State Auto home insurance review: Cheap & comprehensive coverage
State Auto has the lowest rates of all of the home insurance companies we reviewed, and it doesn’t skimp on coverage — offering 15+ policy add-ons.
By
Jennifer GimbelJennifer GimbelSenior Managing Editor & Home Insurance ExpertJennifer Gimbel is a senior managing editor at Policygenius, where she oversees all of our insurance coverage. Previously, she was the managing editor at Finder.com and a content strategist at Babble.com.
Edited by
Colin LalleyColin LalleyContent Director, Home & Auto InsuranceColin Lalley is the content director for home and auto insurance at Policygenius, where he's been writing about insurance since 2015. His insights have been featured in Inc. Magazine, Betterment, Chime, Credit Seasame, Zola, and the Council for Disability Awareness.
Expert reviewedExpert reviewedThis article has been reviewed by a member of ourFinancial Review Council to ensure all sources, statistics, and claims meet the highest standard for accurate and unbiased advice.Learn more about oureditorial review process.
Our proprietary ratings methodology takes multiple factors into account, including customer satisfaction, cost, financial strength, and policy offerings. See the “Ratings methodology” section for more details.
4.5
AM Best rating
AM Best is a global credit rating agency that scores the financial strength of insurance companies on a scale from A++ (Superior) to D (Poor).
A-
Cost
Using a mix of internal and external rate data, we grade the cost of each insurance company's premiums on a scale from least expensive ($) to most expensive ($$$$$).
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The bottom line
State Auto home insurance is best for homeowners looking to find some of the lowest rates in the industry without compromising on coverage. It has the cheapest cost of all of the companies we reviewed, with an average rate of $857 per year.
It also offers extended replacement cost coverage of up to 25% if the cost to rebuild your home after a covered loss exceeds your policy’s dwelling coverage limits. Plus, you can choose from a whopping 15+ other policy add-ons to ensure your home and belongings are fully protected.
However, State Auto home insurance is only available in 28 states in the Midwest, South, and along the East Coast. Shoppers in several states — including California, New York, and New Jersey — will have to look elsewhere for coverage.
State Auto home insurance policies include these six standard coverages to protect your home, belongings, and personal liability:
Dwelling: Pays to repair or rebuild the structure of your home after a covered loss.
Other structures: Pays to repair or rebuild other structures on your property not connected to your home, including detached garages, storage sheds, and fencing.
Personal property: Pays to repair or replace your personal belongings after a covered loss, including furniture, clothing, tech gadgets, and other stuff you own.
Loss of use: Pays for hotel stays, restaurant bills, pet boarding fees, and other temporary living expenses after a covered loss if you need to live elsewhere while your home is being rebuilt.
Personal liability: Pays for legal and medical expenses if someone is injured or their belongings are damaged while at your home and you’re found legally responsible.
Medical payments: Pays for small-dollar medical bills if someone is injured while at your home — regardless of who is at fault.
Additional coverages offered
You can add these additional coverages to your State Auto homeowners insurance policy for even more protection:
Extended replacement cost coverage for your home: Extends your dwelling coverage limit up to 25% in case rebuild costs exceed your policy limit after a covered loss.
Replacement cost coverage for personal property: Pays to replace your personal belongings with new items, regardless of depreciation or wear and tear.
Service line: Pays to repair or replace underground pipes or wires that are damaged due to a leak, break, tear, rupture, or collapse. Also pays for hotel stays and other temporary living expenses while your home is being repaired or cleaned up.
Home systems: Pays to repair or replace AC units, computers, security systems, and more tech items damaged due to mechanical breakdowns.
Home-sharing: Protects your home from damage by covered perils as well as liability incidents if it’s rented for up to six months a year, though individual rooms or portions of your house can be rented out longer.
Personal injury liability: Expands liability coverage to include personal injury to others, such as slander, libel, wrongful eviction, or false arrest.
Identity theft: Offers everything from assistance with your credit reports to attorney fees resulting from identity fraud to help replacing personal identification documents destroyed in a natural disaster.
HomeXtended: A special endorsement offered through State Auto that combines a slew of additional coverages in one neat policy add-on, including protection for your cell phone, computer personal records, mortgage expenses, personal property business use coverage, and more.
Lock replacement: Pays to replace your keys and locks.
Freezer contents: Covers up to $1,000 in spoiled food if your refrigerator or freezer stops working due to a power outage or breakdown.
Golf cart rental: Provides damage and liability protection for rented golf carts.
Volunteer wrongful acts: Liability coverage for accidents that occur while volunteering in your community.
Earthquake insurance: Protects your home and personal property from earthquake damage.
Dwelling fire: Fire insurance for properties that aren’t your primary residence, like second homes, vacation homes, or rental properties.
Condo insurance: Purchased as a supplement to your condo association’s master policy, condo insurance covers your personal belongings, the interior structure of your condo unit, and personal liability.
Renters insurance: Purchased by tenants, renters insurance covers the personal belongings in your rental home or apartment against fire, vandalism, theft, windstorms, and water damage, as well as personal liability and loss of use coverage.
Ratings methodology
Price
5.0/5
State Auto earns a perfect score on our price rating scale thanks to its average home insurance premium of $857 per year — the lowest of all of the insurers we rated. It also offers a slew of home insurance discounts to help cut down costs even more.
Customer experience
4.2/5
State Auto isn’t included in J.D. Power’s claims or customer satisfaction surveys, which means its 4.2 out of 5 score on our customer experience rating scale is based solely on its National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) National Complaint Index Score. Earning a 0.21, State Auto received a below-average number of customer complaints in 2021 compared to other home insurance companies in the industry.
Coverage options
4.0/5
The 20 additional coverage options available through State Auto — including everything from replacement cost coverage for your personal property to water backup coverage to home systems protection — helps State Auto earn a high score on our coverage options rating scale.
The average cost of home insurance with State Auto is $857 per year for $300,000 in dwelling coverage — that’s 76% lower than the national average.
Here’s a look at average rates for State Auto home insurance based on different dwelling coverage limits:
Dwelling coverage limit
Average annual cost
$100,000
$530
$200,000
$764
$300,000
$857
$400,000
$1,295
$500,000
$1,575
Rates are based on our analysis of 2022 sample home insurance quotes from across the country provided by Quadrant Information Services. Actual rates will vary based on location, policy limits, coverages, claims history, and other factors.
What discounts does State Auto offer?
You can save even more on the cost of State Auto home insurance if you qualify for any of these discounts:
Advance quote: If you receive a quote at least eight days before you actually need your policy to go into effect.
Fortified home: If your home is fortified with special wind mitigation features to protect it against severe weather, including hurricanes, high winds, and hail.
Multi-policy: If you bundle your home insurance with an auto, dwelling fire, or umbrella policy, you could save up to 14% on your premiums.
New construction: If your home is a new build.
Prior carrier: If you were with your previous insurance company for several years.
Protective devices: If your home is outfitted with burglar alarms, central fire alarms, and more safety devices.
Roof construction: If your roof is newer and made with materials that offer increased protection against the elements.
Compare home insurance quotes from State Auto and other top insurers
State Auto home insurance state availability
State Auto offers home insurance policies in 28 states, including:
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
What to expect with State Auto home insurance
How to get a quote: You can get a State Auto insurance quote online through policycentral or State Auto’s website.
Customer service options: You can get in touch with a State Auto customer service representative by calling 833-724-3577, using the live chat feature on its website, or messaging someone through its online portal.
How to file a claim: You can file a State Auto home insurance claim online or by calling 877-722-5246.
How to cancel your policy. You can cancel your State Auto home insurance policy by calling 833-724-3577.
State Auto home insurance in the news
In September 2022, State Auto settled two class-action lawsuits with homeowners in Mississippi, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee to resolve allegations that it underpaid structural damage insurance claims. (Top Class Actions)
In March 2022, State Auto Group was acquired by Liberty Mutual Insurance for approximately $1 billion in an all-cash deal. (PR Newswire)
State Auto vs. other home insurance companies
Compare State Auto home insurance to other popular insurers in the industry:
State Auto might be a good home insurance company for you if your biggest priority is low costs — its average home insurance rate of $857 per year for $300,000 in dwelling coverage is the lowest of all of the companies we reviewed. Otherwise, whether State Auto is the best option for your home insurance needs will vary based on your priorities, where you live, and the coverages you’re looking for.
Does State Auto offer inflation guard protection for home insurance?
State Auto doesn’t mention offering inflation guard coverage on its website. To find a company that does offer this policy add-on, you can reach out to a licensed policycentral agent for help.
Who is State Auto owned by?
State Auto was acquired by Liberty Mutual Insurance in the spring of 2022, though it continues to operate as State Auto with the same branding, products, and customer service team.
Jennifer Gimbel is a senior managing editor at Policygenius, where she oversees all of our insurance coverage. Previously, she was the managing editor at Finder.com and a content strategist at Babble.com.
Colin Lalley is the content director for home and auto insurance at Policygenius, where he's been writing about insurance since 2015. His insights have been featured in Inc. Magazine, Betterment, Chime, Credit Seasame, Zola, and the Council for Disability Awareness.
Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®, is a certified financial planner and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius. Previously, he was a financial advisor at MetLife and MassMutual.
