factored in cost, coverage options, collision repair and complaints against each company. Despite Progressive’s good rating, you may be able to find better options depending on your driving record.

Progressive vs. State Farm: Customer Satisfaction

In our analysis of complaints against both companies, Progressive auto insurance and State Farm were very similar: Both insurers are below the national average for complaint levels, which reflects good customer service.

In customer satisfaction studies by J.D. Power, State Farm does far better than Progressive. In the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, for example, State Farm was ranked No. 5 and scored 891 points out of 1,000 points, vs. Progressive at No. 18 with 870 points—well below the study average. The study looks at customer satisfaction with the claims process.

State Farm also did better than Progressive in J.D. Power’s 2024 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study. This study looks at customers’ satisfaction with the insurance buying experience. State Farm came in at No. 4 with 695 points out of 1,000, but Progressive came in rather low at No. 12 with 664 points and below the industry average score

Progressive vs. State Farm: Availability

Both Progressive and State Farm are available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. For people moving states, wide availability is convenient, so you don’t have to switch insurers if you don’t want to.

Progressive vs. State Farm: Which Is Better?

If you’re choosing between Progressive and State Farm, your pick may ultimately come down to price and who can offer you the best rates. Progressive has better rates for most of the typical driver profiles we examined.

Progressive Is Better for Good Drivers

Our analysis found Progressive has better rates for good drivers who have no tickets or accidents on their records.

Company Average national cost per year for a good driver

Progressive

$1,826

State Farm

$2,025

While Progressive’s average rates are better than State Farm’s, good drivers can likely get even cheaper car insurance. Our analysis found that Nationwide and Travelers have more competitive rates. If you’re a veteran or in the military, or in a military family, check quotes from USAA.

State Farm Is Better If You Have a Speeding Ticket

State Farm will likely be the better option for drivers with a speeding ticket on their records. But rates from both insurers were in the middle of our analysis. Erie and Nationwide had the lowest average costs.

Company Average national cost per year for a driver with a speeding ticket

Progressive

$2,350

State Farm

$2,270

State Farm Is Better for Drivers Who Have Caused an Accident

State Farm’s rates are also better for drivers who have caused an accident with an injury. But cheaper options are likely available cheapest. Erie and Travelers are going to be better choices, based on our analysis of rates. And USAA is typically a good choice if you qualify as a military member, veteran or family member.

Company Average national cost per year for a driver who caused an accident

Progressive

$2,770

State Farm

$2,428

Progressive Is Better for Drivers With a DUI

It’s hard to beat Progressive’s rates if you have a DUI on your record. Progressive was the cheapest company in these cases among the insurers in our analysis.

Company Average national cost per year for a driver with a DUI

Progressive

$2,307

State Farm

$2,716

Progressive Is Better for Drivers With Poor Credit

State Farm is likely going to be extremely expensive for drivers with poor credit. Our analysis found that State Farm is 147% more expensive than Progressive for poor credit drivers.

If you have credit issues, Geico and Nationwide offer much more competitive rates. Military members, veterans and their families should check quotes from USAA.

Company Average national cost per year for a driver with poor credit

Progressive

$3,221

State Farm

$7,961

Progressive Is Better for Adding a Teen Driver

Progressive is superior if you’re adding a teen driver to a policy.

Because insurance for teen drivers can pack a wallop to your wallet, it’s smart to compare car insurance quotes. We found that Erie and Nationwide have the most competitive rates for teens. Military members and veterans should check USAA’s quotes.

Company Average national cost per year for a driver adding a teen driver age 16-19

Progressive

$3,864

State Farm

$4,078

Progressive Is Better for Senior Drivers

State Farm and Progressive have similar average rates when it comes to senior drivers, but Progressive has a small edge.

You can likely find cheaper options for senior car insurance, such as Nationwide, USAA (if you qualify) and Travelers.

Company Average national cost per year for a senior driver age 65-80

Progressive

$1,937

State Farm

$2,009

Progressive vs. State Farm: Comparing Discounts

Progressive outpaces State Farm when it comes to discounts. Progressive is especially good for drivers who prefer an online experience, thanks to its discounts for getting an online quote, going paperless and signing documents online.

Progressive Auto Insurance Discounts

  • Automatic payments (for using automatic payments from your checking account)
  • Continuous insurance (for those who have had an auto insurance policy with no gaps or cancellations)
  • Distant student (for customers with a driver age 22 or younger who goes to school at least 100 miles away and won’t be driving your vehicles)
  • Good student (for full-time students under age 23 on your policy who maintains a “B” average or better)
  • Homeowner (even if you don’t insure your home with Progressive)
  • Multi-car (when you insure more than one car with Progressive)
  • Multi-policy (when you have two or more Progressive policies)
  • Online quote (for getting a quote online)
  • Paperless (if you receive paperless statements)
  • Pay in full (when you pay your full insurance bill upfront)
  • Sign online (for signing policy documents online)
  • Teen driver (for teens age 18 or under on your policy who have been insured with Progressive for at least 12 months)

State Farm Auto Insurance Discounts

  • Accident-free (for causing no accidents three years in a row)
  • Anti-theft device
  • Buying multiple policies (bundling)
  • Defensive driving course (for taking a defensive driving class)
  • Driver training (for young drivers under age 21 on your policy who complete driver training)
  • Good driving (for three years with no at-fault accidents or moving violations)
  • Good student (for full-time high school or college students age 16 to 25 with good grades)
  • Multi-vehicle (when you insure more than one car with State Farm)
  • Safe vehicle (based on your car’s safety features)
  • State Farm’s Steer Clear Program (drivers under 25 with no at-fault accidents or violations in the past three years can sign up for the State Farm Steer Clear app)
  • Student away at school (if one of the drivers on your policy is a student under age 25 who moves away to go to school)

Discount availability can vary by state. Additional discounts may be available in your state.

Progressive vs. State Farm: Coverage Types

All major auto insurance companies sell basic coverage types such as liability, collision and comprehensive, and uninsured motorist coverage. But when you want certain add-ons, not all companies are created equally.

When it comes to optional coverage types, Progressive is clearly the better choice vs. State Farm. It can provide add-ons like accident forgiveness and gap insurance that you won’t find with State Farm.

Coverage type Does Progressive offer it? Does State Farm offer it?

Accident forgiveness

Yes

No

Decreasing/vanishing deductible

Yes

No

Gap insurance

Yes

No

New car replacement

No

No

Non-owners insurance

Yes

Yes

Pay-per-mile insurance

No

No

SR-22s

Yes

Yes

Usage-based insurance

Yes, Snapshot

Yes, Drive Safe & Save

Coverage availability can vary by state.

If you’re looking for usage-based insurance, though—which uses your actual driving to help set rates—take caution before choosing Progressive. Your rate could go up if your driving scores poorly, and about 20% of drivers in Progressive’s program get a rate increase. State Farm’s Drive Safe & Save program will not increase your rate.

Other Things To Consider

Collision Repair

We like to look at collision repair grades when comparing auto insurers. Progressive and State Farm are both only about average when it comes to their collision repair processes:

  • Progressive: C
  • State Farm: C-

Grades are from the CRASH Network, which performs an annual survey of the opinions of collision repair professionals.

Digital Functionality

If a robust digital experience is important to you, Progressive is going to be the better choice. In our analysis of mobile apps and website features, Progressive earned 4 stars compared to State Farm’s 4.6 stars. (Geico was the only 5-star winner in our analysis.)

Progressive vs. State Farm Car Insurance: Customer Service and Claims

Both Progressive and State Farm offer 24/7 customer service and allow you to submit and track claims online.

One notable difference is that State Farm has its own agents while Progressive uses a network of more than 38,000 independent agents. While neither system is necessarily better than the other, you’ll find that State Farm agents are very knowledgeable about the company’s products. But independent agents like Progressive’s can help you compare quotes from other insurers to find the best fit.

Methodology

We used data from Quadrant Information Services to find average rates from each company. Rates are based on a 40-year-old female driver with a Toyota RAV4 and coverage of:

  • $100,000 for injuries to one person, $300,000 for injuries per accident and $100,000 of property damage (known as 100/300/100).
  • Uninsured motorist coverage of 100/300.
  • Collision and comprehensive insurance with a $500 deductible.

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Progressive Vs. State Farm: Comparing Car Insurance 2024 (2024)

FAQs

Progressive Vs. State Farm: Comparing Car Insurance 2024? ›

Our analysis found Progressive has better rates for good drivers who have no tickets or accidents on their records. While Progressive's average rates are better than State Farm's, good drivers can likely get even cheaper car insurance. Our analysis found that Nationwide and Travelers have more competitive rates.

Who is bigger, State Farm or Progressive? ›

According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), Progressive is the third-largest auto insurance provider in the U.S. behind State Farm and Geico. The company holds 13.7% of the market share and wrote more than $35.8 billion in auto insurance premiums in 2021.

Is Progressive the most expensive insurance? ›

Although Progressive isn't always the cheapest option for auto insurance, the company offers a wide variety of discounts that help customers save money.

Is Progressive good about paying claims? ›

NAIC Insurance Claims Complaints Index: Progressive earned a score of 1.97 which is . 97 points above the national average. Even considering that they are a large insurer, this number shows lower customer satisfaction with their claims process.

What is the best alternative to state farm? ›

  • Geico: Best for discounts. Why we chose it: On top of low average car insurance rates, Geico's long list of discounts could make your policy even cheaper. ...
  • Progressive: Best for safe drivers. ...
  • State Farm: Best for a driver with a ticket or accident. ...
  • Allstate: Best for new and young drivers. ...
  • Bankrate Scores.
May 9, 2024

Who is the #1 insurance company in the USA? ›

State Farm is the biggest auto insurance company in the country by market share, while Progressive, Geico and Allstate are the next three.

Who is State Farm's biggest competitor? ›

Considering State Farm and Geico are the two biggest auto insurance companies in the U.S., most drivers can find what they need from either company, whether that's minimum or full coverage. However, there are a few key differences between State Farm vs. Geico when it comes to auto insurance options.

What is the best car insurance to have? ›

The best car insurance companies in 2024
  • State Farm. Best for local agencies. 4.3. Rating: 4.3 stars out of 5. ...
  • Travelers. Best for personalized coverage. 4.2. Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5. ...
  • USAA. Best for military-focused coverage. 4.2. ...
  • Nationwide. Best for discounts. 4.0. ...
  • Liberty Mutual. Best for bundling numerous products. 3.8.

Does State Farm have a good reputation for paying claims? ›

In general, State Farm has a strong reputation for paying out claims to policyholders. It was ranked fifth out of 24 insurers in the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, and it was ranked sixth out of 17 insurers in the 2023 U.S. Property Claims Satisfaction Study.

Does Progressive raise rates after 6 months? ›

Your Progressive rates may increase after six months depending on a number of factors. Like other car insurance providers, Progressive will typically raise your rates if you receive a speeding ticket or moving violation, cause an accident or make comprehensive insurance claims.

What insurance companies are better than Progressive? ›

We found Geico offers slightly better rates for the average driver while Progressive tends to have lower rates for high-risk drivers in particular. Progressive and Geico also differ in the discounts they offer.

Who typically has the cheapest car insurance? ›

USAA, Nationwide, Travelers, Erie, Geico and Progressive are the cheapest car insurance companies nationwide, according to our analysis.

Which car insurance company has the lowest complaint index? ›

Ratio for Complaint Years 2022, 2021, and 2020
2022 RankCompany NameJustified Complaint Ratio
2022
1California Cas Ind Exch0.0
2CSAA Insurance Exchange0.9
3Interinsurance Exchange of the Automobile Club1.0
47 more rows

Who is the largest auto insurance company? ›

For auto policies, State Farm is the largest insurance company in the U.S., with the biggest market share (16.9 percent) and over $46.6 million in direct premiums written in 2022.

What ranking is Progressive insurance? ›

Progressive's financial ratings from third-party companies
Rating organizationProgressive rating
Rating organization:A.M. BestProgressive rating:A+ Superior
Rating organization:Standard and PoorProgressive rating:AA
Rating organization:Moody's Investors ServicesProgressive rating:Aa

How big of a company is Progressive? ›

Industry information. Progressive is one of the largest auto insurers in the United States, with over 13 million policies in force, along with State Farm, Allstate, GEICO, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, Farmers Insurance Group, and USAA.

Who owns majority of Progressive insurance? ›

Lilah Butler, Car Insurance Writer

The biggest shareholders are The Vanguard Group, BlackRock Fund Advisors, and Wellington Management, which have a combined ownership stake of almost 20%, according to public records, as of Q1 2021. Progressive was founded in 1937 by Joseph Lewis and Jack Green. In 1965, Peter B.

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