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Licensed property and casualty insurance agent
NPN: 21630969
Updated
Nationwide and State Farm are two of the best-known car insurance companies, and it’s easy to understand why. Both companies are widely available and have great customer satisfaction ratings. But they differ in terms of cost.
Generally, State Farm is less expensive than Nationwide. But Nationwide may be a better fit for new car owners and drivers who want pay-per-mile coverage.
Keep reading to learn more about how Nationwide and State Farm car insurance compare in terms of coverage, add-ons, customer satisfaction, and cost.
Nationwide ranks higher for claims satisfaction than State Farm.[1]
Nationwide offers gap insurance, while State Farm has coverage for rideshare drivers.
On average, Nationwide drivers pay $187 per month for full-coverage car insurance. State Farm drivers pay an average of $105 per month.
| User Reviews | 3.1 |
|---|
Nationwide's score | Industry average | |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage options | 3.0 | 3.2 |
| Customer service | 3.1 | 3.6 |
| Discounts | 3.0 | 2.9 |
| Policy transparency | 3.0 | 3.1 |
| Value | 3.4 | 2.9 |
Nationwide offers a broad range of insurance products, including auto, homeowners, and life insurance. The company has several coverage options and add-ons to customize your auto policy, including accident forgiveness, vanishing deductible, and roadside assistance.
Nationwide is also a great option if you finance your car. The insurer offers gap insurance, which covers the difference between your car’s value and your loan balance if you total it or if someone steals it.
But despite the company’s name, Nationwide is available in fewer states than State Farm. Its rates are typically more expensive than State Farm’s, too.
Ranks No. 4 for claims satisfaction
Gap insurance available
Offers pay-per-mile and usage-based insurance
Not available in Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, or Massachusetts
Can be more expensive for some drivers
Rideshare coverage not available
| User Reviews | 3.9 |
|---|---|
| Our Rating Compare.com's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The objective formula used in these reviews weighs several important factors to consider when choosing financial products and services, including customer satisfaction ratings, ease of use, and a number of other components. | 4.7 /5 |
| Liability Only Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages. | $54/mo |
| Full Coverage Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible. | $105/mo |
State Farm's score | Industry average | |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage options | 4.4 | 3.2 |
| Customer service | 4.5 | 3.6 |
| Discounts | 4.3 | 2.9 |
| Policy transparency | 4.3 | 3.1 |
| Value | 4.2 | 2.9 |
Customers appreciate the helpful agents and prompt claim handling, but many are unhappy with the constant rate increases, even for safe drivers. Some also reported poor customer service.
State Farm is the largest auto insurance company, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).[2] If you care about getting the cheapest rate, State Farm is likely a better option than Nationwide. Plus, State Farm customers can take advantage of the company’s network of local agents.
State Farm offers rideshare insurance, so you can get coverage when driving for services like Uber or Lyft — something Nationwide doesn’t offer.
But State Farm may not be the best choice if you have a car loan, because it doesn’t offer gap insurance. It also doesn’t have as many add-ons as Nationwide, like accident forgiveness or vanishing deductible.
Above-average customer satisfaction ratings in most regions
Affordable premiums
Rideshare insurance available
Vanishing deductible and accident forgiveness not available
Not available in Rhode Island or Massachusetts
Gap insurance not available
Get quotes from 100+ top insurers, including State Farm and Nationwide.
When you shop for car insurance, it’s important to consider more than just cost. A company’s claims handling, accessibility, and financial strength are all key factors, too.
State Farm and Nationwide are two of the best auto insurance companies, according to Compare.com Ratings. But State Farm edges out Nationwide thanks to its industry reputation, low rates, and policy management tools.
Check out how Compare.com scores each company in five main categories in the table below.
Category | Nationwide | State Farm |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 4/5 | 5/5 |
| Customer satisfaction | 4.7/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Policy management | 4.8/5 | 5/5 |
| Availability | 4.7/5 | 5/5 |
| Industry reputation | 4.7/5 | 5/5 |
| Overall Score | 4.87/5 | 5.00/5 |
Our editorial team analyzes and grades each insurer based on factors like its average rates, customer reviews, policy management features, availability, industry standing, and more. This includes countless hours of research and in-depth analysis of thousands of auto insurance quotes from real Compare.com customers.
We grade each factor on a weighted five-point scale to determine an insurer’s propriety Compare.com Rating, which highlights its overall standing among the industry’s best companies.
For most drivers, State Farm has cheaper car insurance rates than Nationwide. In fact, State Farm’s rates tend to be lower than the national average for both state-minimum coverage and full-coverage policies, according to our data.
But your insurance premiums can vary based on several key factors, like your driving record, age, location, and the coverage you choose. So it’s important to take those factors into account when comparing costs.
For example, teen drivers tend to pay significantly more for coverage than other age groups because they’re more likely to cause an accident. Drivers with speeding tickets or at-fault accidents on their record usually pay more for coverage than drivers with clean records, too.
Shopping around is the key to finding the right coverage at an affordable price. The table below shows overall average rates for different drivers, as well as the average rates for Nationwide and State Farm, according to Compare.com data.
Driver Type | Nationwide | State Farm | Industry Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| All drivers | $187 | $105 | $183 |
| Teens | $387 | $215 | $342 |
| Seniors | $125 | $74 | $159 |
| Recent ticket | $250 | $135 | $237 |
| Recent accident | $258 | $140 | $244 |
| DUI conviction | $270 | $151 | $264 |
| Poor credit | $229 | $171 | $224 |
Where you live affects how much you pay for car insurance. Densely populated areas, a large number of uninsured drivers, and high costs of living tend to push up car insurance rates.
In most states, State Farm is less expensive than Nationwide. The table below shows each company’s rates for different states, according to Compare.com data.
State | Nationwide | State Farm |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $167 | $99 |
| Alaska | N/A | N/A |
| Arizona | $306 | $135 |
| Arkansas | $202 | $90 |
| California | $425 | $304 |
| Colorado | $213 | $129 |
| Connecticut | $362 | $164 |
| Delaware | $366 | $174 |
| Florida | N/A | N/A |
| Georgia | $353 | $146 |
| Hawaii | N/A | N/A |
| Idaho | $169 | $54 |
| Illinois | $196 | $95 |
| Indiana | $229 | $88 |
| Iowa | $157 | $48 |
| Kansas | $238 | $104 |
| Kentucky | $357 | $167 |
| Louisiana | N/A | N/A |
| Maine | N/A | N/A |
| Maryland | $591 | $302 |
| Massachusetts | N/A | N/A |
| Michigan | $240 | $245 |
| Minnesota | $178 | $93 |
| Mississippi | $142 | $84 |
| Missouri | $319 | $133 |
| Montana | N/A | N/A |
| Nebraska | $195 | $146 |
| Nevada | $343 | $119 |
| New Hampshire | $279 | $115 |
| New Jersey | N/A | N/A |
| New Mexico | $291 | $119 |
| New York | $216 | $200 |
| North Carolina | $104 | $169 |
| North Dakota | N/A | N/A |
| Ohio | $115 | $77 |
| Oklahoma | N/A | N/A |
| Oregon | $202 | $110 |
| Pennsylvania | $204 | $103 |
| Rhode Island | $361 | $197 |
| South Carolina | $188 | $128 |
| South Dakota | $180 | $87 |
| Tennessee | $250 | $102 |
| Texas | $247 | $111 |
| Utah | $184 | $123 |
| Vermont | $140 | $35 |
| Virginia | $188 | $108 |
| Washington | $181 | $117 |
| District of Columbia | $599 | $300 |
| West Virginia | $176 | $78 |
| Wisconsin | $132 | $67 |
| Wyoming | N/A | N/A |
State Farm and Nationwide both have standard car insurance options, like collision insurance, comprehensive coverage, liability insurance, medical payments (MedPay), and personal injury protection (PIP). But the two companies differ when it comes to optional coverages and policy add-ons.
The table below shows coverage options for Nationwide and State Farm, according to publicly available information.
Coverage Type | Nationwide | State Farm |
|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive | ✔ | ✔ |
| Collision | ✔ | ✔ |
| Medical payments (MedPay) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Personal injury protection (PIP) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UI/UM) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Roadside assistance | ✔ | ✔ |
| Rental reimbursement | ✔ | ✔ |
| Gap insurance | ✔ | ✗ |
| Accident forgiveness | ✔ | ✗ |
| Mechanical breakdown | ✗ | ✗ |
| Rideshare endorsement | ✗ | ✔ |
| Vanishing deductibles | ✔ | ✗ |
| New car replacement | ✗ | ✗ |
| Pet injury | ✗ | ✗ |
The two companies’ coverage options differ in several key ways, including:
Gap insurance: Gap insurance covers the difference between your vehicle’s value and your loan balance if you total it in an accident or if someone steals it. Nationwide offers gap insurance, but State Farm doesn’t. State Farm offers Payoff Protector, which is similar to gap insurance but available only to State Farm Bank customers.
Rideshare insurance: If you drive for services like Uber or Lyft, your personal insurance policy may not protect you. State Farm offers rideshare coverage, but Nationwide doesn’t.
Vanishing deductible: With a vanishing deductible, you can lower your deductible for driving safely. With Nationwide, you can reduce your deductible by $100 per year, up to a maximum of $500. But State Farm doesn’t offer this perk.
Car insurance discounts are a great way to save money on your policy. Most insurers offer a variety of discounts, including multi-policy, safety features, and driver training discounts.
Both State Farm and Nationwide have a wide array of discounts. But State Farm offers a few more ways to save, including discounts for longtime customers and driving fewer-than-average miles.
The table below highlights the different discount programs available from each company, according to available information.
Discount Type | Nationwide | State Farm |
|---|---|---|
| Affinity | ✔ | ✗ |
| Alternative energy | ✗ | ✗ |
| Anti-theft | ✔ | ✔ |
| Automatic payments | ✔ | ✗ |
| Customer loyalty | ✗ | ✔ |
| Defensive driver | ✔ | ✔ |
| Good student | ✔ | ✔ |
| Early shopper | ✗ | ✗ |
| Federal employee | ✗ | ✗ |
| Homeowner | ✗ | ✗ |
| Low mileage | ✗ | ✔ |
| Military | ✗ | ✗ |
| Multi-policy | ✔ | ✔ |
| Multi-vehicle | ✔ | ✔ |
| New car | ✗ | ✗ |
| Paperless billing | ✗ | ✗ |
| Pay-in-full | ✗ | ✗ |
| Safe driver | ✔ | ✔ |
| Safety equipment | ✗ | ✔ |
| Student away at school | ✗ | ✔ |
| Teacher | ✗ | ✗ |
| Usage-based/telematics | ✔ | ✔ |
Nationwide and State Farm are highly rated companies, and both have above-average customer satisfaction ratings, according to J.D. Power. Customer reviews can be useful when you’re shopping for insurance because they give you an idea of common issues or complaints that people have with a company.
Below, you can see what real Compare.com customers have to say about their experiences with Nationwide and State Farm.
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Usage-based insurance (UBI) bases your premiums on your driving habits. The better you drive, the bigger the discount you get. Nationwide and State Farm both offer UBI coverage.
With Nationwide’s SmartRide program, you get a 10% discount when you sign up, and you can save as much as 40% based on your driving habits. The program uses a mobile app to track your driving habits, including braking, acceleration, and how many miles you drive. Safer driving can lower your rates.
State Farm’s Drive Safe & Save gives you a 10% discount for signing up, and you can save up to 30% on your rates based on your driving habits. Like SmartRide, Drive Safe & Save uses a mobile app to monitor your driving habits.
Compare quotes and save money in seconds.
If you still need more information about how Nationwide and State Farm compare, we’re here to help. Below, we answered some common questions about the two insurers.
Whether State Farm or Nationwide is better depends on your needs. State Farm tends to offer lower rates and a larger network of insurance agents than Nationwide. But Nationwide offers coverages that State Farm doesn’t, like gap insurance.
It depends. There isn’t a single “best” insurer for every driver. The best company for you depends on your driving history, location, vehicle, and the coverage you need. Both State Farm and Nationwide are among Compare.com’s top-rated companies for coverage, service, and cost.
Not typically. State Farm tends to offer lower average rates than Nationwide for most drivers. But how much you pay for car insurance depends on many different factors, like your age and driving record. Comparing quotes from multiple companies is the best way to make sure you get the most affordable rates.
Data scientists at Compare.com analyzed more than 50 million real-time auto insurance quotes from more than 75 partner insurers in order to compile the rates and statistics seen in this article. Compare.com’s auto insurance data includes coverage analysis and details on drivers’ vehicles, driving records, insurance histories, and demographic information.
All the rates listed in this article have been collected from a combination of real Compare.com quotes and external insurance rate data gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. Compare.com uses these observations to provide readers with insights into how auto insurance companies determine their premiums.
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Compare.com's #1 goal is to save you money. We publish resources that are based on hard-hitting data and years of industry experience to help you make more informed decisions with your wallet.
Learn more about us, our team, and what makes us tick.
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Licensed property and casualty insurance agent
NPN: 21630969
At Compare.com, it’s our mission to give you the tools to find the best (and most affordable) insurance for your unique needs and budget. We strive to provide information that’s helpful, clear, and unbiased, and we believe that comparing insurance companies should never put you at risk of spam. Our editorial team — which is made up of experienced writers, editors, insurance agents, and data analysts — has spent thousands of hours researching and creating the coverage overviews, side-by-side comparisons, and detailed reviews you see across our site.
While we make money through partnerships with some of the brands we discuss in our articles, our editorial team operates 100% independently, and these partners never influence or affect the topics, reviews, ratings, or recommendations we provide. We never guarantee favorable reviews or mentions in exchange for compensation from any brands or partners, and we uphold strict editorial standards to ensure our content is always independent, truthful, and unbiased.
