Our Data Methodology and Sources

The Zebra's sources & data methodology

We couple external and internal sources to provide relevant information that is backed by actual experience in the insurance industry. This page details how we collect and maintain the data used throughout our site. 

For additional questions or concerns, please reach out to press@thezebra.com.

The Zebra’s Dynamic Insurance Rating Tool — auto insurance

State law requires all insurance companies to submit rate filings with regulatory agencies to ensure fair and non-discriminatory premiums. Through our partnership with Quadrant Information Services, The Zebra is able to source these rate filings to provide the most up-to-date information to our readers. 

The Zebra’s Dynamic Insurance Rating Tool, a proprietary insurance premium estimator, queries and stores these rate filings.

This tool also allows us to generate pricing for a variety of different driving profiles. These factors include credit score, coverage level, driving record and more. Many of our pages utilize the following user profile:

• A 30-year-old single male with good credit and no accident or violation history.
• A 2015 Honda Accord with 50/100/50 liability limits plus $500 deductibles for comprehensive and collision coverage.
• We averaged this user profile over the US by sampling over 34,000 different ZIP codes.

Below is an example of how this data would appear on our auto insurance page:

The Zebra’s Dynamic Insurance Rating Tool — home insurance

Like our auto insurance content, homeowners rates published on this site are powered by Quadrant Information Services. As of 2024, these rate filings are updated on a yearly basis.

Much of our homeowners content uses the sample profile of a married 45-year-old living in a 2,500-square-foot single-story home built in 2011 with a standard HO-3 homeowners policy.

• $200,000 for the Dwelling Coverage (Coverage A)
• $20,000 for Other Structures Coverage (Coverage B)
• $100,000 for Personal Property Coverage (Coverage C)
• $100,000 for Personal Liability Coverage (Coverage F)
• $1,000 deductible

When applicable to the content, we adjust this profile to provide the must specific and helpful home insurance rates to our readers. 

Below is an example of how this data appears on our homeowners insurance content:

Anonymized user surveys

Since 2012, The Zebra has helped over 18 million people shop and compare home and auto insurance quotes. And after 18 million customers, we've learned a thing or two. 

Throughout our site, we cite applicable anonymized customer data collected during the quoting process to help similar customers with their insurance needs. This information allows us to create tailored advice based on the real experience of like-minded consumers.

Below is an example of how we use this information on our car insurance quotes landing page.

The following information details the process by which we anonymize and distill survey information to adhere to privacy and legal compliance.

Data anonymization & aggregation

PII (Personal Identifiable Information) such as names, exact addresses and email addresses are excluded from our surveys. Data is further aggregated to negate any identified information from a single user. 

Analysis & recommendations

Our team of insurance analysts reviews the anonymized data to look for insights and trends to help our readers make more informed insurance decisions. Recommendations are based on the largest user percentile and cross-referenced for clarity and accuracy by our team of licensed insurance writers.