Auto-Owners Insurance Review
Auto-Owners is affordable choice with some useful extras
Advertising Disclosures
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- Auto-Owners is generally a good company for car, home and renters insurance.
- The company charges 13% less than the national average for full coverage car insurance.
- Its auto-and-home insurance bundles are particularly affordable in Minnesota.
- Full coverage rate
- $1,690
- Editor’s rating: Auto
- 5.0/5
- Home insurance rate
- $3,167
- Editor’s rating: Home
- 4.0/5
Drivers who need gap insurance and homeowners who want protection from inland floods
Not so good for
Rideshare drivers
Top product
Car insurance at 13% less than the national average
Ratings
AM Best: A+
NAIC auto complaint rating: 0.5 (1 is average; lower is better)
NAIC home complaint rating: 0.5 (1 is average; lower is better)
Availability
Auto-Owners offers car and home insurance in 26 states
Bundle discount
Multipolicy discounts for bundling car insurance with a home, renters or life insurance policy
Is Auto-Owners a good insurance company?
Auto-Owners is generally a good insurance company. It offers affordable car or home insurance in most of the states where it’s available
The company gets mixed reviews for customer service. It has a good complaint score from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)
Pros
- Charges 13% less than the U.S. average for full coverage car insurance
- Good NAIC complaint rating means it gets fewer complaints than average
- Offers gap coverage and accident forgiveness for car insurance
- Inland flood protection available for homeowners
Cons
- Home insurance rates are 22% higher than the U.S. average
- Lower-than-average J.D. Power ratings suggest other companies have happier customers
Who it’s best for
Auto-Owners is best for drivers who want affordable car insurance and/or gap coverage. It’s also good for most bundlers who want extra protections for their home.
Who it may not be the best fit for
Auto-Owners isn’t the best for rideshare drivers. Auto-Owners doesn’t offer extra protections rideshare drivers typically need. The company may also not be best for shoppers searching for cheap stand-alone homeowners insurance because its home rates are often more expensive than the state average.
How much does Auto-Owners insurance cost?
Auto-Owners beats the state average for both car and home insurance in five states
Auto-Owners charges 13% less than the national average for car insurance, but 22% more for home insurance.
Auto-Owners’ car insurance rates
Auto-Owners charges an average of $154 a month for full coverage
Its average rate of $51 a month for minimum coverage
| Company | Full coverage | Minimum coverage | LendingTree score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erie | $131 | $44 |  4.5/5 |
| Travelers | $135 | $59 | 4.5/5 |
| State Farm | $144 | $56 | 4.5/5 |
| Auto-Owners | $154 | $51 |  5/5 |
| Progressive | $160 | $69 |  4/5 |
| Geico | $173 | $65 |  3.5/5 |
| Nationwide | $190 | $76 |  3/5 |
| Allstate | $248 | $104 | 3/5 |
The price you pay depends on factors like your driving record and location, and each company’s rates vary by customer. Comparing car insurance quotes from a few companies helps you find the cheapest rate for your situation.
Auto-Owners car insurance rates by state
Auto-Owners car insurance full coverage rates vary by state. For example, it charges an average of $115 a month in Nebraska, which is 33% less than the state average. In Minnesota, its rates are 24% less than the state average. However, it charges 17% more than the state average in South Dakota.
| State | Auto-Owners | State average | Auto-Owners vs. average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $128 | $153 | -16% |
| Arizona | $205 | $201 | 2% |
| Arkansas | $208 | $197 | 6% |
| Colorado | NA* | $238 | NA |
| Florida | NA | $264 | NA |
| Georgia | $159 | $155 | 3% |
| Idaho | $122 | $127 | -4% |
| Illinois | $140 | $154 | -9% |
| Indiana | $133 | $144 | -8% |
| Iowa | $154 | $149 | 3% |
| Kansas | NA | $199 | NA |
| Kentucky | $172 | $176 | -2% |
| Michigan | $210 | $218 | -4% |
| Minnesota | $147 | $194 | -24% |
| Missouri | NA | $198 | -100% |
| Nebraska | $115 | $171 | -33% |
| North Carolina | NA | $124 | NA |
| North Dakota | $152 | $158 | -4% |
| Ohio | $122 | $124 | -2% |
| Pennsylvania | NA | $166 | NA |
| South Carolina | $128 | $152 | -16% |
| South Dakota | $207 | $177 | 17% |
| Tennessee | $133 | $150 | -11% |
| Utah | $142 | $193 | -26% |
| Virginia | NA | $132 | NA |
| Wisconsin | $149 | $146 | 2% |
Auto-Owners home insurance rates
Auto-Owners charges an average of $3,206 a year for homeowners insurance, or $267 a month. This is 22% higher than the national average of $219 a month, or $2,628 a year.
| Company | Annual rate | Monthly average | LendingTree score |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Farm | $1,761 | $147 | 4/5 |
| Allstate | $2,352 | $196 | 4/5 |
| Progressive | $3,084 | $257 | 3.5/5 |
| Auto-Owners | $3,206 | $267 | 4/5 |
| Travelers | $3,216 | $268 | 3.5/5 |
| American Family | $3,423 | $285 | 4/5 |
| Nationwide | $3,490 | $291 | 3.5/5 |
| Erie | $3,533 | $294 | 4/5 |
Your home’s features, the amount of coverage you need and your location are among the factors that determine your home insurance rate.
As with car insurance, it’s good to compare home insurance quotes from a few companies when you shop. Getting home and car insurance rates at the same time lets you compare each company’s combined rate if you bundle
Auto-Owners home insurance rates by state
Auto-Owners home insurance is particularly affordable in Colorado and Minnesota, where its rates beat state averages by 39% and 28%, respectively. In Utah, however, Auto-Owners’ home insurance rates, at $3,495 a year, are 88% higher than the state average.
| State | Auto-Owners | State average | Auto-Owners vs. average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $4,744 | $3,614 | 31% |
| Arizona | $3,032 | $2,455 | 24% |
| Arkansas | NA* | $3,902 | NA |
| Colorado | $2,877 | $4,717 | -39% |
| Florida | NA | $3,046 | NA |
| Georgia | $2,148 | $2,939 | -27% |
| Idaho | NA | $1,975 | NA |
| Illinois | $3,751 | $2,987 | 26% |
| Indiana | $3,989 | $2,940 | 36% |
| Iowa | $2,696 | $3,492 | -23% |
| Kansas | $3,970 | $4,595 | -14% |
| Kentucky | $4,244 | $3,495 | 21% |
| Michigan | $1,589 | $2,545 | -38% |
| Minnesota | $2,259 | $3,150 | -28% |
| Missouri | NA | $2,936 | NA |
| Nebraska | NA | $5,519 | NA |
| North Carolina | $4,996 | $2,874 | 74% |
| North Dakota | $2,348 | $2,751 | -15% |
| Ohio | $1,988 | $2,232 | -11% |
| Pennsylvania | NA | $1,893 | NA |
| South Carolina | $3,411 | $3,477 | -2% |
| South Dakota | $2,831 | $3,637 | -22% |
| Tennessee | $3,830 | $3,757 | 2% |
| Utah | $3,495 | $1,858 | 88% |
| Virginia | $4,221 | $2,762 | 53% |
| Wisconsin | $1,697 | $1,897 | -11% |
Auto-Owners insurance products and coverage options
Auto-Owners offers useful add-on coverage options for car, home and renters insurance. Although these extras increase your rate, they give you more protection than standard policies usually provide.
What car insurance coverages does Auto-Owners offer?
Gap insurance
Auto-Owners’ purchase price guarantee is similar to new car replacement coverage
Like most companies, Auto-Owners standard coverages include:
-
Liability
Liability insurance covers injuries and property damage you cause to others. It’s required by law in almost every state.
-
Collision
Collision covers damage to your car from a collision with another vehicle or object.
-
Comprehensive
Comprehensive covers your car for theft and damage from non-collision causes, like fire, flood and vandalism.
-
Roadside assistance
Helps cover the costs of emergency roadside services like towing, tire changes, jump-starts and lock-out assistance.
Auto-Owners’ additional expense coverage is a variation of rental car reimbursement coverage most other companies offer. In addition to rental fees while your car is in the shop, it covers lodging and meals if you get into an accident far from home.
Unlike Erie, State Farm and a few other companies, Auto-Owners does not offer add-on protection for rideshare drivers. The rideshare coverage that these other companies offer covers accidents that may happen while you’re waiting to accept (or on your way to pick up) a ride with your app turned on.
What home insurance coverages does Auto-Owners offer?
Auto-Owners’ inland flood coverage can be a convenient alternative to flood insurance for some homeowners. It covers floods from things like intense rainfall or snowmelt in areas not normally prone to flooding.
The company’s other useful home insurance extras include:
-
Sewers and drain backup coverage
Covers repair costs when water enters your house because of a sewer or drain backup, or a sump pump overflow.
-
Guaranteed replacement cost
Guaranteed replacement cost pays to repair or rebuild your home, even if it cost of doing so is greater than your coverage limit.
-
Ordinance or law coverage
Covers increased home repair or rebuild costs tied to changes in local building codes.
Auto-Owners’ Homeowners Plus policies offer a package of extra home protections. These include coverage for hidden appliance leaks and food spoilage from a power outage.
What renters insurance coverages does Auto-Owners offer?
For renters insurance, Auto-Owners mostly sticks to basic coverages most other companies also have. These include:
-
Personal property
Covers repair or replacement costs if your belongings are stolen or destroyed by a fire or other covered event.
-
Additional living expenses
Helps cover temporary housing costs if you move into a hotel or another apartment while your rental home is being repaired or rebuilt.
-
Personal liability
Personal liability covers injuries and damage you cause to other people and their property.
-
Guest medical
Guest medical helps pay for the medical treatment of a visitor injured on your property, regardless of fault.
Auto-Owners renters insurance covers your belongings at their actual cash value, after age and wear. If you upgrade to replacement cost coverage, it pays to replace your items with comparable new ones.
The company’s Renters Plus policies include a package of extra protections. These include coverage for sewer and drain backups, food spoilage and even waterbed liability.
Is Auto-Owners better for car insurance, home insurance or bundling?
Auto-Owners is a good company for bundling your car insurance with a home or renters policy. Its affordability varies by state, but its good NAIC scores mean customers usually find it reliable. It also offers add-on protections that can actually come in handy after certain accidents or disasters.
What insurance discounts does Auto-Owners offer?
Auto-Owners offers several discounts that may make it your cheapest option if you qualify for enough of them.
Common auto and home discounts include ones for bundling, shopping in advance and going paperless. The company also offers an auto discount for young drivers who get good grades and those who go to college without a car.
Auto-Owners’ more unique home insurance discounts include one for homes with an automatic backup generator and/or a whole-home water shutoff system. It also gives you a discount if you own your home outright without a mortgage.
Auto-Owners insurance discount comparisons
| Discount | Auto-Owners | State Farm | Travelers | Erie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bundling | ||||
| Good student | ||||
| Distant student | ||||
| Generator | ||||
| Water shutoff | ||||
| Mortgage-free |
How does Auto-Owners compare to other insurance companies?
Price isn’t the only factor to consider when looking for an insurance company. Good customer service and reliability are other factors to consider. Auto-Owners holds up well against most of its competitors in each of these areas.
Auto-Owners vs. State Farm
State Farm’s home and auto insurance rates are cheaper than Auto-Owners before discounts. However, since Auto-Owners has a few more home insurance discounts, it could become the cheaper option if you bundle.
Unlike Auto-Owners, State Farm does not offer gap insurance or accident forgiveness. However, it does offer rideshare driver coverage. State Farm also offers online quotes. With Auto-Owners, you have to reach out to a local insurance agent to get a quote.
Auto-Owners vs. Travelers
Travelers has cheaper car insurance than Auto-Owners, but their home insurance rates are about the same (both charge about $3,200 a year for home insurance). Although this likely makes Travelers the cheaper option when bundling, comparing quotes from both companies will help you find out for sure.
Like Auto-Owners, Travelers offers gap insurance and accident forgiveness. It also offers rideshare coverage, which Auto-Owners does not. Both companies work with independent insurance agents, and oftentimes, the same insurance agent can get you quotes from each.
Auto-Owners vs. Erie
Erie is available in nine states where Auto-Owners is also available. Although Erie does not offer gap insurance, it does give you free accident forgiveness if you avoid claims for at least three years.
Erie also offers auto security coverage, which combines features of new car replacement and gap insurance.
- If you total a car that’s less than 2 years old, it pays to replace it with a new comparable model.
- If you total an older car, it pays for a model that’s two years newer.
Under either scenario, you get a little more money than normal to cover a down payment or pay off a loan. Erie is also available through independent agents.
How to get insurance quotes from Auto-Owners
Auto-Owners works through a network of independent agents, which means you can’t contact the company directly to request a quote. Instead, you’ll need to find an independent agent who works with Auto-Owners, and the agent will request a quote on your behalf. Because independent agents typically work with multiple insurance companies, your agent may also be able to get you quotes from other carriers. You can find agents who work with Auto-Owners on the company’s website.
If you’re primarily interested in comparing rates from multiple insurance companies, you can also use LendingTree to shop for car insurance. LendingTree works with a network of insurance companies, making it easy to compare multiple options without contacting insurers one by one.
Frequently asked questions
No. Auto-Owners does not offer car or home insurance quotes online. Instead, its website helps you find an independent insurance agent near you who can help.
Auto-Owners asks you to contact your insurance agent to file a claim. Glass claims can be filed online. For service outside of normal business hours, you can report a claim by phone at 888-252-4626.
Auto-Owners has an A+ rating for financial strength from AM Best. A good financial strength rating generally means a company is well run and has the ability to pay claims.
How LendingTree helps you find the right policy
Shopping for home insurance isn’t always straightforward — especially when availability and pricing can vary widely. LendingTree makes it easier by helping you explore options from multiple insurers, so you can find coverage that fits your home, location and budget.
How it works
Tell us about your home
Answer a few quick questions about your home, location and coverage needs.
Compare options from insurers
See quotes and typical rates from insurers that offer coverage in your area.
Choose the right policy
Review your options and pick the coverage that fits your needs and budget.
Methodology
LendingTree obtains car and home insurance rates from Quadrant Information Services. Rates are based on an analysis of hundreds of thousands of quotes for typical drivers and homes. Prices are shown for comparative purposes only. Terms and conditions apply, and your own rates may be different.
The vehicle and the person driving affect how much the insurance will cost. Older drivers tend to pay less for insurance, as do those with good driving records. Meanwhile, expensive cars will generally cost more to insure.
For all the rates on this page (unless noted otherwise), we quote the cost of a full-coverage policy for a 30-year-old driver with good credit and a clean driving record who drives a 2018 Honda CR-V EX.
Your coverage and deductible have a big effect on your insurance costs. LendingTree generally quotes two different types of coverage:
For full-coverage policies (including collision, comprehensive and liability), we use these coverages:
- Bodily injury liability: $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident
- Property damage liability: $50,000
- Uninsured / underinsured motorist bodily injury: $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident
- Personal injury protection: minimum limits, where required by law
- Collision: $500 deductible
- Comprehensive: $500 deductible
For minimum-liability policies, we use whatever the state’s required minimum limit is or an average of the state rates for national prices.
Homeowners insurance rates are based on policies with the following coverage and deductible amounts:
- Dwelling coverage: $400,000
- Other structures: $40,000
- Personal property: $200,000
- Personal liability: $100,000
- Medical payments: $5,000
- Deductible: $1,000
How we evaluate Auto-Owners and other insurance companies
Our team of insurance experts rate insurance companies’ basic rates, discounts, coverage options and third-party customer service ratings. We also evaluate the digital experience each company provides on its website and smartphone app. We then weight these categories based on what customers value in an insurance company.
Third-party ratings services include the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and AM Best. NAIC’s complaint ratings show how often companies are found at fault over customer complaints for things like claims. Financial ratings from AM Best are good indicators of how well a company is run and its ability to pay claims.
For more details, see LendingTree’s editorial guidelines and our rating methods for car, home and renters insurance.
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