21st Century Insurance Review 2023

21st Century car insurance

21st Century only writes car insurance policies in California, so it may be a good choice for Golden State drivers looking to get personalized service with a smaller, local provider. Although 21st Century is unrated by Standard & Poor’s (S&P) and AM Best, the Farmers Insurance Group gets relatively high financial strength scores, which may help you feel confident in the company’s historical ability to pay out claims. However, it is worth noting that 21st Century’s mobile app is rated poorly on the App Store and Google Play.

21st Century offers the following standard auto insurance coverage types: liability, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, collision and comprehensive. Additionally, 21st Century’s roadside assistance coverage is complimentary for eligible policyholders.

It also offers antique auto insurance, motorcycle and ATV insurance, boaters insurance and personal watercraft insurance (although some of these additional products are sold through partner companies).

Pros and cons of 21st Century car insurance

When shopping for new insurance, it’s essential to look at a company holistically by considering specific benefits and drawbacks.

21st Century car insurance cost

According to our extensive research, the average full coverage premium for 21st Century car insurance is $2,164 per year. For minimum coverage, the average is $723. These rates are higher than the national average of $2,014 and $622, respectively, but this may be because 21st Century only writes auto insurance in California. Compared to the California average ($2,291 for full coverage and $636 for minimum coverage), 21st Century insurance is cheaper.

21st Century car insurance rates by driving history

Car insurance companies use several rating factors to determine your premium, and your driving history is among the most significant. Below, you’ll find the average 21st Century car insurance rates based on various driving incidents. DUIS are not included as not all car insurance companies will offer a policy to a driver with this type of activity on their record. You may want to contact a local agent for more information on DUI rates if needed.

Bankrate tracks average premiums over time by analyzing rates provided by Quadrant Information Services. These rates below are based on a 40-year-old driver with good credit.

21st Century car insurance quotes by age

Your age can have a considerable impact on how much you pay for car insurance. Typically, insurance is more expensive for younger drivers, especially those listed on their own policies rather than their parent’s.

Average cost of car insurance for drivers on their parent’s policy

Average cost of car insurance for drivers on their own policy

21st Century car insurance discounts

21st Century Insurance offers several discounts for auto insurance savings, especially for a regional provider, and customers are allowed to stack as many discounts as they are eligible to receive. The company’s car insurance discounts include a few that may be particularly easy to qualify for.

21st Century car tools and benefits

21st Century automatically enrolls its customers in its roadside assistance program for free. If you’re stranded on a roadway, all you have to do is call (800) 439-5587, and 21st may send help, including towing, lock-out services and other roadside services.

21st Century home insurance

21st Century does not offer home insurance. However, those who hold an auto policy with 21st Century may qualify for a 10% discount by purchasing homeowners insurance from Farmers. This is because 21st Century is a member of Farmers Insurance Companies. Farmers writes home policies in 41 states. Home coverage with Farmers is not available in these states:

• Alaska
• Delaware
• Hawaii
• Maine
• New Hampshire
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• Vermont
• West Virginia

The company offers standard home coverage options along with standout coverage types such as content replacement coverage, additional living expense coverage for expenses incurred if you are displaced during the course of repairs and eco-rebuild coverage, which allows you to receive up to $25,000 towards the extra cost of green appliances and building materials.

21st Century customer satisfaction

J.D. Power did not include 21st Century in their most recent home insurance or property claims studies, probably because it is a small, regional carrier. Like many insurance carriers, 21st Century writes its auto policies under several different underwriting companies, making it difficult to pinpoint its standing on the NAIC complaint index. For this reason, you may want to read online reviews or talk to friends and family insured with 21st Century to get an idea of what it’s like to be a policyholder.

21st Century auto satisfaction

As mentioned, 21st Century uses many different underwriting companies to rate their auto insurance. That said, AM Best financial stability ratings may vary, depending on which underwriting company you analyze. However, it is wholly owned by Farmers insurance, which earns an A (Excellent) from AM Best. This may be an indicator of the company’s ability to pay out claims.

How to file a claim with 21st Century

When filing a claim with 21st Century, it will likely ask for basic details, such as your name and policy number. Additionally, it will ask you for claim-specific information, like the day the incident occurred and a description of what happened.

You can file a claim with 21st Century by:

• Visiting the company’s online claims portal
• Emailing myclaim@21st.com
• Calling (888) 244-6163

You can also use 21st Century’s online portal to track and manage your claim after it has been filed.

21st Century availability

21st Century Insurance is only available for drivers in California. This company does not have any brick and mortar offices, so quotes are available over the phone and online.

Other 21st Century perks worth considering

21st Century Insurance offers certain perks that may be of interest to drivers looking for insurance in California.

• Mobile app: Although its reviews are not especially favorable, 21st Century Insurance does have a mobile app, which may be attractive to policyholders who prefer to handle their policy digitally. Not all regional insurers offer a mobile app, which makes this a nice perk for 21st Century policyholders.
• Free roadside assistance: Another feature not always offered by other insurers, 21st Century automatically signs up policyholders for roadside assistance, free of charge.
• Digital articles: The company’s website features how-to and informational articles to help readers navigate auto insurance to make informed decisions about coverage and policy limits.

21st Century corporate sustainability

During the pandemic, Farmers and 21st Century Insurance announced that they would extend relief to customers by offering a 15 percent reduction in auto premiums for May 2020. 21st Century doesn’t advertise any other community outreach programs. However, Farmers boasts strong corporate citizenship by partnering with many non-profits. These organizations primarily assist with disaster recovery and other community impact initiatives such as Kindergarten readiness programs, youth fostering and financial support for low-income military families.

Not sure if 21st Century is right for you?

21st Century Insurance isn’t for everyone. If your needs don’t align with 21st Century, this list of car insurance providers may help you find the right carrier for you:

21st Century vs. State Farm

State Farm could be a good choice for shoppers who need more than just auto insurance. State Farm was determined one of the best home insurance companies in the 2022 Bankrate Awards based on its national availability, high customer satisfaction scores and excellent financial strength ratings. If you’re looking for multiple product lines, State Farm is also considered the best life company for term life, according to the 2022 Bankrate Awards.

Learn more: State Farm Insurance review

21st Century vs. Geico

If you’re a tech-savvy shopper, you may want to request a quote from Geico. It has a highly-rated mobile app and a full-service website allowing hands-on policy management. Additionally, Geico was determined one of the best auto insurance companies in the 2022 Bankrate Awards since it offers coverage to high-risk drivers, provides dozens of discounts and scores highly for customer satisfaction with J.D. Power. However, like 21st Century, Geico does not write its own homeowners insurance policies.

Learn more: Geico Insurance review

21st Century vs. Wawanesa

If you live in California and are looking for a highly-rated provider, you may want to consider Wawanesa; this insurer received the highest rating for California in J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Auto Insurance Study. Unlike 21st Century, it also offers home insurance. It also does not offer any extra car services like 21st Century’s complimentary roadside assistance, which may be important for some.

Learn more: Wawanesa Insurance review

Is 21st Century a good insurance company?

Bankrate’s insurance editorial team includes licensed agents with decades of combined experience helping drivers choose the coverage that fits their needs and budgets. We use this real-life experience to conduct extensive insurance company reviews in the hopes that we can help our readers do the same. 

With that said, you may want to add 21st Century to your list when requesting online car insurance quotes, but it depends on what you need and where you live. Its rates are lower than the California average, and it offers a respectable list of discounts that could help you save even more. According to customer reviews, the 21st Century app has some functionality issues, but having an app at all can be rare for a small, regional company. It may be worth nothing, though, that as a smaller company, 21st Century is not rated by J.D. Power. As such, shoppers may want to seek out friends or family already insured with the company to ask about their experience. All things considered, 21st Century could be a solid choice for California auto insurance.

Methodology

Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze 2022 rates for ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Rates are weighted based on the population density in each geographic region. Quoted rates are based on 40-year-old male and female homeowners with a clean claim history, good credit and the following coverage limits:

• $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
• $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
• $50,000 property damage liability per accident
• $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
• $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
• $500 collision deductible
• $500 comprehensive deductible

To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our sample drivers own a 2021 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually.

Age: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the ages 16-60 (base: 40 years) applied. Depending on age, drivers may be a renter or homeowner. Age is not a contributing rating factor in Hawaii and Massachusetts.

The rates for drivers ages 16-20 added to their parents' policy reflect the good student and driver's training discounts applied. The rates for drivers aged 16-20 on their own policy do not include the good student and driver's training discounts. Additionally, 25-year-old rates are based on the driver as a renter and 30+ on the driver as a homeowner.

Incidents: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base), single speeding ticket and single at-fault accident.