The Best Mississippi Auto Insurance Companies
Mississippi has been named the 10th worst-maintained road system in America, and its poor highway conditions lead to a higher rate of accidents. However, as legislature pushes for infrastructure improvements and the Mississippi economy slowly inches its way up, drivers may start seeing some relief in their premiums. Currently, Mississippi drivers pay very near national average, around $994 per year, for auto insurance premiums. Regardless, there is much more to consider when looking for car insurance in Mississippi than price alone. Make sure that you’re fully covered by a reputable insurer who will be by your side throughout an accident and beyond as you enter the claims process.
How We Found the Best Auto Insurance Companies in Mississippi
Our national review of the best auto insurance took a comprehensive look at each provider, and we used the same metrics to evaluate these local providers. We studied customer satisfaction reviews from some of the largest consumer-focused agencies like JD Power and Consumer Reports. We took into consideration their resources and educational materials for new and seasoned customers alike. We made sure that each insurer was backed up by strong financial ratings and able to withstand substantial claims against their policies. They all had to have extensive coverage options and readily available discounts to offset rising costs. Each of these six insurers have met or exceed our expectations, and serves as a great starting point when looking for auto insurance.
The 6 Best Auto Insurance Companies in Mississippi
- State Farm – Customer Service
- 24PetWatch – Pet Recovery
- Progressive – Inflation Protection
- Allstate – New Homeowners
- USAA – Most Ways to Save
State Farm
Mississippi Auto Insurance
Pros
Cons
State Farm scored high with Consumer Reports for overall customer satisfaction, with “excellent” grades for agent availability and courtesy as well as timely payouts for claims. With overall scores of 89/100, State Farm topped all other providers on this list except Farm Bureau, which scored 90. JD Power also awards State Farm scores that rank about average for the estimation and repair process. State Farm’s financial ratings are similarly noteworthy: It has the highest grades of all our widely available top picks, meaning the company is the best prepared to withstand substantial claims.
State Farm is also our top pick for rideshare drivers in Mississippi. The company is one of only two providers on this list (Allstate being the other option) that offer specific protections for drivers working for transportation network companies like Uber or Lyft. While these companies have their own insurance that extends to their remote drivers, it is very likely that a serious accident will quickly push your costs outside of the range of those generic coverages. Letting State Farm know that you’re cashing in on some lucrative weekend work could mean the difference between losing all that hard earned cash and being fully covered.
If you find that adding on this extra coverage is adding too much to your monthly premium, State Farm has a good selection of discounts to counteract your rising bill. While it doesn’t feature quite as many discounts as Nationwide, State Farm still offers a solid range including multi-policy, multi-vehicle, safety device, and safe driver discounts.
Nationwide
Mississippi Auto Insurance
Pros
Cons
Nationwide has one of of the most extensive lists of discounts available for its plans. On top of some of the common discounts like multi-policy or multi-car — which alone could net you up to 20% discount on your premium – Nationwide is the only company offering discounts for affinity programs or associations. That means the professional organization you joined when starting career path could bring you unexpected savings on you auto insurance.
Nationwide is also our top pick for families looking to group their car insurance. Nationwide is exclusive in offering a family-plan discount that allows you to share all of your other qualified discounts with anyone living under the same roof. This can mean huge savings when you start tagging on your teenage drivers to your current plan, or if an aging parent moves back in and onto the families auto coverage.
Progressive
Mississippi Auto Insurance
Pros
Cons
Like its competitors, Progressive earns some of the best customer satisfaction ratings from both JD Power and Consumer Reports. Stable outlooks and high marks for financial strength back up its customer ratings for excellent and timely payment experience. Progressive and our top pick, State Farm, have similar scores for specific steps in the insurance experience — like matching “excellent” ratings for timely reimbursements and “very good” scores for process simplicity, However Progressive falls two points behind our leader in overall reader score, as determined by Consumer Reports.
Still, Progressive makes it onto our list for many reasons, none more obvious than its extensive list of coverage that can create a truly robust auto insurance policy. Progressive is the only insurer offering pet insurance as a built-in protection to any collision coverage. Vet bills incurred from an accident will be covered by this unique policy. It’s also the only company in the mix offering gap loan or lease coverage. If you’re underwater on your car payment in relation to your car’s actual value and you are involved in an accident that totals the vehicle, it could leave you stuck paying off a car sitting in the junkyard. With gap loan/lease payoff coverage, Progressive will pay up to 25% more than the cash value of your totaled vehicle if you are still making payments that exceed its cash value.
Progressive has one of the best digital resource centers of all the major carriers. Progressive Answers calls itself “your easy guide to everything insurance,” and it doesn’t disappoint. Easy to read and pleasant to view, their guides can walk you through real-life questions and scenarios like a run-in with Bambi or how coverage works when you either lend your car to friends or borrow theirs. Progressive makes it easy to learn about your policy and all of the details that it covers, so you’re a better prepared driver and ready for whatever that rough road might throw at you.
Allstate
Mississippi Auto Insurance
Pros
Cons
Allstate also offers a few unique coverage options and discounts that you won’t find with its competitors in this round-up. New car replacement is one such coverage you’ll only find with Allstate. If your car is two years old or newer, this add-on protection will completely replace your vehicle with new version or equivalent. In keeping with the theme, Allstate also offers a unique discount up to 15% off of your premium for owning a new car of two years of less.
Southern Farm Bureau
Mississippi Auto Insurance
Pros
Cons
Southern Farm Bureau is regionally specific to the deep south, and very focused on Mississippi, as the company is the second largest underwriter of auto insurance policies in the state. Farm Bureau as a whole is a top-notch insurance organization. Consumer Reports gave Farm Bureau the highest reader score of all of our top contenders. Radical scores like these are usually only found with with smaller and more target insurance providers like USAA, which only insures military and their families. Southern Farm Bureau should certainly be a top choice when looking for auto insurance in Mississippi.
The company’s website has been (thankfully) recently updated, and there is now an option for online quotes and a helpful agent finder on their homepage. There are few informational resources available on their website, but you will be able to pay your bill and report a claim online. With the kind of customer support that many of the big names only dream of, we highly recommend giving Southern Farm Bureau a call to investigate your options.
USAA
Mississippi Auto Insurance
Pros
Cons
Alternatively, if you or your immediate family member is a member of the military, we strongly recommend the insurance services provided through USAA. Although USAA is only available to a select number of people by design, it is a great option for auto insurance in Mississippi and it ranks 8th in the state for the top writers of premiums in 2017 (latest information available).
USAA has the highest Consumer Reports customer satisfaction score of all, at 95/100, and “excellent” ratings among all categories. Apart from their incredible customer service ranking, A.M. Best awards USAA their highest financial mark – A++. Even though we couldn’t request a quote and get the experience firsthand, we definitely still think it’s worth checking out if you qualify.
Guide to Mississippi Auto Insurance
Understanding Mississippi’s minimum liability requirements
Mississippi has one of the lowest thresholds for minimum auto insurance coverage in the country. Drivers are still required to maintain the three major insurance types: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident, and property damage. Here’s how Mississippi’s numbers break down:
- $25,000 bodily injury coverage per person
- $50,000 bodily injury coverage per accident
- $25,000 property damage coverage per accident
These figures are most usually abbreviated as BI and PD liability, and they are most commonly listed as abbreviated numbers. Mississippi’s minimum coverage would be written as (25/50/25). But with the kind of modern technology used in vehicles, buying only the minimum coverage may leave you underinsured in any kind of severe accident.
Let’s pretend you find your vehicle squished under the rear bumper of a new SUV, or crunched into the side of a luxury sedan. The cost of replacing sensitive electronics, sensors, and high-tech materials can be much higher than drivers might expect. Assuming the damaged vehicle is of average value, you could easily be on the hook for more than $10,000 in damages. Factoring in any bodily injury costs that exceed your limits, it easy to see how a small accident can become a major financial setback. As a result, we highly recommend opting in for double the state minimum coverage and expanding that coverage as far as your budget will allow.
Consider Road Conditions in Mississippi
Mississippi’s road system integrity has, sadly, been on a slow decline for a number of years. If you’re a driver in Mississippi, you probably already know that over half of the roads are in mediocre or poor conditions.
As infrastructure has suffered, Mississippi drivers have paid the consequences. In 2016, some drivers may have seen their auto insurance rates rise by up to 20% due to increasing claims against insurance companies regarding damages incurred by poor road conditions. Combined with a recent deficit in the number of State Highway Patrol officers on the road, insurance companies have been reacting to increased claims by jacking up premiums.
Mississippi Auto Insurance FAQ
Is it against the law to drive without insurance in Mississippi?
Yes. You’re required to have car insurance to drive, but you don’t need insurance to register your car or apply for your driver’s license. Drivers must have insurance that provides coverage for the other car/driver when an accident is your fault. Driving without insurance will cost you a $1,000 fine and 1-year license suspension.
How much is auto insurance in Mississippi?
The price of your premium will depend on your car, accident history, financial profile, credit score, and other personal details, but the average premium in Mississippi is $994, right under with the national average of $1,009.
The Best Auto Insurance Companies in Mississippi: Summed Up
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