21st Century Insurance Review
- With 2.5/5 stars in 2023, 21st Century is a decent insurance company.
- Read 21st Century reviews, complaints and prices before you buy.
21st Century insurance: Ratings and reviews
Primarily serving drivers in California, 21st Century is a part of the Farmers Insurance Group. 21st Century has excellent financial standing and is competitive in terms of coverage, but may not offer the extra features that go above and beyond to cover your bases. Our review of 21st Century's insurance coverage options and discounts can help you get an idea of the insurance company's offerings and decide if it's the right place to purchase your next policy.
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Excellent financial strength rating from AM Best
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Backed by Farmers Insurance Group
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Only available in California
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Poor NAIC rating
Is 21st Century a good insurance company?
The majority of The Zebra's review incorporates how well 21st Century scores in terms of customer service. In order to determine that we looked at the following third-party ratings.
BBB Customer Reviews: 1.05/5
- 21st Century has a 1.05/5 rating from Better Business Bureau customers[1]
Complaint Index: Above average
- The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) receives Above average customer complaints for 21st Century[2]
Financial Strength: Excellent/Good
- 21st Century received an Excellent/Good financial strength rating from A.M. Best for its ability to pay out claims[3]
The Zebra Customer Satisfaction Survey
In addition to third-party ratings, we like to incorporate the results from our own consumer survey where we ranked which auto insurance companies are the best based on feedback from real customers. However, we did not collect a sufficient amount of data on 21st Century for it to be included.
21st Century vs. other top insurance companies
How much does 21st Century auto insurance cost?
Currently, the national average for a 6 month car insurance policy is $880, whereas 21st Century is about $842Â or roughly 4%Â cheaper than a typical policy, so a worthy contender for residents of California.
The table below shows how 21st Century auto insurance compares against other top insurers.
| Company | Avg. Monthly Premium |
|---|---|
| 21st Century | $140 |
| ALFA | $209 |
| Amica Mutual | $144 |
| Auto Club | $158 |
| GEICO | $129 |
| Plymouth Rock | $144 |
| Progressive | $157 |
| State Farm | $131 |
Similar to any insurance company, pricing for 21st Century auto insurance does vary based on your age and generally will get cheaper the older you get. The table below shows 21st Century's car insurance premiums for different age brackets.
| Age Group | Avg. Monthly Premium |
|---|---|
| Teens | $528 |
| 20s | $186 |
| 60s | $140 |
| 30s | $140 |
| 40s | $140 |
| 50s | $140 |
Dynamic auto insurance data methodology
Methodology: The auto insurance rates displayed above and throughout this page are dynamic, meaning the data will refresh when the most recent information is made available. Rates are based on a sample driver profile — a 30-year-old single male driver with a Honda Accord and full coverage. This profile was adjusted based on common pricing factors used by major car insurance companies, like age, coverage level, driving record and others.
Discounts offered
The discounts offered by 21st Century are primarily driver-based and don't all necessarily apply to your premium — they may be applicable toward specific coverages or vehicles.
- Superior driver:Â If you haven't had any violations or accidents in the past four to five years, this discount may apply to your insurance premium.
- Multi-car:Â Like most insurance companies, 21st Century offers a discount for adding more than one car to the same policy.
- Mature driver:Â If you're over age 55 and complete a state-approved defensive driving course, you might be eligible for a discounted auto policy.
- Defensive driver:Â Complete a DMV-approved driving course to receive this discount.
- Anti-theft device:Â Equip your car with an approved GPS-enabled theft recovery device and you can get up to 15% off applied to your comprehensive coverage premium.
Read a full list of 21st Century's auto insurance discounts here.Â
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What types of coverage does 21st Century offer?
Standard coverage options like collision, comprehensive, liability, underinsured and uninsured motorist, medical payments, bodily injury, and property damage can be expected from a 21st Century car insurance policy, in addition to 24/7 roadside assistance, which is automatically included. Below, we detail some additional features you can opt-in for your coverage.
- Waiver of collision deductible - The collision deductible is waived in the event your collision coverage kicks in to cover an accident with an uninsured motorist.
- Rental reimbursement - If you get in an accident and your car is out of commission for over 24 hours while it's being repaired, 21st Century will cover rental car expenses up to $30 per day for 30 days (with a maximum sum limit of $900). This limit can be upgraded to $50 per day for up to 30 days.
- Additional/customized equipment - If you have customized parts not originally included by the manufacturer that enhance the performance or aesthetics of your car, you might want to opt for this additional coverage.Â
For more information on these coverages, read here.
21st Century online
Though their online platform is on the more basic side, 21st Century customers can log in to the website to complete the following tasks:
- Manage auto policy
- Make a payment
- Access claims services
21st Century insurance review: Summary
If you're a driver in California who needs new car insurance, 21st Century might be a good option if you don't need extra bells and whistles to bolster your policy — the traditional collision, comprehensive, and liability coverage are all offered by 21st Century, and its excellent financial health should ensure your claims are fulfilled.
However, you should always shop around for quotes when you're looking for a new car insurance policy. After all, switching insurance companies when it comes time to renew doesn't affect your premium, so it's always in your favor to look elsewhere if you feel you're paying too much. We can help you look for the best rates instantly — enter your ZIP code below and see for yourself how much you can save by comparing quotes from 21st Century and dozens of other auto insurance companies.
Methodology — how The Zebra reviews insurance companies
The team of insurance experts at The Zebra considers the company's standing in five main categories to come up with an overall rating. These metrics are weighted according to importance and are detailed below:
- Price (20%): Using the base profile detailed below, we compared the company's average rate with the national average. If it surpassed this average, we gave a lower rating; if it fell below, we awarded a higher rating.
- Coverage (20%): The highest-scoring companies offer a variety of coverage options, including bundling options, roadside assistance, telematics, beyond-basic coverage levels, and a variety of other coverage types.
- Customer service (30%): We averaged ratings from JD Power, the NAIC complaint index to come up with a rating for the company's customer service. In instances when a company is not rated, we may use alternative rating agencies such as the Better Business Bureau and Trust Pilot.
- Financial strength (10%): We use AM Best to determine a company's financial standing. In some cases when a company is not rated by AM Best, we may use an alternative measure such as Demotech.
- The Zebra's Customer Satisfaction Survey (20%): The Zebra conducts an annual survey measuring customer satisfaction for many of the top insurance companies with the goal of ranking both the best auto insurance companies and best home insurance companies. Read more below.
For our auto insurance review, we analyzed more than 83 million insurance rates spanning every U.S. ZIP code using a sample user profile: a 30-year-old single male driver with a Honda Accord, good credit and full coverage at these levels:
- $50,000 per person/$100,000 per incident for bodily injury liability
- $50,000 per incident for property damage liability
- $500 deductibles for collision and comprehensive coverage
For our home insurance review, rates are based on a sample user profile: a 45-year-old married homeowner living in a 2,500-square-foot single-story home built in 2011 with these coverage levels:
- $200,000 for the dwelling
- $20,000 for other structures
- $100,000 for personal property
- $100,000 for personal liability
- $1,000 deductible
These sample premiums are dynamic and automatically refresh whenever the newest data is made available.
To generate pricing for particular rating factors, we adjusted this profile based on common pricing factors used by major car insurance companies. These factors include credit score, coverage level and others.
For The Zebra's Customer Satisfaction Survey, 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 2023.
21st Century insurance: Frequently asked questions
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About The Zebra
The Zebra is not an insurance company. We publish data-backed, expert-reviewed resources to help consumers make more informed insurance decisions.
- The Zebra’s insurance content is written and reviewed for accuracy by licensed insurance agents.
- The Zebra’s insurance editorial content is not subject to review or alteration by insurance companies or partners.
- The Zebra’s editorial team operates independently of the company’s partnerships and commercialization interests, publishing unbiased information for consumer benefit.
- The auto insurance rates published on The Zebra’s pages are based on a comprehensive analysis of car insurance pricing data, evaluating more than 83 million insurance rates from across the United States.