Encompass vs. Nationwide: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Nationwide offers significantly less expensive prices than Encompass
• Encompass may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Nationwide
• Nationwide offers more affordable premiums for policyholders who have a clean record

Encompass or Nationwide: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're considering switching to a new insurance policy. With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering big savings, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Encompass or Nationwide for your next policy, but which carrier will save you the most?

As you can see, Encompass is quite a bit more expensive than Nationwide, with prices averaging $466 a month compared to just $170 with Nationwide when looking at the national average rates for insurance.

However, Nationwide may not be the most affordable or best option for every driver out there. Auto insurance carriers vary their premiums depending on things like how old you are, how clean your driving record is, how good your credit score is, where you live, and a variety of other factors. So, at the end of the day, rates from every carrier will differ quite a bit from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of Encompass or Nationwide is really the best for you, keep reading to see average premiums for each company broken down by multiple different rate factors.

Encompass vs. Nationwide: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Encompass and Nationwide compete against each other in 24 states, with Nationwide offering more affordable rates to the average driver in all of them. If you live in, undefined is the cheaper of the two companies when looking at the overall average prices, but Nationwide is the cheaper option in most of the others.

But there's more to insurance than just your home state. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how auto insurance carriers determine your rates. Keep reading to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers generally pay a lot more for car insurance than any other group of drivers out there on the road. That's typically because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

But still, even with seemingly sky-high premiums, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Nationwide for their auto insurance pay over 65% less than those who use Encompass.

But both companies will offer you dramatically lower prices by the time you turn 25. For example, average rates for Encompass policyholders drop around $500 and Nationwide's prices lower about $250 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age normally enjoy some of the lowest car insurance premiums you'll ever find. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which usually lowers their chances of collisions and other infractions that can raise prices.

When looking at Encompass and Nationwide specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? Nationwide gets the edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older $210 more affordable than the national average for Encompass.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Single drivers tend to get offered slightly more expensive insurance rates than married couples. That's because policies for married drivers generally cover more than one vehicle, which lots of carriers will give you a discount for.

For single policyholders, the difference in average premiums between these two companies is significant, with Nationwide prices coming in at around a third of Encompass's. The advantage for married policyholders with Nationwide is also obvious, where drivers save almost $200 per month.

Encompass or Nationwide: Average Rates by Gender

Because women are less likely to get tickets and get into accidents, they run a lower risk of filing a claim with insurance. So, insurance carriers will tend to offer women more affordable rates.

Men normally pay about $25 a month more than women with Encompass, and around $12 more with Nationwide.

When it comes to the most affordable premiums for each gender, Nationwide offers the cheapest average prices for both men and women. On average, women save about $290 per month and men save about $301 with Nationwide compared to the average Encompass policyholder.

Encompass vs. Nationwide: Compare State Minimum vs. Full Coverage Rates

*State minimum value indicates liability-only policies at each state's minimum bodily injury and property damage (BI/PD) limits

**Full coverage indicates state minimum BI/PD limits with collision and comprehensive coverages added to policy.

Car insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are so many different limits and terms that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

The two most common policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (which covers the other party's property damage and injuries if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which usually refers to having collision and comprehensive coverages in addition to liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability limits, Nationwide has the significant edge, with average monthly rates coming in at $112. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Nationwide again has the edge, with policies averaging around $229 a month to Encompass's $629.

Is Encompass or Nationwide Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no secret -- drivers with good records end up getting the best deals on their auto insurance. But that's not to say you can't save money if you don't have the best driving record, either.

At-fault accidents and speeding tickets will most likely raise your premiums, but is Encompass or Nationwide less expensive for drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Encompass for their insurance can typically expect their monthly bill to go up about 21% after getting a speeding ticket. Nationwide policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of around 16%.

Even so, Nationwide has cheaper rates for drivers in both categories, offering prices that are 45% and 48% more affordable, respectively, compared to Encompass Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their car insurance through Encompass can expect to see about an $101 -- or around 31% -- rise in their insurance rates. Drivers who use Nationwide for their auto insurance will see a monthly bill about $53 (or 30%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their insurance company.

At the end of the day, drivers who use Nationwide end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average prices coming in at $178 compared to Encompass Insurance's $328.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge, you can expect some pretty significant increases in your monthly auto insurance bill -- usually a lot more than a collision or ticket. For example, Encompass increases average premiums by more than $500 per month -- that's nearly a 80% increase.

How does Credit Score Impact Encompass and Nationwide Rates?

You may not have known, but your credit score can be used as one of the variables to calculate your monthly car insurance prices. Certain states and companies do not allow for credit score to be used as an auto insurance factor, but it will come into play for quite a few drivers.

Auto insurance carriers argue that those with good credit scores are more likely to pay their bills on time each month, which reduces the risk involved on their end, while the opposite is true for those with bad credit.

So, which carrier offers the best rates for policyholders with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is Encompass or Nationwide Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

The amount of time you spend behind the wheel of your car plays a big role in your monthly premiums. Normally, those who drive fewer miles will end up with less expensive rates since there's less of a chance of causing an accident and filing an insurance claim.

Nationwide tends to be the cheaper option for both remote workers and those taking short commutes. Encompass's average prices for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in just under 65% more expensive than Nationwide. Those who drive 12,000 miles every year can expect to pay nearly 65% more with Encompass over Nationwide.

Encompass or Nationwide: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

We've already mentioned how your home state can play a role in how much you pay for insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a big impact as well. Generally, those who live in rural areas will pay less than drivers in urban areas since there are a lot fewer cars on the roads where they live.

Nationwide boasts the cheapest average premiums for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Nationwide's average rates are around $361 less than Encompass Insurance. People who live in suburban areas pay about $275 less with Nationwide compared to Encompass. Those in rural areas can expect to save around $253 with Nationwide compared to Encompass.

Encompass vs. Nationwide Discounts

You want to save as much money as you can, right? The best way to do that is by utilizing as many car insurance discounts as possible.

But where do you even start? With what seems like a million different discounts out there, it may be hard to find all the ones you qualify for.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and compared all of the different discounts offered by Encompass and Nationwide so that you can see which one offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Looking at the total number of discounts, Encompass comes out ahead with 26 discounts to Nationwide's 22.

Both companies offer many of the same discounts -- like anti-theft discounts, distant student discounts, discounts for getting driver training, and discounts for being a good driver -- but Encompass also offers discounts for ABS, DRL, fire/fisher, and more.

On the other hand, Nationwide has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like agency transfer discounts, intra-agency transfer discounts, life policy discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Encompass or Nationwide Best for You?

So, you've seen how different factors can affect your auto insurance premiums. We've broken down the different discounts each carrier offers, too. But, at the end of the day, which company is the right company for you and your specific profile and needs?

Nationwide might be best for you if....

• You will be the only person on the insurance policy.
• Your credit score is high.
• You've started working from home and don't have much of a commute.

Encompass might be best for you if...

• You're looking for discounts -- Encompass has the most.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Encompass and Nationwide and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your car insurance.

But, at the end of the day, there's only one way to know for sure that you're getting the best possible deal on auto insurance -- comparing quotes from several carriers, not just Encompass and Nationwide. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of the top car insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Encompass vs. Nationwide FAQs

Is Encompass or Nationwide cheaper?

Nationwide is the more affordable of the two carriers when looking at national average rates, with policies averaging $170 a month with Nationwide and $466 for Encompass. That being said, that doesn't mean Nationwide will be the most affordable carrier for each driver, since there are many different variables (things like driving record, age, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Encompass or Nationwide?

Unfortunately, the answer truly is "it depends.". Neither company is necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all depends on what your unique insurance profile looks like.

Why do Encompass and Nationwide offer me different rates?

Car insurance companies use a lot of different factors when determining the prices they charge. Things like gender, age, your driving record, where you park your vehicle, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Encompass and Nationwide use different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different rates. The best way to determine which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a range of different carriers.

How do I know if Encompass or Nationwide is right for me?

The only way to find the insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple companies and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top auto insurance carriers for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the most affordable rate. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Encompass or Nationwide at all, but another you hadn't even thought of!

Methodology

All of the data referenced in this article has been gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. We analyzed more than 2.5 million rows of carrier-reported data to calculate the average rates referenced above. All rates are based on an insurance profile of a single-vehicle policy for a driver that owns a 2016 Honda Accord. For more information on how we calculate rates, please reference our data methodology.