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State Farm Life Insurance Review (2026)

State Farm has sold life insurance for nearly 95 years and is one of the most prominent agencies in the U.S. today. From term life to permanent coverage, such as whole life, universal, and variable, State Farm offers policy options to fit a variety of coverage needs.

We at the MarketWatch Guides team have reviewed State Farm’s life insurance offering, including types of coverage and pricing, along with what policyholders have to say.

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State Farm Life Insurance Overview

State Farm issued its first life insurance policy in 1929. Today the company has more than 19,000 agents nationwide and has the highest possible AM Best financial strength rating of A++*. For customer satisfaction, State Farm ranks No. 1 in J.D. Power’s 2021 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study, making it our top recommendation for customer experience.

You can shop for State Farm term life insurance quotes online, but some parts will require a phone call. For example, contacting a State Farm agent is necessary to discuss whole life and universal life insurance options. State Farm doesn’t sell policies in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, so residents in these states will have to look elsewhere for coverage.

*A.M. Best ratings accurate as of July 2023


Pros and Cons of State Farm

Pros

Top marks with AM Best for financial strength Ranked #1 on J.D. Power’s 2022 customer satisfaction survey Easy to get a term life insurance quote online

Cons

No online application process Offers fewer riders than some competitors

How State Farm Scored in Our Methodology

When we analyzed State Farm using our provider review methodology, the company scored 4.6 out of 5 stars. It earned particularly high marks in areas of brand trust and coverage options.

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Flip Card Life Insurance Rating
4.6 / out of 5 stars

Rating is based off of MarketWatch Methodology Guidelines

Your information is secure
Brand Trust State Farm earned a perfect Brand Trust score by placing first in JD Power’s annual customer satisfaction survey and earning a financial strength rating of A++ — the highest rating possible — from AM Best. 4.8 / 5
Coverage State Farm earned points for its broad coverage range, offering term, permanent and no-exam policies. It lost points because it offers fewer than four term length options. 4.8 / 5
Availability and Ease of Use State Farm offers an online portal and an 800 number for customers, earning it points. It lost points because customers can’t communicate via live chat or email, nor can they purchase policies online 4.1 / 5
Riders State Farm fared well in this category by offering a robust range of riders, including a flexible care rider to pay for long-term care expenses. 4.4 / 5

Compare State Farm To Other Life Insurance Providers

You can use the table below to compare State Farm to other top life insurance companies.

Insurance ProviderPolicy Types OfferedTerm LimitsCoverage LimitsBest For
State FarmTerm, whole, universal and no final-exam expense10–30 yearsLimits: $250,000 (Term)Customer satisfaction
TruStage Life InsuranceTerm, whole5 years$5,000–$300,000 (term), $5,000–$100,000 (whole)Online whole life insurance applications
Fidelity Life InsuranceTerm, whole10–30 years$10,000–$2 million (term), $10,000–$150,000 (whole)Accidental death coverage
LemonadeTerm10–30 yearsUp to $1.5 millionQuick term coverage
Lantern LifeTerm10–30 years$100,000–$1.5 millionTerm life policies

Types of Life Insurance Offered by State Farm

Life insurance coverage provides a tax-free death benefit to beneficiaries when the policyholder dies. Loved ones can use the cash death benefit to pay for funeral expenses and other living costs. There are no restrictions on what expenses beneficiaries can use the money for.

State Farm offers three types of life insurance — term life insurance, whole life insurance and universal life insurance. Add-on endorsements like the children’s term rider and care benefit rider make it possible to customize the coverage and benefits.

State Farm Term Life Insurance Options

Term life insurance policies cover you for a defined time period. They expire at the end of the term unless you die during the term or renew or convert the policy. State Farm offers the following policy term life insurance options:

  • Select Term: Terms of 10, 20 or 30 years with coverage starting at $100,000. The maximum eligibility age is 75 for a 10-year term, 65 for a 20-year term and 45 for a 30-year term.
  • Return of Premium Term: Terms of 20 or 30 years. Premiums are returned to you if you don’t die within that term, and coverage starts at $100,000. The maximum eligibility is age 60 for a 20-year term (55 if you use tobacco) and age 45 for a 30-year term.
  • Instant Answer Term Insurance: Terms of 10 years (or until you reach age 50, whichever is first). Maximum of $50,000 coverage and no medical tests required.

State Farm Whole Life Insurance Options

Whole life insurance is a permanent policy that covers you as long as you make premium payments. Whole life policies pay a death benefit, have fixed premiums and can build cash value. State Farm offers the following whole life policies:

  • Whole Life: Guaranteed level premiums and cash value accumulation.
  • Limited Pay Whole Life: Premiums can be paid for 10, 20 or 30 years. Afterward, coverage continues, but you can stop making payments.
  • Single Premium Whole Life: Premiums are paid all at once.
  • Final Expense: Coverage is $10,000 to $15,000 and designed to pay final living expenses. You must be 50 to 80 years old to qualify.

State Farm Universal Life Insurance Options

Universal life insurance is permanent life insurance where premiums and coverage are adjustable. State Farm has three universal life insurance policies:

  • Universal Life: Adjustable coverage and premiums with cash value accumulation.
  • Survivorship Universal Life: Coverage for two people where the death benefit is paid when the last person on the policy dies.
  • Joint Universal Life: Coverage for two people in which the death benefit is paid when the first person on the policy dies.

Cost of State Farm Life Insurance

Life insurance costs vary, and life insurance companies examine risk factors to determine your insurance rate. Factors that affect premiums include:

  • Age: Policy rates typically increase as you age.
  • Gender: Men usually get higher rates than women because women have a longer life expectancy.
  • Health: Being in good health can help you qualify for lower premiums while having medical conditions can increase your rates.
  • Family medical history: Medical conditions of family members can affect your rates.
  • Hobbies and occupation: Taking part in risky hobbies or working in higher-risk occupations, like construction or truck driving, may increase your rates.
  • Coverage type: Term policies are typically more affordable than permanent policies.

Below are sample term and permanent life insurance costs at State Farm:

Cost of Term Life Insurance

Sample term life insurance rates are for a 25-year-old female living in Illinois with $250,000 in coverage and in excellent health.*

Policy TypeAge RangeTerm LengthMonthly Estimate
Select Term Life2510 years$15.02
Select Term Life2520 years$15.22
Select Term Life2530 years$19.14
Data Updated as of July 2025

Cost of Permanent Life Insurance

Sample rates are for a 25-year-old female living in Illinois with excellent health and $100,000 in coverage.*

Policy TypeAge RangePremium Payment TermMonthly Estimate
Limited Pay Whole Life2510 years$258.48
Limited Pay Whole Life2515 years$190.27
Limited Pay Whole Life2520 years$155.51
Data Updated as of July 2025

*Sample quotes from the State Farm website pulled April 6, 2023.


State Farm Life Customer Reviews

Despite its lofty ranking on J.D. Power’s service survey, State Farm has gotten polarizing reviews from customers on third-party review sites.

Some customers rave about the responsiveness of State Farm and how professional its insurance agents are, while others complain of telephone wait times and frustration trying to reach someone by phone.

“Great Insurance and awesome customer service. They take extra time to explain and review policy needs and changes; this is what everyone is looking for. Thank you for all your input and help!” — Lisa Johnson via Trustpilot

“I have been very fortunate working with the ladies at one of the Seattle offices. They have been there immediately for any questions I have, got me a fantastic rate on my insurance, and I trust them totally to make sure we are OK. We have been on the phone with them since our first contact with them, and they are professional and follow through with everything they say.” Debbie Bennett via Trustpilot

“State Farm’s 1-800 customer service line operators are the most rude, disrespectful people I have dealt with this year. Stay away from this company at all costs unless you’re suing them.” — Andrew G via the Better Business Bureau

“Outrageous wait times on the phone. Calling to ask about a claim, and the wait time is between 42 minutes and 1.5 hours. What a joke. No wonder they are so low-priced.” — no service is included. LP via Trustpilot

We reached out to State Farm by email for comment and it provided the following response:

“We’re proud of the remarkable service provided by more than 19,000 State Farm agents in communities across our nation. We’ve been there to help our customers prepare for and recover from the unexpected for the last 100 years and we are pleased more customers continue to choose State Farm.

“We rely on multiple factors for assessing our performance; internal, external and direct customer feedback. We always strive to deliver excellent customer service and we incorporate all these factors to ensure we are meeting or exceeding our customers’ expectations.


How Do I Buy Life Insurance from State Farm?

There are several ways to get life insurance quotes and buy coverage from State Farm. If you’re looking for select term life insurance products, you can get an online quote from the company’s website. If you are interested in a whole life or permanent policy, you can contact a State Farm agent directly or call (855) 980-8053. State Farm also offers a convenient agent search to help you find a local agent in your area.

If you have questions about the right policy for you, we recommend consulting with a licensed life insurance agent to make an informed decision when purchasing coverage.


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Frequently Asked Questions About State Farm Life Insurance

State Farm may require medical exams for life insurance policies, but Instant Answer Term Insurance and Final Expense insurance are two types of policies that don’t require testing.

An agent can approve you for Instant Answer Life Insurance within the same day, and the policy offers up to $50,000 in coverage. Final Expense coverage is a whole life policy for people ages 50 to 80 that offers $10,000 to $15,000 in coverage with no medical exams or health questions.

The cost of State Farm term life insurance depends on your age, gender, health condition, family health history, the policy you choose and the term length. A sample policy for a 25-year-old female in excellent health could cost $15.02 for a 10-year term, $15.22 for a 20-year term and $19.14 for a 30-year term.

Yes, State Farm offers several whole life insurance options, including whole life, limited pay whole life, single premium whole life and final expense insurance. Limited pay policies let you stop making premiums after 10 to 30 years, but coverage continues until you die. Single premium combines premiums into one payment, and final expense insurance is a policy with a low coverage amount designed to cover only end-of-life expenses for older adults.

You can start the claims process by calling your local agent or calling the Life Claims office at 877-292-0398. Information you’ll need for the claim includes the policyholder’s name, date of birth, place of residence, death date and cause of death. The claims office will notify beneficiaries and may request additional documentation to finalize the claim.


Our System for Ranking the Best Life Insurance Companies

Our team researches and ranks life insurance companies using an in-depth scoring system that considers the factors most important when buying coverage. Our analysis includes a comprehensive review of each provider we feature based on available coverage, customizability, availability, customer service and company reputation. We also consider responses to our survey of 1,000 life insurance policyholders to determine what matters most to consumers.

    Below are the factors we take into consideration when rating life insurance providers. We use each company’s final score to determine a five-star rating, which we then use to rank insurers.

  • Brand Trust (40%): Life insurance payouts can exceed $100,000 or more, which makes choosing a reputable and trustworthy installer important. To assess brand trust, we use J.D. Power customer satisfaction surveys, AM Best credit rating scores and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners complaint index. The higher a company scored in each area, the more points it receives.
  • Coverage (33%): The more policy options a life insurance company offers, the more opportunities a customer has to obtain the right coverage for their specific needs. For this reason, we give companies the most points for having multiple types of life insurance, including various term, permanent and no-exam options.
  • Availability and Ease of Use (19%): Since life insurance coverage may seem complex, we consider the ways a customer can reach a company — and how easy communication is. For this category, we research how many communication channels a company offers for general customer support, claims processing and the application process. Companies earn the most points for offering various ways to interact with an agent, both in-person and online.
  • Riders (8%): Companies offering various life insurance riders or endorsements allow policyholders to better customize their coverage. In this category, we determine how many riders a company offers and award the most points to those with more than 10 options.

We use our rating system to compare and contrast each company against key factors to help us determine the best life insurance companies in the industry. To learn more, read our full life insurance methodology for reviewing and scoring providers.

AM Best Disclaimer


If you have feedback or questions about this article, please email our team at editors@marketwatchguides.com.

Meet the Team

Daniel Mattia is a researcher and writer for MarketWatch Guides with nearly 10 years of experience writing about auto insurance, warranties, lending and personal finance. A former licensed insurance producer, he previously wrote for Yahoo! Personal Finance, RateGenius, Bestow and other publications.

Learn more about Daniel Mattia
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