Ask three price analyses which is cheaper for home insurance, State Farm or Allstate, and you get two different answers. Insurance.com and MoneyGeek put Allstate slightly ahead on average. NerdWallet found State Farm cheaper in most of the scenarios it priced. On the overall averages, the gap is a few hundred dollars a year or less.
That tells you something useful: on price alone, these two are close enough that your own quote will decide it. Where they really differ is in what the standard policy includes, how they treat your credit, how customers rate them and, increasingly, which states they are still selling in.
Last reviewed: October 2026 · SmartCoverage Editorial Team · How we research
The price comparison, three ways
| Source | State Farm | Allstate | Coverage priced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insurance.com (Sep 2026) | $2,536 | $2,279 | $300,000 dwelling |
| MoneyGeek (Aug 2026) | $2,454 | $2,381 | Average across levels |
| NerdWallet (2026) | $2,415 | $2,715 | $400,000 dwelling |
| MoneyGeek, $100K dwelling | $1,301 | $1,623 | $100,000 dwelling |
| NerdWallet, poor credit | $6,090 | $4,790 | $400,000 dwelling |
Two patterns stand out across the data. State Farm tends to be cheaper for smaller homes and for people with a recent claim. Allstate tends to be cheaper for homeowners with weaker credit, by more than $1,000 a year in NerdWallet’s example. In states that allow insurers to use credit-based insurance scores, that single factor can outweigh everything else in this comparison.
Which one should you quote first?
Switch on what applies to you. The marker moves toward the insurer more likely to suit you.
Based on 2026 comparisons by NerdWallet and MoneyGeek and on each company’s published options. Availability changes; confirm with an agent. For guidance only.
What the standard policy includes
This is where State Farm has a clear edge. According to NerdWallet, State Farm’s default homeowners policy includes an extra 20% of dwelling coverage above your limit, a cushion that helps if rebuilding costs more than expected after a major disaster. Allstate offers the same kind of protection, but as a paid add-on. State Farm also offers guaranteed replacement cost as an option, which MoneyGeek notes Allstate does not.
Allstate’s strength is choice. Its policies come in packages of increasing coverage, and its more inclusive ones add features such as Claim RateGuard, which can keep your premium from rising after a claim, Claim-Free Rewards and Deductible Rewards, which reduce your deductible for each year without a claim. It also offers some niche add-ons, such as coverage for musical instruments and reimbursement for green upgrades after a loss.
Both insurers sell the add-ons most homeowners should consider: water backup, scheduled personal property for jewelry and valuables, and identity theft coverage. Our guide to what homeowners insurance covers explains why the first two matter.
Discounts and perks
Allstate publishes a longer list of discounts, including for bundling, being claim-free, paying on time, setting up automatic payments, buying a new home and having protective devices. State Farm advertises fewer, but its agents can apply others, such as discounts for impact-resistant roofs and, in some areas, wildfire mitigation.
State Farm also offers Ting, a small plug-in device that monitors your home’s electrical system for fire risks, free to eligible policyholders in most states. It is a genuinely useful perk for older houses; see our guide to insuring older homes.
Both insurers give their largest discount for bundling home and car insurance. In Insurance.com’s 2026 data, State Farm’s average bundle discount was 22% against Allstate’s 17%. Our bundle discount guide explains when a bundle beats two separate companies.
Service and claims
State Farm is the stronger of the two on customer experience. MoneyGeek’s 2026 review gave it 4.58 out of 5 for customer service against Allstate’s 3.88. In J.D. Power’s 2025 home insurance study, State Farm scored above the industry average and Allstate below, while both were below average in the 2025 property claims study. Complaint levels with state regulators are close to average for both, according to NerdWallet.
In practice, both sell mainly through local agents, so the quality of your agent can matter as much as the company. A good agent will review your coverage at renewal and help when a claim gets complicated. Ask friends or neighbors for a name, and check complaint data in the NAIC Consumer Insurance Search.
Where you can still buy each one
Availability is now part of the comparison. According to NerdWallet, Allstate is not writing new homeowners policies in California, Connecticut or Florida, and State Farm is not offering new homeowners coverage in California, Massachusetts or Rhode Island. Rules change, and both may still renew existing customers, but if you live in one of those states the choice may already be made for you. Our state price guide shows typical costs and the options in tighter markets.
How to compare the two quotes fairly
Quotes from State Farm and Allstate often look different for reasons that have nothing to do with price. Before you decide, line them up on these points:
- Dwelling limit. Ask both to use the same figure. If one agent suggests a higher limit, ask why; it may be the more accurate rebuild estimate.
- Extended dwelling coverage. State Farm’s quote may include the extra 20% by default. Add the same to Allstate’s quote, or note that it is missing.
- Deductibles. Check the standard deductible and any separate wind, hail or hurricane deductible, which is often a percentage of the dwelling limit.
- Personal property. Confirm both pay replacement cost for belongings, not actual cash value.
- Liability. Use the same limit in both, ideally at least $300,000.
- Discounts applied. Ask each agent to list every discount in the quote, so you can see whether a lower price depends on, say, enrolling in automatic payments.
If you are switching from one to the other, start the new policy before canceling the old one, and tell your mortgage lender, which usually pays the premium from your escrow account. Most insurers refund the unused part of an annual premium, although some charge a small cancellation fee, so ask before you cancel.
Our take
For most homeowners with good credit, we would get a State Farm quote first: the stronger standard coverage, better service scores and the free Ting device add up to more than the small price differences in the averages. Allstate is the better first call if your credit is fair or poor, or if you will use its claim-free rewards and qualify for several of its discounts.
Whichever you start with, quote the other one too, with the same dwelling limit, liability limit and deductible, and add at least one regional insurer to the comparison. Our ranking of the best homeowners insurance companies lists strong alternatives, several of which beat both on satisfaction.
This comparison gives general information, not personal insurance or financial advice. Prices, discounts and availability vary by state and change often. Confirm details with a licensed agent before you buy.
Sources
- NerdWallet: Allstate vs. State Farm home insurance 2026
- MoneyGeek: Allstate vs. State Farm home insurance comparison (updated August 13, 2026)
- Insurance.com: Average home insurance cost in 2026 (updated September 21, 2026)
- Insurance.com: Best home and auto insurance bundle (updated March 2026)
- NAIC Consumer Insurance Search