Travelers and Farmers are two of the largest national car insurance companies, and both companies have ample coverage offerings. But Travelers has a higher AM Best financial strength rating, lower premiums, and a higher Insurify Quality (IQ) Score of 8.5 out of 5. Farmers has a much larger agent network, but both insurance companies offer in-person support from many agents and brokers.
Before you buy a new auto policy, you should compare quotes from multiple insurance companies. Here’s what you need to know about Farmers and Travelers to decide which company is right for you.
Farmers vs. Travelers: The verdict
Travelers charges lower average premiums than Farmers for motorists across many different driving profiles and coverage levels. Compared to Farmers, Travelers also received a lower number of complaints filed with the NAIC and earned higher customer satisfaction rankings in most markets in the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Auto Insurance Study.1
Farmers has more add-on auto insurance products and discounts than Travelers. The company also has more insurance agents and a slightly higher rating for its mobile app in the Apple App Store. Both companies sell quality car insurance, but you may find Travelers is the better option thanks to lower prices and a higher IQ Score.
The table below shows some key differences between Farmers and Travelers that you should consider when looking for a car insurance policy that meets your specific needs.
Farmers
With 4.55% of the personal auto insurance market share in the United States, Farmers is the country’s seventh-largest car insurance company.2 Farmers received an above-average number of complaints on the NAIC complaint index for a company of its size.
Travelers
Travelers received a below-average number of complaints with the NAIC for a company of its size. As the eighth-largest U.S. car insurance company, Travelers holds 2.11% of the personal auto market share.
Farmers Signal vs. Travelers IntelliDrive
Both Travelers and Farmers have a telematics program that you can potentially use to save on auto insurance premiums. You’ll need to install a smartphone app that monitors driving behavior.
Farmers offers an initial discount for signing up for its Signal telematics program. You can save more if you demonstrate safe driving behavior. If you earn a focused driving score above 80%, you can win monthly rewards valued up to $100. The app’s CrashAssist detection also uses sensors to identify accidents, which enables Farmers to send emergency services.
With the Travelers IntelliDrive program, you can earn a premium discount of up to 30% by installing the app to monitor your driving behavior and practicing safe driving habits. IntelliDrive offers crash detection just as Farmers does, but it doesn’t offer any kind of monthly rewards for focused driving.
Farmers vs. Travelers: Which is the cheapest?
Travelers car insurance is generally cheaper than coverage from Farmers, according to Insurify rate data. Drivers with a clean record, past driving incidents, or a poor credit history will find that Travelers has more affordable premiums, on average.
But various factors can affect the car insurance rates you’ll pay with each insurer, including your age, driving history, ZIP code, credit score, vehicle type, and whether you own a home or rent.3
Getting quotes from both car insurance companies can help you determine how your personalized rates compare so you can find the lowest-cost coverage for your situation. You should also take a closer look at other factors, like customer experience reviews, available insurance services, and claims satisfaction.
Travelers: Cheapest for drivers with a clean driving record
Drivers with a clean record free of accidents or incidents typically pay the lowest rates. On average, Travelers offers cheaper coverage than Farmers for people with clean driving records.
Travelers: Cheapest for drivers with a speeding ticket
Your insurer may view you as a higher-risk driver if you have a past speeding ticket on your record, which leads to higher rates. Travelers’ car insurance rates are cheaper for drivers with a ticket on their record.
Travelers: Cheapest for teen drivers
Both Farmers and Travelers charge higher premiums for teen drivers, but Travelers offers less expensive rates on average for this high-risk group. Teenagers pay the highest rates by age group due to a lack of driving experience and a greater risk of having an accident.
The table below shows what you should expect to pay to insure young drivers.
Travelers: Cheapest for drivers with bad credit
Insurers charge higher rates for people with low credit scores because research has linked bad credit with a higher risk of making an insurance claim. Travelers’ car insurance rates for drivers with bad credit are lower than Farmers.
Check out the average premiums below from both insurers for drivers with bad credit.
Travelers: Cheapest for senior drivers
Farmers charges higher rates on average than Travelers for drivers of all ages, including seniors. Here are the typical liability rates older drivers pay with both insurance companies.
Compare coverages: Farmers vs. Travelers
Travelers and Farmers both offer the standard coverage options most auto insurers provide, including liability, personal injury protection, uninsured motorist, collision, and comprehensive coverage. The companies also offer a broad range of coverage options so you can customize your car insurance coverage levels.
Some important differences exist in their additional coverage offerings. For example, Travelers has more limited rideshare coverage than Farmers and doesn’t offer specialized protection for customized equipment added to your vehicle. Travelers provides gap insurance to pay off the difference between your loan and your car’s fair market value if you total your car, but Farmers doesn’t.
Compare common add-on coverage offerings below.
Compare discounts: Farmers vs. Travelers
Travelers and Farmers both offer many opportunities to reduce premiums, including discounts for bundling an auto policy with homeowners insurance or life insurance. Both companies have more than a dozen discounts, but Farmers has more than Travelers.
Farmers has more discounts for vehicle safety and anti-theft features, and Travelers offers specialized savings for new cars. Farmers offers savings to vehicles with alternative fuel only in California, while Travelers provides discounts for electric vehicles in more locations.
You can compare discount offerings from the two companies below.
Farmers vs. Travelers FAQs
Before you buy a new auto policy, you should determine how much coverage you need and compare different rates to find the cheapest car insurance for your needs. The following information should help answer your remaining questions about coverage from Farmers and Travelers.
Is Farmers or Travelers cheaper?
Travelers offers cheaper coverage on average than Farmers for both full-coverage and liability-only insurance policies. The average cost of car insurance from Travelers is $98 per month for liability coverage and $185 for full-coverage insurance. Coverage from Farmers costs $110 per month for liability insurance and $215 for full-coverage insurance.
But you should compare quotes from several insurers to find the best rates because different insurance companies calculate premiums differently.
Is Travelers Insurance a reputable company?
Travelers is a reputable company that’s been selling insurance for more than 165 years. The company earned an AM Best financial strength rating of A++ (Superior), which indicates a great ability to pay out your car insurance claim. And Travelers has received fewer customer complaints for a company of its size with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Is Farmers Insurance good at paying claims?
Yes. Farmers earned an AM Best financial strength rating of A (Excellent), meaning the company can pay claims. And the company had an average customer satisfaction ranking in the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study.4