Deciphering which company quotes the most affordable car insurance rates for active military involves a little more effort than just comparing a company or two.
Every insurance company uses their own calculation for determining rates in each state, so to begin we’ll rank the car insurance companies with the overall best prices in Texas.
Cheapest Insurance Rates for Military
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travelers | $1,021 |
| 2 | USAA | $1,128 |
| 3 | Texas Farm Bureau | $1,199 |
| 4 | Germania Mutual | $1,244 |
| 5 | Esurance | $1,379 |
| 6 | California Casualty | $1,396 |
| 7 | State Farm | $1,495 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,521 |
| 9 | Nationwide | $1,538 |
| 10 | Safe Auto | $1,597 |
| 11 | Progressive | $1,664 |
| 12 | Allstate | $1,667 |
| 13 | Amica | $1,757 |
| 14 | Home State | $2,134 |
| 15 | GEICO | $2,156 |
| 16 | MetLife | $2,161 |
| 17 | Unitrin | $2,241 |
| 18 | Encompass | $2,301 |
| 19 | 21st Century | $2,494 |
| 20 | Titan | $2,568 |
| Quote Your Rates Go | ||
Travelers quotes some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Fort Worth at around $1,021 annually. This is $883 less than the average premium paid by Texas drivers of $1,904. USAA, Texas Farm Bureau, Germania Mutual, and Esurance also rank well as some of the most economical Fort Worth, TX auto insurance companies.
As depicted above, if you currently have a policy with Esurance and switched to USAA, you might realize a yearly savings of approximately $251. Insureds with California Casualty may save as much as $268 a year, and State Farm policyholders might realize rate reductions of up to $367 a year.
Understand that those rates are averages across all drivers and vehicles in Texas and and are not calculated with an exact vehicle garaging location for active military. So the auto insurance company that fits your age and vehicle best may not even be in the top 23 companies in the list above. That points out the importance of why you need to quote rates from as many companies as possible using your own individual information.
For military personnel, one of the more important factors that determine the price you pay for insurance is your zip code in Fort Worth. Larger areas likely pay more, whereas areas that tend to be more rural have the luxury of lower rates.
The next table sorts the most expensive places in Texas for active military to buy car insurance in. Fort Worth ranks #19 with an annual premium of $1,604 for the average policyholder, which is approximately $134 each month.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McAllen | $1,996 |
| 2 | Brownsville | $1,927 |
| 3 | Dallas | $1,911 |
| 4 | Laredo | $1,907 |
| 5 | Houston | $1,891 |
| 6 | Garland | $1,850 |
| 7 | Amarillo | $1,840 |
| 8 | Mesquite | $1,807 |
| 9 | Beaumont | $1,772 |
| 10 | Pasadena | $1,758 |
| 11 | Grand Prairie | $1,757 |
| 12 | Irving | $1,719 |
| 13 | Lubbock | $1,716 |
| 14 | Arlington | $1,692 |
| 15 | Austin | $1,676 |
| 16 | San Antonio | $1,671 |
| 17 | Carrollton | $1,664 |
| 18 | McKinney | $1,609 |
| 19 | Fort Worth | $1,604 |
| 20 | Plano | $1,576 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||
Information shown are estimated as specific Fort Worth garaging address can modify premium rates greatly.
The type of vehicle requiring insurance is one of the largest considerations when looking for affordable auto insurance for active military. Vehicles with high performance, poor passenger safety features, or high incidents of liability claims will cost quite a bit more to insure than more modest models. The table below ranks auto insurance rates for some of the most cost-effective automobiles to buy insurance for.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $1,109 |
| Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $1,136 |
| Honda CR-V EX 2WD | $1,143 |
| Honda Odyssey EX | $1,177 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,231 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 2WD | $1,243 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4WD 2-Dr | $1,251 |
| Ford Edge Sport AWD | $1,263 |
| Ford Fusion SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $1,286 |
| Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T 4-Dr Sedan | $1,295 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LTZ AWD | $1,286 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $1,313 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $1,318 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $1,338 |
| Toyota Camry LE | $1,349 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $1,355 |
| Honda Civic VP 4-Dr Sedan | $1,358 |
| Kia Optima SX | $1,370 |
| GMC Sierra 2500HD SLE Regular Cab 2WD | $1,375 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LTZ Crew Cab Diesel 4WD | $1,374 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SXT | $1,379 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LS Crew Cab 4WD | $1,410 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LTZ | $1,415 |
| Start Your Quote Go | |
Data variables include single male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, claim-free, and safe-driver. Table data does not factor in specific garaging location which can influence insurance rates noticeably.
Based upon the table data, cars like the Hyundai Elantra, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Honda Odyssey, and Toyota Prius should be a few of the more affordable vehicles to insure for military personnel.
Discount Fort Worth auto insurance
Insurers that sell policies for active military may also offer price discounts that can lower rates by 25% or more if you meet specific criteria. A list of companies and some of the discounts can be found below.
- State Farm offers discounts for passive restraint, Steer Clear safe driver discount, anti-theft, good driver, multiple autos, student away at school, and Drive Safe & Save.
- GEICO offers premium reductions for emergency military deployment, air bags, defensive driver, seat belt use, military active duty, and driver training.
- Progressive has savings for continuous coverage, good student, homeowner, online signing, multi-vehicle, online quote discount, and multi-policy.
- 21st Century may offer discounts for theft prevention, 55 and older, air bags, anti-lock brakes, student driver, good student, and driver training.
- American Family policyholders can earn discounts including early bird, Steer into Savings, mySafetyValet, TimeAway discount, good student, bundled insurance, and multi-vehicle.
- The Hartford has discounts for good student, driver training, bundle, anti-theft, and vehicle fuel type.
- AAA may include discounts for multi-car, anti-theft, good driver, AAA membership discount, education and occupation, multi-policy, and pay-in-full.
The diagram below compares insurance premiums with and without discounts applied. The data is based on a male driver, a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, Texas state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $100 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the average annual price with no discounts. The second shows the rates with passive restraint, marriage, defensive driving course, multiple policy, homeowner, and multiple vehicle discounts applied. When discounts are applied, theaverage yearly reduction on car insurance for active military is 28% or $601.
Car insurance companies ranked
Finding the right company can be a challenge considering how many companies there are to choose from in Texas. The company ratings below can help you choose which insurers to look at when comparing rate quotes.
These ratings are for companies with a national presence, so smaller companies that only insure vehicles in Texas are not included in these rankings. To check rates from these and other companies in Texas, click this link.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travelers | 93 | 98 | 99 | 88% | A++ | 95.1 |
| USAA | 83 | 99 | 100 | 91% | A++ | 94.1 |
| Mercury Insurance | 97 | 96 | 88 | 89% | A+ | 93.4 |
| AAA Insurance | 91 | 95 | 92 | 90% | A | 93.3 |
| Nationwide | 85 | 95 | 97 | 89% | A+ | 92.4 |
| Allstate | 77 | 100 | 97 | 88% | A+ | 90.7 |
| State Farm | 80 | 94 | 96 | 88% | A++ | 90.6 |
| The Hartford | 88 | 93 | 91 | 87% | A+ | 90.4 |
| Safeco Insurance | 91 | 95 | 85 | 88% | A | 90.2 |
| Progressive | 88 | 94 | 83 | 88% | A+ | 90.1 |
| American Family | 91 | 86 | 95 | 83% | A | 89.7 |
| Esurance | 86 | 90 | 94 | 90% | A+ | 89.5 |
| The General | 86 | 93 | 89 | 84% | A- | 88.2 |
| GEICO | 79 | 89 | 95 | 87% | A++ | 87.8 |
| Titan Insurance | 86 | 82 | 92 | 86% | A+ | 86.5 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Liability rates compared to full coverage
Saving money when shopping for car insurance is probably important to the majority of people, and one easy way to lower the cost of insurance for active military is to not pay for full coverage. The example below illustrates the difference between insurance costs with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. The costs are based on no claims or driving citations, $100 deductibles, single marital status, and no other discounts are factored in.
If we average the cost for ages 20 through 70, full coverage costs an extra $2,181 per year more than just insuring for liability. That is a significant amount which raises the question if buying full coverage is worth the expense. There is no clear-cut rule of when to exclude comp and collision coverage, but there is a guideline you can use. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is about 10% or more of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.
For example, let’s say your vehicle’s replacement value is $5,500 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most your company would pay you is $4,500 after paying the physical damage deductible. If premium cost is more than $450 a year for your policy with full coverage, then you might consider buying liability only.
There are a few situations where eliminating full coverage is not advised. If you have an outstanding loan on your vehicle, you have to carry full coverage in order to satisfy the requirements of the loan. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should keep full coverage.