American Family vs The Hanover: which is better for car insurance in 2026?
Across our six scoring categories, American Family comes out ahead in 3, The Hanover in 0, with 3 too close to call. American Family edges the weighted overall score by 0.9 of a point, on the strength of price, discounts, digital experience. That is not a reason to skip The Hanover: it scores higher on none of our categories, though it may still quote you less, and a quote that comes in lower beats a review that scores higher. American Family is the safer default; The Hanover is worth a quote if you are among drivers whose independent agent recommends it for a specific reason.
American Family vs The Hanover, side by side
Sources: average premiums from NerdWallet's August 2026 rate analysis (Quadrant Information Services), for a 35-year-old driver with a clean record and good credit in a 2023 Toyota Camry LE at 12,000 miles a year, 100/300/50 limits with $1,000 deductibles — national average $2,356. Claims satisfaction from the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study (segment average 700). Complaint record from NerdWallet's analysis of NAIC complaint data, 2022–2024. Financial strength from AM Best. Discounts and app data from each carrier's published pages and the Apple App Store / Google Play, retrieved August 2026. Updated August 2026.
Category by category
Price
American Family aheadAmerican Family averages $2,785/yr for full coverage against The Hanover's $4,038/yr — about $1253 a year, or 104.4 dollars a month, in American Family's favor for this profile.
$2,785 a year for full coverage, 18% above the national average. American Family is priced above the market.
$4,038 a year for full coverage — 71% above the national average, and the highest figure of any carrier we review.
Claims satisfaction
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on claims satisfaction: American Family posts 702/1,000 and The Hanover Not rated, a difference too small to choose on.
702 out of 1,000, two points above the segment average. Essentially average.
Not in the J.D. Power claims study, which samples only the largest insurers.
Complaint record
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on complaint record: American Family posts Fewer than expected and The Hanover Fewer than expected, a difference too small to choose on.
Fewer complaints than expected for its size — its strongest measure.
Fewer complaints than expected for its size, which is genuinely to its credit.
Financial strength
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on financial strength: American Family posts A and The Hanover Not published, a difference too small to choose on.
AM Best A (Excellent).
We could not verify an AM Best rating from any page we could read. AM Best blocks automated access and Hanover's rating is not published by the secondary sources we checked.
Discounts
American Family aheadAmerican Family takes discounts on 14 published against The Hanover's 12 published.
Fourteen published discounts, including several unusual ones — a loyalty discount that rewards a parent's tenure, and a young-volunteer discount.
Twelve published discounts, several aimed specifically at households with teenage drivers — including one for keeping a teen off a particular vehicle.
Digital experience
American Family aheadAmerican Family takes digital experience on 4.72 iOS / 3.0 Android against The Hanover's 1.99 iOS / 3.0 Android.
4.72 on the App Store but 3.0 on Google Play. That Android score is among the lowest in this review and hard to overlook.
1.99 on the App Store and 2.98 on Google Play. That iOS score is the lowest of any carrier in this review by a wide margin.
So which one?
Pick American Family if…
- You are among midwest drivers who bundle and use telematics.
- Price is your first filter — American Family averages $2,785/yr for full coverage on our benchmark profile.
- You expect to stack discounts — American Family's lineup is the broader of the two.
- You would rather handle everything in an app than on a phone call.
Pick The Hanover if…
- You are among drivers whose independent agent recommends it for a specific reason.
- Availability fits: 19 states, through independent agents only.
American Family vs The Hanover, answered
The questions people ask before switching between these two.
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