Auto insurance · Updated August 2026
State Farm vs Nationwide
State Farm is built for drivers who want a local agent with a national carrier. Nationwide is built for drivers who bundle through an independent agent. On the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co. drew 0.59 and Nationwide Mutual Ins. Co. drew 0.27, against an industry median of 1.00. AM Best rates State Farm A++ and Nationwide A+. Neither is reliably cheaper. For the same driver in the same state, either can return the lower number.
By Armando Chavarria, licensed insurance agent · NPN 17042827
The short answer
State Farm has written auto since 1922 and writes through State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. and subsidiaries. AM Best rates it A++, the highest grade it issues. The tradeoffs: it drew 0.59 on the 2025 complaint index against Nationwide's 0.27, and it writes five lines against Nationwide's eight.
Nationwide has written auto since 1926 and writes through Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. and affiliates. Nationwide Mutual Ins. Co. drew 0.27 on the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, 13 complaints on $1.0 billion of private-passenger premium. It writes eight lines: auto, home, renters, life, pet, umbrella, commercial, and motorcycle. The tradeoff: AM Best rates it A+ against State Farm's A++.
Both companies state by state, and their filed rates trade the lead by address. A national average will not predict which one wins for you. For the same driver in the same state, either can return the lower number.
About two minutes. No effect on your credit score.
Side by side
State Farm vs Nationwide: the data sheet
Sources are listed under the measured figures. How we compare
State Farm | Nationwide | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Drivers who want a local agent with a national carrier | Drivers who bundle through an independent agent |
| Who underwrites it | State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. and subsidiaries | Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. and affiliates |
| Complaints per policyNationwide, ahead of State Farm | 0.59 1,815 complaints on $64.6B written | 0.27 13 complaints on $1.0B written |
NAIC complaint index, 2025, private passenger auto · State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co. vs Nationwide Mutual Ins. Co. · 1.00 is the industry median | ||
| Financial strengthBoth strong; State Farm a step higher | A++ Superior | A+ Superior |
AM Best financial strength rating · A++ is the highest issued | ||
| Coverage you can buyNationwide, if you want to bundle | 5 lines auto, home, renters, life, umbrella | 8 lines auto, home, renters, life, pet, umbrella, commercial, motorcycle |
| PriceNot rated | Filed state by state, priced to the driver. The main factors are below. | |
| Mobile appEffectively tied | 4.79 1,246,642 ratings | 4.69 70,189 ratings |
Apple App Store, August 2026 | ||
| SR-22 filing | Yes | Yes |
| Telematics program | Drive Safe & Save | SmartRide |
| Availability | 48 states and Washington, D.C. | Available in most states |
| Known for | Largest U.S. auto insurer, local agent network | SmartRide and SmartMiles usage-based options |
In practice
Where they differ
The complaint records
On the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co. drew 0.59 and Nationwide Mutual Ins. Co. drew 0.27, against an industry median of 1.00. The index weighs a company's complaint count against the volume expected for its size, so 1.00 is the industry median and a lower number is fewer complaints than expected.
Financial strength
AM Best rates State Farm A++ and Nationwide A+. A++ is the highest grade AM Best issues. The grade measures the company's ability to pay claims, not its service or its price.
Who underwrites each one
State Farm policies are written by State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. and subsidiaries. Nationwide policies are written by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. and affiliates. The brand on the advertising and the company on the policy are often different entities, and the complaint figures on this page belong to the named companies.
What each one covers
State Farm writes five lines and Nationwide writes eight lines. State Farm writes auto, home, renters, life, and umbrella. Nationwide writes auto, home, renters, life, pet, umbrella, commercial, and motorcycle. If auto is all you need, the difference costs you nothing.
Price
Which is cheaper: State Farm or Nationwide?
Neither company is reliably cheaper. What sets the price:
The record sets the range. A ticket, an at-fault accident, or a moves the two prices by different amounts, and the direction is not consistent between states. A quote on the real record is what separates them.
Rates are filed state by state. Both companies file their rates with each state's regulator, so the same company charges different amounts in different states. Availability differs by state as well, and the data sheet above carries what each company publishes.
Telematics moves the number. Both run a program: Drive Safe & Save at State Farm, SmartRide at Nationwide. A telematics program measures driving through an app or a plug-in device and adjusts the price on the result. The size of that adjustment is filed per state.
One application. Real prices from the carriers writing in your state.