Farmers vs USAA: which is better for car insurance in 2026?
Across our six scoring categories, Farmers comes out ahead in 1, USAA in 5. USAA edges the weighted overall score by 1.5 of a point, on the strength of price, claims satisfaction, financial strength, discounts, digital experience. That is not a reason to skip Farmers: it scores higher on complaint record, and a quote that comes in lower beats a review that scores higher. USAA 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.
Farmers vs USAA, 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
USAA aheadUSAA averages $1,588/yr for full coverage against Farmers's $4,048/yr — about $2460 a year, or 205 dollars a month, in USAA's favor for this profile.
$4,048 a year for full coverage, 72% above the national average and the most expensive carrier in this review by a wide margin.
$1,588 a year for full coverage, 33% below the national average and the lowest figure in this review by a clear margin.
Claims satisfaction
USAA aheadUSAA takes claims satisfaction on 741/1,000 against Farmers's 690/1,000.
690 out of 1,000, ten points below the segment average.
741 out of 1,000 — second-highest score in the J.D. Power 2025 study, though USAA is excluded from the official ranking because its military-only eligibility fails the study's award criteria.
Complaint record
Farmers aheadFarmers takes complaint record on About the expected number against USAA's More than expected.
Close to the number of complaints expected for its size.
More complaints than expected for its size, which is the one figure that genuinely cuts against USAA's reputation and deserves to be stated plainly.
Financial strength
USAA aheadUSAA takes financial strength on A++ against Farmers's A.
AM Best A (Excellent).
AM Best A++, the highest rating issued.
Discounts
USAA aheadUSAA takes discounts on 13 published against Farmers's 10 published*.
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.
Thirteen discounts including some no one else offers — up to 60% for vehicle storage during deployment and up to 15% for garaging on base.
Digital experience
USAA aheadUSAA takes digital experience on 4.80 iOS / 4.7 Android against Farmers's 4.84 iOS / 4.7 Android.
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.
4.8 on the App Store and 4.7 on Google Play, the best combined app ratings here — though the app bundles banking and insurance, so it is not a pure auto signal.
So which one?
Pick Farmers if…
- You are among drivers who want an agent and have specific coverage needs farmers can meet.
- You want the lower complaint record — Farmers sits at About the expected number.
- 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.
Pick USAA if…
- You are among military members, veterans and their families.
- Price is your first filter — USAA averages $1,588/yr for full coverage on our benchmark profile.
- You care most about how a claim actually goes: USAA scores 741/1,000.
- Financial strength is a priority; USAA holds A++ from AM Best.
Farmers vs USAA, answered
The questions people ask before switching between these two.
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