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Insurance isn't one-size-fits-all: a policy that suits your neighbor might not be right for you. Comparing auto insurance from the best companies can pay dividends in the form of lower premiums and better coverage. We've done some of the legwork by gathering data and putting together a comprehensive list of the best auto insurance companies. Across most metrics, USAA routinely came out on top. However, there are a number of great options to choose from.
Use the links below to compare popular auto insurance companies' ratings, including customer satisfaction scores, coverage options, financial strength ratings, and The Zebra's Customer Satisfaction Survey. If you're curious about the best ways to save on car insurance, consult our collection of auto insurance resources to explore and ins-and-outs of liability insurance (bodily injury and property damage), collision and comprehensive coverage options, uninsured motorists, gap insurance, and more.
The Zebra conducted a survey with the intention of understanding carriers from a customer's perspective. We asked how each major carrier held up in online experience, claims satisfaction, ease of use, customer service, trustworthiness, and willingness to recommend.
Best car insurance company overall: USAA
With an overall score of 4.6, USAA topped five out of our six main categories, including claims satisfaction, ease of use, customer service, trustworthiness, and willingness to recommend. Scores for the company were high across both male and female respondents. The company ranked well across multiple age groups as well.
Best online experience: GEICO
While GEICO ranked well in many categories, customers were overall most satisfied with the company's online experience when compared to other top carriers.
Best carriers ranked
Below are the overall results for The Zebra's Customer Satisfaction Survey of the top auto insurance carriers. All companies received a rating of at least 4 on a scale of 5. Have a look at how each company did below.
Findings are based on an online quantitative survey of 4,134 current U.S. auto and home insurance customers, with Census-balanced sampling by age, gender and region. Categories with n=<20 responses are considered insufficient sample size and are not reported. This survey was developed by The Zebra and executed by independent research firm Maru/Blue in 2021.
What are the top 10 most popular auto insurance companies in America?
If you’re looking for cheap auto insurance, start by evaluating the most popular car insurance companies. Many major auto insurers are popular because of their affordable car insurance rates, reliable financials, broad territorial coverage, and responsive customer service and claims process. Let's explore the top property and casualty insurance companies, assessing their market share and customer service ratings.
The total monetary value of premiums sold is the standard measure of size for an auto insurance provider, but other variables are worth considering when comparing car insurance options.
See below summaries of popular auto insurance companies' customer service ratings, claims satisfaction and rates.
1. State Farm
State Farm's major selling points include a personal insurance agent for every client and the backing of a company that controls 16% of the auto insurance market. This service and stability factors into State Farm's rates. The average State Farm policyholder pays 18% less per six-month term than does a client of a typical major insurer (methodology).
GEICO offers affordable rates and solid customer service reviews. At $602 for a six-month premium, GEICO provides coverage for $159 less than the average of the top 10 auto insurance companies. According to the NAIC's complaint ratio, GEICO was on the receiving end of fewer complaints than average in 2020.
The third-largest auto insurance provider in America — with 13% market share — Progressive has an average J.D. Power customer satisfaction score. If you want auto insurance coverage from Progressive, expect to pay almost $8 more per month than the group average. Based on our sample driving profile, Progressive is moderately priced: it's the fifth-most expensive provider.
Allstate has an average J.D. Power Rating and relatively few registered NAIC complaints. Allstate is one of the pricier major insurers in America, averaging as the most expensive out of the ten largest insurance providers. At $1,011 for a six-month premium, covering a vehicle through Allstate costs $248 more than choosing another large auto insurance company.
Esurance is an owned subsidiary of Allstate, which made the acquisition in 2011.
Despite only servicing military members and their families, USAA holds 6% market share within the auto insurance space. The company earns exceptional J.D. Power ratings and offers considerable auto insurance discounts for qualifying drivers. Of the 10 car insurance providers surveyed, USAA's rates were the cheapest.
Liberty Mutual carries a slightly below-average NAIC complaint score and average ratings from J.D. Power. Based on The Zebra's data, Liberty Mutual's rates are $100 more expensive per six-month policy than are the rates of the average large insurer.
Farmers scores moderately well in an overall assessment. The California-based insurance company has gross customer service ratings of 3 out of 5 but a below-average rating from the NAIC. As with State Farm, Farmers customers also get their own insurance agent. On average, an auto insurance policy from Farmers is slightly more expensive than the group average, at $822 for a six-month term.
Although Nationwide offers relatively cheap premiums, the company's overall customer satisfaction sits near the middle of the pack. A six-month insurance policy from Nationwide costs an average of $714 — or $119 per month — about $47 less than average.
The ninth-largest auto insurance company in the U.S., American Family, holds a little over 2% of the market share. American Family has a relatively poor rating from J.D. Power and an average NAIC complaint score. Among the largest insurance companies, American Family is the fourth-cheapest, at $677 for a six-month premium.
Travelers owns just less than 2% of the U.S. insurance market, selling pricier-than-average policies. Travelers earns unremarkable J.D. Power ratings and a good complaint rating from NAIC. At $927 per six-month policy, Travelers is $165 more expensive than the group average.
Best regional and mid-sized car insurance companies
Some car insurance companies only serve a small portion of the country. However, this does not mean that they are inferior. In fact, there are a number of smaller carriers that offer top-of-the-line coverage options and exceptional customer service. We've put together a list of some of the best car insurance companies by region, highlighting regional and mid-sized carriers that offer great coverage options.
This list was put together using the same methodology as The Zebra's carrier reviews, incorporating third-party rankings from J.D. Power and the NAIC with coverage options offered. Have a look at the list below to find the best regional carriers in your part of the country.
Northeast
Including the following states: CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT
Which insurance company is the best? Every major insurance company, reviewed in-depth:
Wondering which is the most reliable car insurance company? The Zebra's insurance experts are here to help. We gathered reliable third-party data on America's most popular insurance companies and crafted unbiased reviews of each insurer.
Each insurance company review includes The Zebra's overall score, as well as an overview of coverage options and discounts offered by each insurer. Dive into the details via the links below or learn more about our insurance review methodology.
The Zebra's insurance company reviews incorporate a number of factors, including companies' financial strength, customer complaints, and overall customer satisfaction. Much of this information comes via customer satisfaction ratings from J.D. Power, financial strength metrics from AM Best, and consumer complaint reports conducted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
These organizations provide a wealth of knowledge on the overall performance of most insurance companies:
J.D. Power focuses on product quality and customer satisfaction in its annual claims satisfaction studies. The J.D. Power information used by The Zebra's experts to generate ratings comes from the U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study and the U.S. Home Insurance Study.
AM Best provides financial data on companies within the insurance industry. The Zebra uses AM Best's ratings to gauge companies' financial solidity.
The NAIC lists the complaints it receives regarding individual companies in its Complaint Ratio Trend Report. This report is generated by dividing the total number of complaints each company receives by that company’s annual premiums. The Zebra uses this report to compare insurance companies' number of complaints to the industry average.
The Zebra's reviews also include analysis of the insurance products provided by each company, including the coverage, endorsements, benefits, discounts, and additional lines of insurance sold by each company. We feel our ratings give an accurate and unbiased impression of what you can expect from each car insurance company.
Not every insurance company is big enough to be rated by these organizations. In these cases, we turned to alternative sources to guide our ratings: the Better Business Bureau, Consumer Reports, and other reputable ranking organizations.
The top insurance companies: which one is the best?
Finding the best auto insurance company comes down to finding high-quality coverage at a competitive price. Use the car insurance premiums we displayed as a jumping-off point to guide your insurance shopping process. The Zebra's baseline data reflects a driver with a good credit score and a clean driving record. These car insurance premiums might not match a personalized car insurance quote you receive.
If you’re ready to find affordable auto insurance, enter your ZIP code above to see what the biggest and best car insurance companies in the U.S. have to offer you.