Our take

If you’re looking for a large, national carrierAn insurance carrier is the company that provides your car insurance policy and pays claims. that offers some of the lowest premiums, Nationwide is definitely on your side. It ranked second overall on our best car insurance companies list for 2025 and boasts the lowest premiums of all ranked companies.

It doesn’t offer as many discounts as some of its peers, but base rates are low enough that it might not matter. It also rated above average in customer satisfaction and has fewer complaints filed with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) than expected for a company of its size.

States where Nationwide offers coverage

Nationwide offers car insurance coverage in all but 3 states.

What does Nationwide car insurance cover?

Nationwide offers a full range of insurance policies to meet most drivers needs.

All primary car insurance coverage options are available:

• Liability
• Collision
• Comprehensive
• Personal injury protection (PIP) and medical payments (MedPay)
• Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage

Additional coverage offerings:

• Rental reimbursement
• Roadside assistance
• Accident forgiveness
• Scooter and classic car coverage
• Gap insurance

How does Nationwide insurance rank?

Nationwide ranked fourth overall in our annual survey of the top 15 car insurance providers. It ranked second for having the lowest premiums, but credit rating agency AM Best did not rate its financial stability as highly as some of its top competitors. Still, with an A rating, it’s on solid financial ground.

The company did not rank in the top half of the 2024 J.D. Power customer satisfaction survey, but was only slightly below average. Nationwide finished among the top choices overall in our ranking.

Here's a look at how it compared to a selection of competitors.

*The lower a company’s score, the fewer the number of complaints filed with the NAIC. A score higher than 1.0 means it had a higher-than-average number of complaints.

How much is Nationwide car insurance?

If it’s low rates you’re after, then Nationwide is a top pick. Our study of the top 15 insurance carriers found that Nationwide has the second-lowest rates overall and the lowest rates among national companies. Erie Insurance is cheapest overall; however, Erie is only available in 12 states, compared to the 47 served by Nationwide

Average full coverage rates for a 40-year-old driver with Nationwide are $1,548 per year or $129 per month. Nationwide came in below Geico at $1,763 a year and well below Allstate at $2,509.

Here is a comparison of rates with several large peers. Premiums are based on full coverage insurance at 100/300/100, with a $500 collision/comprehensive deductible for a 40-year-old driver with a clean record.

Nationwide car insurance rates by state

One of the biggest factors influencing what you pay for car insurance is where you live. 

Some states have considerably higher insurance rates due to factors like frequent hail events, flooding and higher litigation costs. 

While Nationwide generally has some of the lowest rates in most states, drivers in California, Washington, D.C. and Florida will find they need to pay a little more for coverage. Drivers in Vermont, North Dakota and Utah will get some of the best deals.

Here’s a look at Nationwide’s average annual car insurance rates by state.

Nationwide insurance rates for teens

As is the case with practically all insurers, teenage drivers will pay some of the most expensive rates for car insurance with Nationwide, but rates come down substantially by the time you enter your 20s.

The average cost of a teen car insurance policy with Nationwide is $5,285 a year.

Here’s a what a teenage driver can expect to pay with Nationwide compared to average rates for older drivers.

Nationwide insurance rates for adults

Adults see rates decrease as they age and gain more experience on the road.

While rates can vary slightly by insurance company, adults will pay some of their lowest rates around the age of 60-65. With Nationwide, rates are lowest around age 60 and then start to increase again.

At age 25, the average cost of insurance with Nationwide is $1,875 for a male and $1,785 for a female. That drops by age 40 to $$1,550 a year for a male and $$1,546 for a female.

Here’s what adults can expect to pay on average for full coverage car insurance with Nationwide at various ages.

Nationwide insurance rates for seniors

Car insurance companies base their rates on risk profiles and unfortunately, there is evidence that older drivers are riskier; they have more accidents and more serious injuries. It may be related to slower reflexes, weaker eyesight or other factors.

For that reason, expect to see your rates begin to increase as you reach 65, but it will not be nearly as steep as the rates you saw in your teens. The average cost of car insurance with Nationwide at age 65 is $1,391 a year for a male and $1,353 for a female.

Here’s what senior drivers can expect to pay with Nationwide at various ages.

Nationwide insurance rates by driver profile

Insurers are very good at crunching vast amounts of data to get accurate risk profiles of drivers. Your driving record is another good indicator of risk; drivers with tickets and accidents are more likely to file a claimAn insurance claim is a request you make to your insurance company for coverage after your car is damaged or you have an accident. You can file a claim online, by phone, or in writing. in the future. They also consider factors you may not have considered, such as credit rating.

A poor credit rating is statistically correlated with filing more claims.

Here’s a look at what drivers with common negative marks on their profiles can expect to pay for full coverage insurance with Nationwide.

Nationwide insurance discounts

Most carriers offer a wide range of discounts that can help lower your rates. Nationwide does offer a number of common discounts for such things as bundling and having a good driving record, among others.

The discounts can range from 5% to as much as 40% and sometimes you can qualify for multiple discounts.

Nationwide car insurance discounts include the following:

• Multi-policy discount
• Multi-car discount
• Nationwide family plan
• Safe driver/accident-free discount
• Good student discount
• Student away discount
• Farm Bureau discount
• Defensive driving course
• Accident prevention course
• Anti-theft device installation
• New vehicle discount
• Air bag discount.
• Easy pay sign-up
• Long-term policyholder
• Affinity partner discount
• SmartRide driver behavior monitoring app discount

Sources & Methodology

Methodology 

Insurance.com editors in 2024 collected rates from Quadrant Information Services for a 40-year-old male and female driving a 2023 Honda Accord LX for state minimum coverage, liability only with 50/100/50 limits and a full coverage insurance policy with limits 100/300/100 and $500 comprehensive and collision deductible. Rates were gathered for multiple driving records and different credit levels. The rates presented are the average of rates for males and females. We analyzed 53,409,632 quotes, 34,588 ZIP codes and 170 insurance companies nationwide.

Sources 

Nationwide. “Affordable Car Insurance and Discounts from Nationwide.” Accessed February 2025.

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