If you and your covered family members have good driving records, you probably don't belong in a county mutual and should shop for coverage with a standard or preferred company that offers lower rates. A preferred company offers the lowest rates. A standard company's rates are somewhat higher than a preferred company's. A high-risk company sells at high rates to drivers with poor driving records or other problems. In Texas, a high-risk company is likely to be a county mutual.
Many insurers actually are groups of companies.
An insurance group might consist of a preferred company, a standard company and a county mutual. When a company applies its rates to your particular situation as a driver, the resulting total is your premium. Your age and, for younger drivers, your marital status. Unmarried male drivers under 21 pay the highest rates. Also paying higher rates are single men between 21 and 25 and unmarried women under 21.