Auto insurance · Updated August 2026
State Farm vs USAA
State Farm is built for drivers who want a local agent with a national carrier. USAA is built for military members, veterans, and their families. On the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co. drew 0.59 and United Services Automobile Assn. drew 0.83, against an industry median of 1.00. AM Best rates both companies A++. Neither is reliably cheaper. For the same driver in the same state, either can return the lower number.
By Kevin Lee, licensed insurance agent · NPN 19669698
The short answer
State Farm has written auto since 1922 and writes through State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. and subsidiaries. State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co. drew 0.59 on the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, 1,815 complaints on $64.6 billion of private-passenger premium. The tradeoff: it writes five lines against USAA's six.
USAA has written auto since 1922 and writes through USAA and its subsidiaries. It writes six lines: auto, home, renters, life, umbrella, and boat. The tradeoff: it drew 0.83 on the 2025 complaint index against State Farm's 0.59.
Both companies state by state, and their filed rates trade the lead by address. A national average will not predict which one wins for you. For the same driver in the same state, either can return the lower number.
About two minutes. No effect on your credit score.
Side by side
State Farm vs USAA: the data sheet
Sources are listed under the measured figures. How we compare
State Farm | USAA | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Drivers who want a local agent with a national carrier | Military members, veterans, and their families |
| Who underwrites it | State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. and subsidiaries | USAA and its subsidiaries |
| Complaints per policyState Farm, ahead of USAA | 0.59 1,815 complaints on $64.6B written | 0.83 278 complaints on $7.0B written |
NAIC complaint index, 2025, private passenger auto · State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co. vs United Services Automobile Assn. · 1.00 is the industry median | ||
| Financial strengthTied at A++ | A++ Superior | A++ Superior |
AM Best financial strength rating · A++ is the highest issued | ||
| Coverage you can buyUSAA, if you want to bundle | 5 lines auto, home, renters, life, umbrella | 6 lines auto, home, renters, life, umbrella, boat |
| PriceNot rated | Filed state by state, priced to the driver. The main factors are below. | |
| Mobile appEffectively tied | 4.79 1,246,642 ratings | 4.80 2,300,916 ratings |
Apple App Store, August 2026 | ||
| SR-22 filing | Yes | Yes |
| Telematics program | Drive Safe & Save | SafePilot |
| Availability | 48 states and Washington, D.C. | Available nationwide to the military community |
| Known for | Largest U.S. auto insurer, local agent network | Military-only membership, banking and insurance in one account |
In practice
Where they differ
The complaint records
On the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co. drew 0.59 and United Services Automobile Assn. drew 0.83, against an industry median of 1.00. The index weighs a company's complaint count against the volume expected for its size, so 1.00 is the industry median and a lower number is fewer complaints than expected.
Financial strength
AM Best rates both companies A++. A++ is the highest grade AM Best issues. The grade measures the company's ability to pay claims, not its service or its price.
Who underwrites each one
State Farm policies are written by State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. and subsidiaries. USAA policies are written by USAA and its subsidiaries. The brand on the advertising and the company on the policy are often different entities, and the complaint figures on this page belong to the named companies.
What each one covers
State Farm writes five lines and USAA writes six lines. State Farm writes auto, home, renters, life, and umbrella. USAA writes auto, home, renters, life, umbrella, and boat. If auto is all you need, the difference costs you nothing.
Price
Which is cheaper: State Farm or USAA?
Neither company is reliably cheaper. What sets the price:
The record sets the range. A ticket, an at-fault accident, or a moves the two prices by different amounts, and the direction is not consistent between states. A quote on the real record is what separates them.
Availability decides some matchups. State Farm writes in 48 states and Washington, D.C. USAA writes in Available nationwide to the military community. Where only one of them writes in your state, the comparison answers itself.
Telematics moves the number. Both run a program: Drive Safe & Save at State Farm, SafePilot at USAA. A telematics program measures driving through an app or a plug-in device and adjusts the price on the result. The size of that adjustment is filed per state.
One application. Real prices from the carriers writing in your state.