Is State Farm or Progressive better for high-risk drivers?

Progressive, by a wide margin. Progressive is the largest non-standard auto insurer in the U.S. — its underwriting model is built around accepting drivers with DUIs, at-fault accidents in the prior 3 years, SR-22 filings, and poor credit-based insurance scores. State Farm typically non-renews policyholders with a recent DUI and declines new applicants with multiple at-fault claims. If your driving record is anything other than clean, Progressive is the cheaper realistic option.

Why is State Farm cheaper than Progressive for clean drivers?

State Farm's loss ratio runs about 3-5 percentage points lower than Progressive's because State Farm's underwriting is more conservative — it declines applicants Progressive accepts, which compresses its risk pool and keeps premiums lower for the clean-record majority. State Farm also has a more cost-efficient distribution model on a per-policy basis (its 19,000-agent network has higher policy-density per agent than Progressive's mixed model).

Which has the better mobile app?

Both apps rank above-industry-average in user reviews, but they optimize for different use cases. State Farm's app is built for routine policy management (ID cards, payments, claims filing, agent contact) — Apple App Store 4.8 stars, Google Play 4.5. Progressive's app is built for telematics + quote-shopping (Snapshot driving scores, quote comparison, policy modifications without an agent) — 4.7 and 4.6 respectively. If you're a heavy app user, Progressive's tools are slightly more powerful.

Should I bundle with State Farm or Progressive?

State Farm, in most scenarios. State Farm's home + auto bundle discount averages 17% on auto + 12% on home — among the strongest in the industry. Progressive's bundle discount averages 9% on auto + 5% on home. On a $2,000 home premium + $1,500 auto premium combo, State Farm saves about $470/year vs. Progressive's $195. The exception is if you also need motorcycle or boat insurance — Progressive is dramatically cheaper on those secondary products.

Auto Insurance · Head-to-head

Progressive vs State Farm: Which auto insurance wins?

Name: Progressive — Auto Insurance
Brand: Progressive
Rating: 4.4 (1 reviews)

Side-by-side comparison of Progressive and State Farm auto insurance — average premiums, coverage strength, claims & support, and editorial verdict.

Best for high-risk drivers

Progressive

4.4·$1,633/yr full

Industry-leading underwriting for high-risk profiles — DUI, multiple accidents, lapsed coverage. The Snapshot telematics program rewards safe driving with 10–30% discounts after 6 months. Premiums for clean records are middling but the high-risk niche is best-in-class.

Best for bundled discounts

State Farm

4.5·$1,471/yr full

Highest customer satisfaction scores in the major-carrier tier (J.D. Power 2025). Best in class when bundled with home/renters/life — the Drive Safe & Save telematics + multi-policy stack averages 25% off vs. solo auto. Branch + agent network is the largest in the country for in-person service.

Editor's verdict

State Farm wins on price + claims; Progressive wins for non-standard drivers.

State Farm's $1,471/year national average undercuts Progressive's $1,633 by $162 — a smaller gap than most top-5 comparisons but still in State Farm's favor. State Farm also outscores Progressive on J.D. Power claims satisfaction (#3 vs. #16) and customer retention. Progressive's edge is in non-standard underwriting: drivers with DUIs, SR-22 filings, multiple at-fault claims, or sub-650 credit-based insurance scores frequently get their cheapest legal quote from Progressive. Verdict: clean record + good credit → State Farm. Anything that triggers non-standard underwriting → Progressive.

State Farm is $162/year cheaper on average (Quadrant 2024).
State Farm ranks #3 on J.D. Power claims; Progressive ranks #16.
Both carry AM Best A+ or higher — financial strength is comparable.
Progressive accepts DUI applicants; State Farm typically does not after a recent DUI.
Progressive's Snapshot telematics discount can hit 30%; State Farm's Drive Safe & Save also 30%.

Side-by-side breakdown

Feature	Progressive	State Farm
Avg full-coverage premium	$1,633/yr	$1,471/yr
Avg liability-only premium	$632/yr	$568/yr
A.M. Best financial strength	—	—
Best for	high risk · dui	bundling · good credit
Overall rating	4.4/5	4.5/5
Price & savings score (40%)	4.3	4.4
Coverage strength score (25%)	4.5	4.6
Quote & buy experience (20%)	4.4	4.5
Claims & support score (15%)	4.3	4.7

Avg full-coverage premium

Progressive

$1,633/yr

State Farm

$1,471/yr

Avg liability-only premium

Progressive

$632/yr

State Farm

$568/yr

A.M. Best financial strength

Progressive

—

State Farm

—

Best for

Progressive

high risk · dui

State Farm

bundling · good credit

Overall rating

Progressive

4.4/5

State Farm

4.5/5

Price & savings score (40%)

Progressive

4.3

State Farm

4.4

Coverage strength score (25%)

Progressive

4.5

State Farm

4.6

Quote & buy experience (20%)

Progressive

4.4

State Farm

4.5

Claims & support score (15%)

Progressive

4.3

State Farm

4.7

Editor verdicts

Why we rate Progressive 4.4/5

Read the full Progressive review

Why we rate State Farm 4.5/5

Read the full State Farm review

Who should pick which?

Pick Progressive if…

Your driver profile leans high risk — Progressive's underwriting is best-in-class there.

Pick State Farm if…

You want the lowest annual premium — State Farm averages $1,471/yr for full coverage, $162 less than Progressive.
You value claims responsiveness — State Farm scores higher on claims & support.
You want a smooth quote-and-buy flow with minimal phone follow-up.

Frequently asked questions

Answers to the most-searched questions about Progressive vs State Farm.

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