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Costco vs The Hartford: which is better for car insurance in 2026?

Q: Is Costco or The Hartford cheaper?

We cannot answer that with published data. Costco does not release public rate information, so no independent study — ours included — can put a national average next to The Hartford's $2,277/yr. The only way to know is to quote both.

Q: Which handles claims better, Costco or The Hartford?

Neither has a clear edge. Costco scores Not rated and The Hartford 716/1,000 on the claims measure we use — close enough that the individual adjuster you draw matters more than the company average.

Q: Is Costco better than The Hartford overall?

We can't put two scores side by side here. Costco does not publish enough of the underlying data for us to give it an overall score — we would rather say so than compute one from the two or three figures that do exist. The Hartford scores 3.7 out of 5. Compare them on the individual categories above, and on the quotes you actually get.

Q: Can I switch from Costco to The Hartford mid-policy?

Yes. Auto policies can be cancelled at any time, and most insurers refund the unused premium pro-rata — though some charge a short-rate cancellation fee, so check your policy before you cancel. The one rule worth following: get the new policy bound and in force before you cancel the old one. Even a single day uninsured can count as a coverage lapse, which raises your rate at the next renewal and, in some states, exposes you to a registration penalty.

CostcoNot scored

The Hartford

Across our six scoring categories, Costco comes out ahead in 1, The Hartford in 2, with 3 too close to call. There is no overall score to compare, though: Costco does not publish enough of the underlying data to earn one, and we would rather leave it blank than build a number out of the two or three figures that happen to exist. The Hartford is the better-documented of the two, which is not the same as being the better insurer for you. Judge these two on the categories where both have real figures — and on what they actually quote you.

Costco vs The Hartford, side by side

Category

CostcoRead the full review

The HartfordRead the full review

Overall scoreWeighted across the six categories below

Not scored

PriceAverage annual full-coverage premium · 25% of score

Not published

This company does not release public rate data

3.5$2,277/yr

Average full coverage vs. $2,356 national average

Claims satisfactionJ.D. Power 2025 claims study, out of 1,000 · 20% of score

Not rated

Not ranked as its own brand in the J.D. Power 2025 claims study

4.0716/1,000

J.D. Power 2025 claims study, segment average 700

Complaint recordComplaints relative to company size · 15% of score

2.5More than expected

Complaints relative to company size, NAIC data 2022–2024

Better

1.5Far more than expected

Complaints relative to company size, NAIC data 2022–2024

Financial strengthAM Best Financial Strength Rating · 10% of score

4.0A

AM Best Financial Strength Rating

4.5A+

AM Best Financial Strength Rating

Better

DiscountsBreadth of published discounts · 15% of score

3.59 published

Discounts on the carrier's own pages · No branded telematics program found

4.010 published

Discounts on the carrier's own pages · Telematics: TrueLane

Better

Digital experienceApp ratings and self-service depth · 15% of score

Not published

No app-store presence we could verify

5.04.80 iOS / 4.6 Android

App Store (12.1K ratings) and Google Play (2.2K ratings), August 2026

Availability

40 states, members only

47 states and D.C. through the AARP program — membership required in most states, and no new business in California or Florida

Best suited to

Costco Executive Members who value guaranteed renewal

AARP members over 50 who value the program's specific features

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.

Costco vs The Hartford across all six categoriesScored 1–5. Longer is better in every category — the price bar already accounts for cheaper being better.

CostcoThe Hartford

Category by category

Price

Too close to call

Costco does not release public rate data, so there is no like-for-like premium to set against The Hartford's $2,277/yr. That is a real gap in the comparison, not a rounding error — treat Costco's price as unknown until you have a quote in hand.

Costco

No published premium. The rate study behind every other price on this site does not quote Costco separately, so the price category carries no score.

The Hartford

$2,277 a year for full coverage, 3% below the national average. Its $748 minimum-coverage average is higher than most.

Claims satisfaction

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on claims satisfaction: Costco posts Not rated and The Hartford 716/1,000, a difference too small to choose on.

Costco

Costco is not a ranked brand in the J.D. Power 2025 claims study. American Family's 702 is measured on a different book of business and is not borrowed here.

The Hartford

716 out of 1,000, sixteen points above the segment average and level with State Farm.

Complaint record

Costco ahead

Costco takes complaint record on More than expected against The Hartford's Far more than expected.

Costco

More complaints than expected for its size, per NerdWallet's analysis of 2022–2024 NAIC data — a worse record than American Family's own brand.

The Hartford

Far more complaints than expected for its size — the worst complaint record in this review, and the figure that most undercuts an otherwise good showing.

Financial strength

The Hartford ahead

The Hartford takes financial strength on A+ against Costco's A.

Costco

AM Best A (Excellent), affirmed in September 2025 for all three companies that underwrite Costco auto policies.

The Hartford

AM Best A+ (Superior).

Discounts

The Hartford ahead

The Hartford takes discounts on 10 published against Costco's 9 published.

Costco

Nine published auto discounts, counting the member discount itself. No usage-based program is offered through Costco.

The Hartford

Ten published discounts, several tied to AARP membership, plus TrueLane at up to 15% for participating and up to 40% at renewal.

Digital experience

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on digital experience: Costco posts Not published and The Hartford 4.80 iOS / 4.6 Android, a difference too small to choose on.

Costco

No app-store figures we could attribute to the program. Policies are serviced through American Family's account system, and we could not confirm which app Costco policyholders use.

The Hartford

4.8 on the App Store and 4.6 on Google Play — strong on both platforms, across a modest rating base.

So which one?

Pick Costco if…

You are among costco executive members who value guaranteed renewal.
You want the lower complaint record — Costco sits at More than expected.
Availability fits: 40 states, members only.

Read the full Costco review →

Pick The Hartford if…

You are among aarp members over 50 who value the program's specific features.
Financial strength is a priority; The Hartford holds A+ from AM Best.
You expect to stack discounts — The Hartford's lineup is the broader of the two.
Availability fits: 47 states and D.C. through the AARP program — membership required in most states, and no new business in California or Florida.

Read the full The Hartford review →

Costco vs The Hartford, answered

The questions people ask before switching between these two.

Is Costco or The Hartford cheaper?

Which handles claims better, Costco or The Hartford?

Is Costco better than The Hartford overall?

Can I switch from Costco to The Hartford mid-policy?

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