Auto-Owners vs Farmers: which is better for car insurance in 2026?
Across our six scoring categories, Auto-Owners comes out ahead in 4, Farmers in 0, with 2 too close to call. Auto-Owners edges the weighted overall score by 1.0 of a point, on the strength of price, claims satisfaction, complaint record, financial strength. That is not a reason to skip Farmers: 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. Auto-Owners is the safer default; Farmers is worth a quote if you are among drivers who want an agent and have specific coverage needs farmers can meet.
Auto-Owners vs Farmers, 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
Auto-Owners aheadAuto-Owners averages $2,094/yr for full coverage against Farmers's $4,048/yr — about $1954 a year, or 162.8 dollars a month, in Auto-Owners's favor for this profile.
$2,094 a year for full coverage, 11% below the national average — mid-pack, and close to State Farm and Progressive.
$4,048 a year for full coverage, 72% above the national average and the most expensive carrier in this review by a wide margin.
Claims satisfaction
Auto-Owners aheadAuto-Owners takes claims satisfaction on 711/1,000 against Farmers's 690/1,000.
711 out of 1,000, eleven points above the segment average and better than every carrier in the top four by market share except State Farm.
690 out of 1,000, ten points below the segment average.
Complaint record
Auto-Owners aheadAuto-Owners takes complaint record on Fewer than expected against Farmers's About the expected number.
Fewer complaints than expected for its size.
Close to the number of complaints expected for its size.
Financial strength
Auto-Owners aheadAuto-Owners takes financial strength on A+ against Farmers's A.
AM Best A+ (Superior).
AM Best A (Excellent).
Discounts
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on discounts: Auto-Owners posts 10 published* and Farmers 10 published*, a difference too small to choose on.
Around ten published discounts including a 20% good-student discount and a 36-month on-time payment discount — though Auto-Owners blocks automated access to its own discounts page, so this count comes from secondary sources.
Roughly ten discounts, though Farmers blocks automated access to its own discounts page, so we could not verify the list or its telematics program name directly.
Digital experience
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on digital experience: Auto-Owners posts 4.72 iOS / 4.8 Android and Farmers 4.84 iOS / 4.7 Android, a difference too small to choose on.
4.72 on the App Store and 4.8 on Google Play — the only carrier here rated higher on Android than iOS, and the best Play Store score in the review.
4.84 on the App Store and 4.7 on Google Play — the best-rated app pairing in this review, across a relatively small rating base.
So which one?
Pick Auto-Owners if…
- You are among drivers in its 26 states who prefer an independent agent.
- Price is your first filter — Auto-Owners averages $2,094/yr for full coverage on our benchmark profile.
- You care most about how a claim actually goes: Auto-Owners scores 711/1,000.
- You want the lower complaint record — Auto-Owners sits at Fewer than expected.
Pick Farmers if…
- You are among drivers who want an agent and have specific coverage needs farmers can meet.
- Availability fits: 40 states, through agents — the Farmers brand left Florida in 2023 and does not write in Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont or West Virginia.
Auto-Owners vs Farmers, answered
The questions people ask before switching between these two.
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