Erie vs Kemper: which is better for car insurance in 2026?

Q: Is Erie or Kemper cheaper?

On average, Erie. Our benchmark profile pays $1,842/yr with Erie versus $2,422/yr with Kemper — roughly $580 a year. But that is one profile: a 35-year-old with a clean record and good credit. Change the driver and the order can flip, which is why the only rate that matters is the one you are quoted.

Q: Which handles claims better, Erie or Kemper?

Neither has a clear edge. Erie scores 743/1,000 and Kemper Not rated on the claims measure we use — close enough that the individual adjuster you draw matters more than the company average.

Q: Is Erie better than Kemper overall?

Erie scores higher overall in our review — 4.2 against 2.8 out of 5. "Better" still depends on you, though: Kemper may quote you less, and our score weights six factors that we chose, not the ones you might weight most.

Q: Can I switch from Erie to Kemper 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.

Erie

Kemper

Across our six scoring categories, Erie comes out ahead in 5, Kemper in 0, with 1 too close to call. Erie edges the weighted overall score by 1.4 of a point, on the strength of price, complaint record, financial strength, discounts, digital experience. That is not a reason to skip Kemper: 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. Erie is the safer default; Kemper is worth a quote if you are among drivers turned down elsewhere because of their record or credit.

Erie vs Kemper, side by side

Category

ErieRead the full review

KemperRead the full review

Overall scoreWeighted across the six categories below

Better

PriceAverage annual full-coverage premium · 25% of score

4.5$1,842/yr

Average full coverage vs. $2,356 national average

Better

3.0$2,422/yr

Average full coverage vs. $2,356 national average

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

5.0743/1,000

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

Not rated

Below the sampling frame of the J.D. Power claims study, which covers only the largest insurers

Complaint recordComplaints relative to company size · 15% of score

3.5About the expected number

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

Better

3.5A-

AM Best Financial Strength Rating

DiscountsBreadth of published discounts · 15% of score

4.511 published

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

Better

3.56 published

Discounts on the carrier's own pages · Telematics: Kemper Co-Pilot

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

3.04.38 iOS / 2.9 Android

App Store (2.7K ratings) and Google Play (1.1K ratings), August 2026

Better

2.52.44 iOS / 3.6 Android

App Store (99 ratings) and Google Play (115 ratings), August 2026

Availability

12 states and D.C., through local agents

38 states, specialising in non-standard auto

Best suited to

drivers in its twelve states who want the best claims experience available

drivers turned down elsewhere because of their record or credit

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.

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

ErieKemper

Category by category

Price

Erie ahead

Erie averages $1,842/yr for full coverage against Kemper's $2,422/yr — about $580 a year, or 48.3 dollars a month, in Erie's favor for this profile.

Erie

$1,842 a year for full coverage, 22% below the national average — third-cheapest here and the cheapest available without a military or membership restriction beyond geography.

Kemper

$2,422 a year for full coverage on our standard benchmark, 3% above the national average — but Kemper's actual customers are drivers who would pay far more, or be refused outright, almost anywhere else.

Claims satisfaction

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on claims satisfaction: Erie posts 743/1,000 and Kemper Not rated, a difference too small to choose on.

Erie

743 out of 1,000, the highest score of any ranked insurer in the J.D. Power 2025 claims study and 43 points above the segment average.

Kemper

Not in the J.D. Power claims study, which samples only the largest insurers.

Complaint record

Erie ahead

Erie takes complaint record on About the expected number against Kemper's Far more than expected.

Erie

Close to the number of complaints expected for its size.

Kemper

Far more complaints than expected for its size. Non-standard carriers tend to run high on this measure, which is context rather than an excuse.

Financial strength

Erie ahead

Erie takes financial strength on A against Kemper's A-.

Erie

AM Best A (Excellent) — downgraded from A+ in September 2025 after multi-year surplus declines driven by weather losses.

Kemper

AM Best A- (Excellent). Parent Kemper Corporation is publicly traded.

Discounts

Erie ahead

Erie takes discounts on 11 published against Kemper's 6 published.

Erie

Eleven published discounts, plus Rate Lock, which freezes your premium year to year even after a claim — a feature essentially nobody else offers.

Kemper

A shorter list than standard-market carriers, plus Kemper Co-Pilot telematics with a 10% signup discount.

Digital experience

Erie ahead

Erie takes digital experience on 4.38 iOS / 2.9 Android against Kemper's 2.44 iOS / 3.6 Android.

Erie

4.38 on the App Store and just 2.9 on Google Play. Erie's app is the weakest in this review and the gap between platforms is severe.

Kemper

2.44 on the App Store and 3.6 on Google Play. The current app relaunched in mid-2026, so those scores reflect a new listing rather than a settled one.

So which one?

Pick Erie if…

You are among drivers in its twelve states who want the best claims experience available.
Price is your first filter — Erie averages $1,842/yr for full coverage on our benchmark profile.
You want the lower complaint record — Erie sits at About the expected number.
Financial strength is a priority; Erie holds A from AM Best.

Read the full Erie review →

Pick Kemper if…

You are among drivers turned down elsewhere because of their record or credit.
Availability fits: 38 states, specialising in non-standard auto.

Read the full Kemper review →

Erie vs Kemper, answered

The questions people ask before switching between these two.

Is Erie or Kemper cheaper?

Which handles claims better, Erie or Kemper?

Is Erie better than Kemper overall?

Can I switch from Erie to Kemper mid-policy?

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