Auto-Owners vs State Farm: which is better for car insurance in 2026?
Across our six scoring categories, Auto-Owners comes out ahead in 1, State Farm in 3, with 2 too close to call. On our weighted overall score the two finish within 0.2 of a point — a genuine draw. The right answer here depends less on which company is "better" and more on which one prices your specific profile lower, and that is not knowable without running both quotes. Auto-Owners is the stronger pick for drivers in its 26 states who prefer an independent agent; State Farm for drivers who want a local agent rather than an app.
Auto-Owners vs State Farm, 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
Too close to callAuto-Owners and State Farm land within $29 a year of each other ($2,094/yr versus $2,065/yr) — close enough that your own driving record and ZIP code will decide which is cheaper for you.
$2,094 a year for full coverage, 11% below the national average — mid-pack, and close to State Farm and Progressive.
At $2,065 a year for full coverage, State Farm sits about 12% under the national average — competitive, but not the cheapest of the national carriers.
Claims satisfaction
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on claims satisfaction: Auto-Owners posts 711/1,000 and State Farm 716/1,000, a difference too small to choose on.
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.
716 out of 1,000 in the J.D. Power 2025 claims study puts State Farm comfortably above the 700-point segment average, and ahead of every other insurer in the top four by market share.
Complaint record
Auto-Owners aheadAuto-Owners takes complaint record on Fewer than expected against State Farm's About the expected number.
Fewer complaints than expected for its size.
State Farm draws about the number of complaints its size predicts. For the largest personal auto insurer in the country, average is a more meaningful result than it sounds.
Financial strength
State Farm aheadState Farm takes financial strength on A++ against Auto-Owners's A+.
AM Best A+ (Superior).
AM Best's top rating, A++. State Farm is a mutual company owned by its policyholders, with no shareholders to pay.
Discounts
State Farm aheadState Farm takes discounts on 11 published against Auto-Owners's 10 published*.
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.
Eleven published discounts, including a 25% good-student discount and up to 40% off medical coverage for passive restraints. Drive Safe & Save pairs the app with a mailed Bluetooth beacon.
Digital experience
State Farm aheadState Farm takes digital experience on 4.79 iOS / 4.6 Android against Auto-Owners's 4.72 iOS / 4.8 Android.
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.
4.79 on the App Store and 4.6 on Google Play across 1.7 million combined ratings — consistently strong on both platforms, which is rarer than it should be.
So which one?
Pick Auto-Owners if…
- You are among drivers in its 26 states who prefer an independent agent.
- You want the lower complaint record — Auto-Owners sits at Fewer than expected.
- Availability fits: 26 states, through independent agents — no California, New York or Texas.
Pick State Farm if…
- You are among drivers who want a local agent rather than an app.
- Financial strength is a priority; State Farm holds A++ from AM Best.
- You expect to stack discounts — State Farm's lineup is the broader of the two.
- You would rather handle everything in an app than on a phone call.
Auto-Owners vs State Farm, answered
The questions people ask before switching between these two.
Other comparisons
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