Polina Solovyeva is a writer for mission-driven brands and entrepreneurs, specializing in auto insurance and personal finance. Polina writes to help consumers better understand their insurance coverage.
Tanveen Vohra is an editorial manager at Insurify specializing in writing about property and casualty insurance. Through her work, she helps consumers better understand the components of their insurance policies so they can make smarter purchase decisions. She received a bachelor's degree from SUNY Buffalo. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.
Konstantin has led data science and engineering projects across multiple domains: biology, travel and insurance. He loves finding data nuggets that help people.
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USAA vs. Nationwide: A Summary
USAA and Nationwide are both popular auto insurance companies that offer excellent customer service and competitive rates. However, car insurance quotes from USAA and Nationwide can vary significantly, depending on your unique circumstances. Make sure to compare car insurance quotes from both before picking a company.
Insurance Company
Avg. Monthly Car Insurance Quote
Insurify Composite Score
The Insurify Composite Score is a proprietary rating calculated by a team of data scientists at Insurify, weighing multiple factors that reflect the quality, reliability, and health of an insurance company. Inputs to the score include financial strength ratings from A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch; J.D. Power ratings; Consumer Reports customer satisfaction surveys and customer complaints; mobile app reviews; and user-generated company reviews.
USAA
$43
96
Nationwide
$101
89
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Insurify Composite Score
The Insurify Composite Score (ICS) is a proprietary rating calculated by a team of data scientists at Insurify, weighing multiple factors that reflect the quality, reliability, and health of an insurance company.
Inputs to the score include financial strength ratings from A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch; J.D. Power ratings; Consumer Reports customer satisfaction surveys and customer complaints; mobile app reviews; and user-generated company reviews.
USAA
USAA offers car insurance to active U.S. military members and veterans, pre-commissioned officers, and spouses and children of USAA members. It has excellent customer service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and offers flexible payments that can be made in tandem with military pay schedules.
Pros
Low rates
High customer satisfaction ratings
Cons
Only U.S. military members and veterans, pre-commissioned officers, and spouses and children of USAA members are eligible
Nationwide
In contrast with USAA, Nationwide provides insurance products to everyone, not just those related to the U.S. military. Nationwide offers valuable features to its policyholders, such as the SmartRide program, which allows Nationwide to lower your rates if you practice safe driving. You’ll also have access to coverage options like roadside assistance and accident forgiveness.
Pros
Comprehensive policy offerings
High claims satisfaction ratings
Cons
Higher rates than USAA
Rating Factor
USAA
Nationwide
Fitch
WD
Not Rated
A.M. Best
A++
A+
Moody’s
Aa1
A1
S&P
AA+
A+
J.D. Power
902
846
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
The Insurify Composite Score is a proprietary rating calculated by a team of data scientists at Insurify, weighing multiple factors that reflect the quality, reliability, and health of an insurance company. Inputs to the score include financial strength ratings from A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch; J.D. Power ratings; Consumer Reports customer satisfaction surveys and customer complaints; mobile app reviews; and user-generated company reviews.
1
Clearcover
Best Overall
$135
97
2
Nationwide
Best for Safe Drivers
$199
89
3
American Family
Best for Families with Teen Drivers
$234
89
4
Safeco
Best for Drivers with Poor Credit
$186
86
5
Farmers
Best for Rideshare Coverage
$239
85
6
Foremost
Best for Hassle-Free Claims
$159
82
7
Liberty Mutual
Best for Accident Forgiveness
$241
82
8
Mercury
Best for Face-to-Face Service
$232
81
9
Progressive
Best for Senior Drivers
$147
80
10
Travelers
Best for Young Drivers
$163
80
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
USAA car insurance is the best option for U.S. military members and veterans and their family members as well as pre-commissioned officers. With its flexible payment system and special bonuses, it takes its commitment to provide affordable auto insurance coverage and award-winning service seriously.
Nationwide insurance is a great option for safe drivers who don’t have speeding tickets, DUIs, and at-fault accidents on their record. The insurance rates favor those with safe driving habits, and the SmartRide program is a great way to make your insurance costs go down over time.
Overall, USAA offers significantly cheaper rates than Nationwide across most driver demographics. For example, an insurance policy for a teen driver will cost you $177 less per month with USAA than with Nationwide. Drivers with a DUI on their driving record can expect to pay $98 more per month with Nationwide than USAA.
The Cheapest Car Insurance Companies in 2022
Rank
Insurance Company
Average Cost Per Month
ICS
The Insurify Composite Score is a proprietary rating calculated by a team of data scientists at Insurify, weighing multiple factors that reflect the quality, reliability, and health of an insurance company. Inputs to the score include financial strength ratings from A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch; J.D. Power ratings; Consumer Reports customer satisfaction surveys and customer complaints; mobile app reviews; and user-generated company reviews.
1
USH&C
$44
Not Rated
2
Metromile
$63
Not Rated
3
Direct Auto
$64
Not Rated
4
Travelers
$65
80
5
Kemper
$71
Not Rated
6
Progressive
$87
Not Rated
7
Mile Auto
$91
85
8
National General
$93
58
9
Clearcover
$94
97
10
GAINSCO
$94
Not Rated
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
USAA offers some of the cheapest car insurance rates in the industry, but only active U.S. military members and veterans, pre-commissioned officers, and spouses and children of USAA members have the eligibility. If you don’t qualify, you can still save money on your insurance policy if you use Insurify to shop around and compare quotes from different providers.
Insurance providers assess your demographics for risk to calculate your car insurance quote. Teen drivers and young drivers in their 20s typically have much higher auto insurance rates because they don’t have as many years of driving experience as drivers in their 50s and 60s. You can expect your car insurance rates to gradually go down as you age.
On average, USAA offers much lower rates than Nationwide across all age groups. Teen drivers can expect the highest savings of $177 per month, which adds up to $2,129 per year. This gap becomes less significant with more mature drivers, amounting to $41 per month for those in their 50s.
Age Group
USAA
Nationwide
Teen
$100
$278
20s
$42
$98
30s
$44
$107
40s
$34
$84
50s
$34
$75
60s
$36
$78
70s
$46
$90
80s
$57
$100
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Compare USAA vs. Nationwide Car Insurance by Gender
Statistically, men often pay higher car insurance rates than women because car insurance companies assume that men are more prone to risky driving behavior, such as speeding. However, this difference is often small.
For example, the difference between an average monthly quote for a man with USAA is only $0.83 higher than an average monthly quote for a woman. On the other hand, men can expect to pay $7.19 more per month than women on average with Nationwide, which amounts to a $86.28 annual difference.
Which is cheapest for men?
Men can expect to pay $61 less per month with USAA than with Nationwide. You can expect an average monthly quote of $43, which is also $27 less than the national average. If you choose Nationwide, you can expect an average monthly quote of $104, $34 higher than the national average.
USAA
Nationwide
National Average
Average Monthly Quote for Men
$43
$104
$81
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Which is cheapest for women?
Average rates for women with USAA remain virtually unchanged from those for men, going down by just $1. Women can expect to pay an average of $98 per month in insurance premiums with Nationwide, about $7 lower than men. Still, USAA provides significantly cheaper average quotes than Nationwide, with $42 per month on average.
USAA
Nationwide
National Average
Average Monthly Quote for Women
$42
$98
$78
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Compare USAA vs. Nationwide Car Insurance by Mileage
Covering high annual mileage may drive your car insurance rates up because insurance companies assume that the more you drive, the more opportunities you have of causing an accident or otherwise damaging your car and filing a claim.
However, both USAA and Nationwide show no significant difference between the average monthly quotes for high-mileage and low-mileage drivers.
Which is cheapest for drivers with high mileage?
Drivers with high mileage will find cheaper rates with USAA. On average, you can expect to pay $42 per month for an insurance policy with USAA if you regularly cover 15,000+ miles per year. You will pay $55 more per month with Nationwide, which amounts to a $664 annual difference.
Annual Mileage
USAA
Nationwide
National Average
15,000 miles
$42
$97
$68
20,000 miles
$42
$97
$68
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Insurify data shows no significant changes in average monthly quotes for drivers with low mileage vs. high mileage for both USAA and Nationwide. USAA offers cheaper rates than Nationwide, and you can expect to pay around $42 per month. Nationwide monthly costs are more than double that: $101 for those with 5,000 annual mileage and $97 for those with 10,000.
Annual Mileage
USAA
Nationwide
National Average
5,000 miles
$42
$101
$68
10,000 miles
$42
$97
$69
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Compare USAA vs. Nationwide Car Insurance by Credit Score
Insurance agents may also use your credit score to determine your car insurance rate. Drivers with excellent and good credit scores often get access to the best car insurance rates, while those with poor credit are likely to pay higher premiums because car insurance providers believe that having a good credit history lowers the likelihood of you filing a claim.
Insurify data for USAA and Nationwide goes hand in hand with these industry trends. A driver with a poor credit score can expect to pay $27 more per month than a driver with an excellent credit score with USAA. Similarly, a Nationwide driver with poor credit pays $43 more per month on average than a Nationwide driver with an excellent credit history.
Which is cheapest for good credit?
Drivers with excellent and good credit scores can expect lower rates with USAA, $36 per month and $40 per month on average. Nationwide drivers with excellent credit scores will have to pay $44 more per month, and those with good credit scores, $51 more. USAA quotes are also significantly lower than the average across the insurance industry.
Credit Tier
USAA
Nationwide
National Average
Excellent credit
$36
$80
$51
Good credit
$40
$91
$61
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Drivers with a poor credit score will pay more than drivers with an excellent credit score with both USAA and Nationwide, but USAA average rates are $60 lower. USAA is also a cheaper option for those with an average credit score—you can expect to pay $42 per month, in contrast with $102 per month with Nationwide.
Credit Tier
USAA
Nationwide
National Average
Average credit
$42
$102
$67
Poor credit
$63
$124
$102
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Compare USAA vs. Nationwide Car Insurance by Driving Record
Your driving record plays a big role in your car insurance costs. Safe drivers—those with a clean record—have access to the best rates because car insurance companies estimate that they are less likely to file a claim than those with DUIs, speeding tickets, and at-fault accidents on their record.
Drivers with DUIs can expect the most drastic increase in their car insurance rates with both USAA and Nationwide, $42 per month and $80 per month on average, respectively. Insurify data shows that having a speeding ticket on your record has the smallest impact on your car insurance rates—they go up by $8 with USAA and by $29 with Nationwide on average.
Which is cheapest for good drivers?
With an average monthly quote of $42, USAA is the cheaper option for good drivers. Nationwide has an average monthly quote of $102. This difference amounts to $720 in annual savings if you have a clean driving record and decide to go with USAA.
Driver Type
USAA
Nationwide
National Average
Drivers with Clean Record
$42
$102
$77
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Both USAA and Nationwide offer higher rates for drivers with a speeding ticket on their record, but USAA is still the cheaper option. You can expect to pay $51 per month on average with USAA and $131 per month with Nationwide, which is $80 more.
Driver Type
USAA
Nationwide
National Average
Drivers with Speeding Ticket
$51
$131
$104
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
On average, drivers with accidents on their record can expect to pay $59 per month with USAA, which is $94 less than an average quote with Nationwide. It’s important to note that at-fault accidents will typically drive up your car insurance costs more than accidents that you were not responsible for.
Driver Type
USAA
Nationwide
National Average
Drivers with Accident
$59
$153
$113
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
You can expect to save an average of $98 per month if you get a policy with USAA instead of Nationwide after a DUI. With an average monthly quote of $182, Nationwide rates are also $27 higher than the national average.
Driver Type
USAA
Nationwide
National Average
Drivers with DUI
$84
$182
$155
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
USAA vs. Nationwide Car Insurance: What discounts does each offer?
USAA Discounts
Bundle/multi-policy (combining your car insurance policy with another policy, such as your home insurance, life insurance, or renters insurance)
Annual mileage and storage
No fees for monthly payment plans
Good student
Military on-base
Automatic payments
Family
Multi-vehicle
Safe driver
New car/anti-theft
Nationwide Discounts
Bundle/multi-policy
SmartRide
SmartMiles
Accident-free
Good student
Defensive driving
New car/anti-theft
Safe driver
Automatic payments
Multi-vehicle
Discount
USAA
Nationwide
Bundle/multi-policy
Annual mileage and storage
No fees for monthly payment plans
Good student
Military on-base
Automatic payments
Family
Multi-vehicle
Safe driver/accident-free
New car/anti-theft
SmartRide
Defensive driving
Our Methodology and How We Compared USAA and Nationwide
The car insurance quotes provided in Insurify’s insurance company comparison guides are based on the analysis of over 50 thousand insurance quotes from 500 ZIP codes nationwide. Insurify’s data science team performs a comprehensive analysis of factors car insurance providers weigh to calculate rates, including driver demographics, driving record, credit score, desired coverage level, and more to give representative samples.
Insurify’s analysis also incorporates the Insurify Composite Score (ICS) assigned to each insurance provider. The ICS is a proprietary rating calculated by weighing multiple factors that reflect the quality, reliability, and health of an insurance company.
Ratings used to calculate the ICS include Financial Strength Ratings from A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch; J.D. Power ratings; Consumer Reports customer satisfaction surveys and customer complaints; mobile app reviews; and user-generated company reviews.
With the above insights and ranking methods, Insurify is able to offer car insurance shoppers a window into how insurance providers compare to one another in terms of both cost and quality.
Frequently Asked Questions: USAA vs. Nationwide
Which is cheaper, USAA or Nationwide?
Overall, USAA offers most drivers cheaper rates than Nationwide. On average, you can expect to pay $42 per month with USAA and $101 per month with Nationwide, which is $58 higher. However, your car insurance costs ultimately depend on your coverage preferences, deductible, whether you want any add-ons such as gap insurance, and more.
Which is better, USAA or Nationwide?
USAA offers significantly lower average rates than Nationwide and has excellent customer service reviews. If you are an active U.S. military member or veteran, pre-commissioned officer, a spouse, or a child of a USAA member, it may be a good fit for you. To get 10+ real-life insurance quotes from other providers and see what your options are, use Insurify.
How can I compare USAA and Nationwide?
The best way to compare your coverage, deductibles, and premiums is to use Insurify. It’s a comparison tool that makes it easy to compare personalized quotes side by side and figure out which insurance provider is offering you the best deal. Insurify will also suggest discounts that you may be eligible for, such as bundling your car insurance policy with homeowners insurance.
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Methodology
Data scientists at Insurify analyzed more than 40 million real-time auto insurance rates from our partner providers across the United States to compile the car insurance quotes, statistics, and data visualizations displayed on this page. The car insurance data includes coverage analysis and details on drivers' vehicles, driving records, and demographic information. Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Service's database of auto insurance rates. With these insights, Insurify is able to offer drivers insight into how companies price their car insurance premiums.
Polina Solovyeva is a writer for mission-driven brands and entrepreneurs, specializing in auto insurance and personal finance. Polina writes to help consumers better understand their insurance coverage.
Tanveen Vohra is an editorial manager at Insurify specializing in writing about property and casualty insurance. Through her work, she helps consumers better understand the components of their insurance policies so they can make smarter purchase decisions. She received a bachelor's degree from SUNY Buffalo. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.
Konstantin has led data science and engineering projects across multiple domains: biology, travel and insurance. He loves finding data nuggets that help people.