Nationwide vs State Farm: which is better for car insurance in 2026?
Across our six scoring categories, Nationwide comes out ahead in 2, State Farm in 4. On our weighted overall score the two finish within 0.4 of a point — a genuine draw. The right answer here depends less on which company is "better" and more on which one prices your specific profile lower, and that is not knowable without running both quotes. Nationwide is the stronger pick for drivers who want good claims handling without an agent-only model; State Farm for drivers who want a local agent rather than an app.
Nationwide vs State Farm, side by side
Sources: average premiums from NerdWallet's August 2026 rate analysis (Quadrant Information Services), for a 35-year-old driver with a clean record and good credit in a 2023 Toyota Camry LE at 12,000 miles a year, 100/300/50 limits with $1,000 deductibles — national average $2,356. Claims satisfaction from the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study (segment average 700). Complaint record from NerdWallet's analysis of NAIC complaint data, 2022–2024. Financial strength from AM Best. Discounts and app data from each carrier's published pages and the Apple App Store / Google Play, retrieved August 2026. Updated August 2026.
Category by category
Price
State Farm aheadState Farm averages $2,065/yr for full coverage against Nationwide's $2,671/yr — about $606 a year, or 50.5 dollars a month, in State Farm's favor for this profile.
$2,671 a year for full coverage, 13% above the national average. Nationwide is not a discount carrier.
At $2,065 a year for full coverage, State Farm sits about 12% under the national average — competitive, but not the cheapest of the national carriers.
Claims satisfaction
Nationwide aheadNationwide takes claims satisfaction on 729/1,000 against State Farm's 716/1,000.
729 out of 1,000, fourth in the J.D. Power 2025 study and 29 points above the segment average.
716 out of 1,000 in the J.D. Power 2025 claims study puts State Farm comfortably above the 700-point segment average, and ahead of every other insurer in the top four by market share.
Complaint record
Nationwide aheadNationwide takes complaint record on Fewer than expected against State Farm's About the expected number.
Fewer complaints than expected for its size.
State Farm draws about the number of complaints its size predicts. For the largest personal auto insurer in the country, average is a more meaningful result than it sounds.
Financial strength
State Farm aheadState Farm takes financial strength on A++ against Nationwide's A.
AM Best A (Excellent).
AM Best's top rating, A++. State Farm is a mutual company owned by its policyholders, with no shareholders to pay.
Discounts
State Farm aheadState Farm takes discounts on 11 published against Nationwide's 10 published.
Ten published discounts, with bundling stated at an average of $1,032 saved on home and auto together.
Eleven published discounts, including a 25% good-student discount and up to 40% off medical coverage for passive restraints. Drive Safe & Save pairs the app with a mailed Bluetooth beacon.
Digital experience
State Farm aheadState Farm takes digital experience on 4.79 iOS / 4.6 Android against Nationwide's 4.69 iOS / 4.5 Android.
4.69 on the App Store and 4.5 on Google Play. Nationwide also won J.D. Power's usage-based insurance segment for the third year running in 2026.
4.79 on the App Store and 4.6 on Google Play across 1.7 million combined ratings — consistently strong on both platforms, which is rarer than it should be.
So which one?
Pick Nationwide if…
- You are among drivers who want good claims handling without an agent-only model.
- You care most about how a claim actually goes: Nationwide scores 729/1,000.
- You want the lower complaint record — Nationwide sits at Fewer than expected.
- Availability fits: 45 states and D.C. — not available in Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana or Massachusetts.
Pick State Farm if…
- You are among drivers who want a local agent rather than an app.
- Price is your first filter — State Farm averages $2,065/yr for full coverage on our benchmark profile.
- Financial strength is a priority; State Farm holds A++ from AM Best.
- You expect to stack discounts — State Farm's lineup is the broader of the two.
Nationwide vs State Farm, answered
The questions people ask before switching between these two.
Other comparisons
See all 359 head-to-head comparisons →Compare real quotes from both — and 50+ others.
Averages are a starting point. Your rate is the only number that decides it.