When you apply for a policy, State Farm life insurance rate classes directly determine how much you will pay each month. Rate classes are risk categories assigned during the underwriting process based on your overall health, build, family medical history, and lifestyle. Applicants in the healthiest tiers qualify for the lowest rates, while individuals with medical conditions or higher-risk habits pay more. This guide explains how State Farm categorizes risk, what each tier requires, and how your final rating is determined.
The Purpose of Underwriting Rate Classes
Life insurance companies evaluate mortality risk to set fair pricing for coverage. Instead of charging a flat price for everyone of the same age and gender, State Farm groups policyholders into specific risk tiers.
Underwriters review your application, personal health records, prescription drug history, and medical exam results to assess your statistical life expectancy. If your risk of an early death is low, you are placed into an elite class with heavily discounted premiums. If you manage chronic conditions, carry an elevated body mass index, or engage in hazardous activities, you are assigned to an average or substandard class with higher premiums.
Standard Non-Tobacco Risk Classes
State Farm organizes non-smoking policyholders into four primary tiers. Moving down just one tier can increase your premium by 20% to 35% for the same amount of coverage.
- Preferred Plus: This is the highest tier and offers the lowest rates. It is reserved for applicants in exceptional physical condition with an optimal height-to-weight ratio, normal blood pressure, ideal cholesterol levels, and no personal or early family history of cardiovascular disease or cancer. State Farm typically requires at least three to five years without any nicotine or tobacco use to qualify.
- Preferred: The second-best non-tobacco tier offers slightly higher premiums than Preferred Plus. Applicants in this category are in very good health but may have slightly higher blood pressure, borderline cholesterol numbers, or a minor treated medical issue. You must generally have avoided tobacco products for at least two to three years.
- Standard Plus: This tier bridges the gap between average health and superior health. It is frequently assigned to individuals with well-managed minor health conditions, such as controlled mild hypertension, slightly elevated cholesterol, or a body mass index slightly above the Preferred threshold.
- Standard: This category represents average life expectancy. Most applicants with manageable chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes or moderate obesity, qualify for Standard rates. Applicants who have avoided cigarettes for at least 12 months typically qualify for Standard Non-Tobacco.
Tobacco Rate Classes
Nicotine use carries significant statistical health risks, which means tobacco users are priced separately from non-tobacco applicants. State Farm primarily divides tobacco users into two main categories: Preferred Tobacco and Standard Tobacco.
Preferred Tobacco is designated for individuals who use cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, or vaping devices but otherwise meet the strict physical and medical criteria of a Preferred applicant. Standard Tobacco applies to regular smokers who have average health, elevated blood pressure, or other mild health concerns. Because tobacco use drastically alters risk tables, a tobacco rate class typically costs two to three times more than its equivalent non-tobacco tier for the exact same death benefit.
Substandard Classes and Table Ratings
When an applicant does not meet the guidelines for a Standard rating due to serious or multiple health issues, underwriters assign a substandard classification. These are referred to as table ratings, often designated by numbers or letters.
- Table 1 (or Table A): Standard premium plus a 25% surcharge.
- Table 2 (or Table B): Standard premium plus a 50% surcharge.
- Table 3 (or Table C): Standard premium plus a 75% surcharge.
- Table 4 (or Table D): Standard premium plus a 100% surcharge.
Table ratings can extend up to Table 8 or Table 10, with each step adding an incremental 25% charge above the base Standard rate. Insurers use table ratings for conditions like poorly controlled diabetes, a recent history of cancer treatment, cardiovascular disease, or severe obesity. If an applicant presents a health or lifestyle risk beyond the highest table rating, State Farm may decline coverage altogether.
Key Factors That Determine Your Placement
State Farm evaluates multiple personal and lifestyle markers during the underwriting phase to assign your final rate class.
Height and weight are among the most common reasons applicants are shifted out of Preferred tiers. Insurers maintain strict build charts, and exceeding the maximum allowable weight for your height by even a few pounds can drop you from Preferred Plus to Standard Plus.
Underwriters also look closely at family medical history. If a parent or sibling died from heart disease or certain types of cancer before age 60, qualifying for Preferred Plus is usually impossible, even if your personal health is flawless.
Non-medical factors matter as well. A driving history with multiple moving violations or a recent DUI can push your rating into a lower tier. Hazardous occupations and extreme hobbies—such as commercial fishing, private aviation, or deep-sea diving—can also trigger premium surcharges or lower rate classifications.
Requesting a Rate Class Reconsideration
An assigned rate class is not always permanent. If your health improves significantly after your policy is issued, you can request a rate class reconsideration from State Farm.
This process is most common for policyholders who quit smoking. After you have been completely tobacco-free for at least 12 to 24 consecutive months, State Farm allows you to submit evidence—often including a medical questionnaire and a negative nicotine urine screening—to remove the tobacco surcharge and move into a non-tobacco rate class.
Reconsideration is also possible if you experienced significant weight loss, successfully resolved a chronic issue, or if your driving record cleared after several years. The insurer will typically review updated medical records or require a new paramedical exam. A favorable outcome reduces your ongoing premiums for the remainder of your policy term without requiring you to forfeit your current coverage or reapply from scratch.
