NJM vs Progressive: which is better for car insurance in 2026?
Across our six scoring categories, NJM comes out ahead in 2, Progressive in 1, with 3 too close to call. There is no overall score to compare, though: NJM does not publish enough of the underlying data to earn one, and we would rather leave it blank than build a number out of the two or three figures that happen to exist. Progressive is the better-documented of the two, which is not the same as being the better insurer for you. Judge these two on the categories where both have real figures — and on what they actually quote you.
NJM vs Progressive, 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
Too close to callNJM does not release public rate data, so there is no like-for-like premium to set against Progressive's $2,062/yr. That is a real gap in the comparison, not a rounding error — treat NJM's price as unknown until you have a quote in hand.
NJM's published average is a New Jersey figure, not a national one. New Jersey is a high-cost state, so setting it against a national benchmark would flatter NJM for reasons that have nothing to do with NJM. We have left it out rather than compare unlike things.
$2,062 a year for full coverage, about 13% under the national average and effectively tied with State Farm. Progressive's real pricing story is the discount stack rather than the base rate.
Claims satisfaction
NJM aheadNJM takes claims satisfaction on 731/1,000 against Progressive's 673/1,000.
731 out of 1,000 in the J.D. Power 2025 claims study — second only to Erie among ranked insurers, and 31 points above the segment average.
673 out of 1,000 is the weakest claims score in this review — 27 points below the segment average and 70 behind Erie. This is Progressive's clearest weakness.
Complaint record
NJM aheadNJM takes complaint record on Far fewer than expected against Progressive's Fewer than expected.
Far fewer complaints than expected for its size — the strongest band we assign.
Fewer complaints than expected for its size, which sits oddly alongside the claims score and suggests the friction shows up in satisfaction rather than in formal complaints.
Financial strength
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on financial strength: NJM posts A+ and Progressive A+, a difference too small to choose on.
AM Best A+ (Superior). Note that AM Best revised the outlook on its separate issuer credit rating to negative in 2025, citing consecutive underwriting losses.
AM Best A+ (Superior). No concerns about its ability to pay.
Discounts
Progressive aheadProgressive takes discounts on 16 published against NJM's 8 published.
Around eight published discounts, plus the NJM SafeDrive telematics program.
Sixteen published discounts, more than almost anyone — and unusually, Progressive publishes the average value of most of them rather than hiding behind 'varies'.
Digital experience
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on digital experience: NJM posts Not published and Progressive 4.83 iOS / 4.6 Android, a difference too small to choose on.
NJM publishes no general policyholder app on either store — only the SafeDrive telematics app. Policy servicing is web-only, so there is no app experience to rate.
4.83 on the App Store and 4.6 on Google Play. Progressive was built direct-to-consumer and the digital experience shows it.
So which one?
Pick NJM if…
- You are among mid-atlantic drivers who weight claims handling above everything.
- You care most about how a claim actually goes: NJM scores 731/1,000.
- You want the lower complaint record — NJM sits at Far fewer than expected.
- Availability fits: 5 states in the Mid-Atlantic, sold direct with no agents.
Pick Progressive if…
- You are among price shoppers willing to trade some claims experience for a lower premium.
- You expect to stack discounts — Progressive's lineup is the broader of the two.
- Availability fits: All 50 states and D.C., direct and through independent agents.
NJM vs Progressive, answered
The questions people ask before switching between these two.
Other comparisons
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