4.8out of 3,000+ reviews
Updated August 5, 2022
Travelers vs. Nationwide: A Summary
Travelers and Nationwide have some of the best ratings in the U.S. and are quite popular names in the car insurance industry. However, Travelers may be a better choice than Nationwide for some drivers—and vice versa. We’ve compared both companies in this article to help you decide which insurance provider is the best choice for you. Before buying a policy, make sure you compare car insurance quotes through Insurify’s comparison tool.
Insurance Company | Avg. Monthly Car Insurance Quote | Insurify Composite ScoreThe 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. |
---|---|---|
Travelers | $70 | 80 |
Nationwide | $101 | 89 |
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.
Travelers
Travelers offers several features and benefits to its customers, including 24/7 customer service and claim reporting, convenient automatic payment options, a mobile app, and coverage options with accident and minor violation forgiveness, new car replacement, and roadside assistance.
Pros
Lower Rates Overall
Competitive rates for drivers in their 20s
Cons
Mixed Reviews for customer service and claims handling
Nationwide
Even though Nationwide has higher average rates than Travelers for most drivers, it offers notable features, such as the SmartRide program, which allows Nationwide to monitor your driving habits, helping safe drivers to lower their rates, as well as insurance coverage options like accident forgiveness, vanishing deductible, roadside assistance, and more.
Pros
Better customer reviews than Travelers
Great discounts for safe drivers
Item 3
Cons
Higher average insurance premiums than Travelers
Rating Factor | Travelers | Nationwide |
---|---|---|
Fitch | A+ | N/A |
A.M. Best | A++ | A+ |
Moody’s | A2 | A1 |
S&P | A | A+ |
J.D. Power | 860 | 846 |
The Best Car Insurance Companies in 2021
Rank | Company Name | Average Monthly Quote | Insurify Composite ScoreThe 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 |
See More: The Best Car Insurance Companies
Travelers offers cheaper car insurance rates and is a great option for young drivers in their 20s, who often have to pay higher-than-average auto insurance rates because insurance providers label them as “high-risk.” Travelers insurance also has a great student discount, which some young drivers with a GPA above 3.0 may qualify for.
According to Insurify data, Nationwide is the best option for safe drivers who have no DUIs, speeding tickets, or at-fault accidents on their driving record. Nationwide offers a SmartRide program that allows drivers to monitor their driving behavior and keep their car insurance rates down if they consistently demonstrate safe driving habits, such as not speeding.
Compare Travelers vs. Nationwide: Which Is Cheaper?
Overall, Travelers offers significantly cheaper rates than Nationwide for drivers across all demographics. While the difference between the two providers can be as small as $7.08 per month for some drivers, most of the time, you can expect to pay $30+ per month—or $360+ per year—more for a policy with Nationwide vs. Travelers.
The Cheapest Car Insurance Companies in 2021
Rank | Insurance Company | Average Cost Per Month | ICSThe 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 |
Travelers offers lower rates than Nationwide for most drivers. Average monthly costs for Travelers auto insurance can go as low as $65 per month, while car insurance rates with Nationwide rarely go below $100+ per month. The cost of your insurance policy still depends on multiple factors, such as your age, so use Insurify to get your real-life quote in minutes.
See More: The Cheapest Car Insurance Companies
Compare Travelers vs. Nationwide Car Insurance by Age
Your age is one of the most important factors that insurance agents look at when determining your car insurance quote. Overall, teen drivers and young drivers under 25 can expect the highest car insurance rates, while policyholders in their 50s and 60s normally pay the lowest premiums because they usually have many years of experience behind the wheel.
Average car insurance rates with Nationwide and Travelers reflect these trends. Teen drivers can expect to pay the highest insurance premiums—$277 with Nationwide and $223 with Travelers—on average. Drivers in their 50s can expect the lowest average rates with both providers, $75 per month with Nationwide and $59 per month with Travelers.
Age Group | Average Monthly Rate from Travelers | Average Monthly Rate from Nationwide |
---|---|---|
Teen | $223 | $277 |
20s | $69 | $97 |
30s | $71 | $107 |
40s | $65 | $83 |
50s | $59 | $75 |
60s | $64 | $77 |
70s | $82 | $90 |
80s | $92 | $100 |
Compare Travelers vs. Nationwide Car Insurance by Gender
Your gender is another factor that can affect your car insurance rates. Generally, the difference between car insurance costs for men and women is rather slim, but you can experience a bigger gap at certain insurance companies. Women can often expect slightly lower car insurance rates than men, but it varies from provider to provider.
Nationwide has a more significant gap between its average monthly car insurance quote for women—$97—and men—$104—than Travelers does. The difference in average monthly premiums for men and women with Nationwide adds up to a whopping $86 per year, while men can expect to pay only $7 per year more than women on average with Travelers.
Which is cheapest for men?
Travelers is significantly cheaper for men than Nationwide. In fact, you can expect to pay $34 per month more with Nationwide on average. Moreover, the average Travelers car insurance quote for men matches the national average quote, while Nationwide offers higher-than-average rates. You can learn more in the table below.
Gender | Travelers | Nationwide | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
Men | $70 | $104 | $81 |
Which is cheapest for women?
Both Nationwide and Travelers offer cheaper car insurance rates to women than men, but an average monthly quote with Nationwide is still significantly higher than both Travelers and the national average quote for women. You can expect to pay $27 more per month with Nationwide than with Travelers, which adds up to a whopping $331 annual difference.
Gender | Travelers | Nationwide | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
Women | $69 | $97 | $78 |
Compare Travelers vs. Nationwide Car Insurance by Mileage
Generally speaking, having a high annual mileage can drive your car insurance costs up—at least with some auto insurance companies. This is because car insurance providers determine your insurance premiums by assessing your risk, and driving longer distances means you have more opportunities of getting into a car accident or otherwise damaging your vehicle.
Drivers with both low and high mileage can expect to pay higher car insurance rates with Nationwide than with Travelers. Nationwide also has slightly higher average rates for drivers with low mileage than for drivers with high mileage, but the difference is only $4.09 per month.
Which is cheapest for drivers with high mileage?
Travelers is the cheaper company for drivers with high mileage than Nationwide, which is consistent with Nationwide offering higher rates in general. On average, you can expect to pay $27.66 more per month with Nationwide, which adds up to $331 per year. It’s also important to note that Nationwide’s car insurance rates are higher than the national average.
Annual Mileage Category | Travelers | Nationwide | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
15,000-20,000 miles | $69 | $97 | $68 |
See More: Car Insurance for High-Mileage Drivers
Which is cheapest for drivers with low mileage?
Travelers is the cheaper option than Nationwide for drivers with low mileage, with an average monthly quote of $69 for 5,000 annual mileage and $69 for 10,000 annual mileage. Average car insurance rates with Travelers are also consistent with the national average, varying by only a little over $1.
Annual Mileage Category | Travelers | Nationwide | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
5,000 miles | $69 | $101 | $68 |
10,000 miles | $69 | $97 | $68 |
See More: Car Insurance for Low-Mileage Drivers
Compare Travelers vs. Nationwide Car Insurance by Credit Score
Drivers with excellent or good credit scores often have access to the best car insurance rates, while those with an average or poor credit history are more limited in their affordable insurance options. However, you can use Insurify to find cheap car insurance rates even with bad credit history.
Insurify data for Travelers and Nationwide supports these general trends. On average, drivers with excellent credit scores pay $43 less than those with poor credit scores with Nationwide and $62 less with Travelers.
Which is cheapest for good credit?
Overall, Travelers offers drivers with good credit cheaper car insurance rates than Nationwide. Drivers with excellent credit scores can expect the best rates at both companies, $80 with Nationwide and $52 with Travelers. Rates for drivers with good scores are slightly higher with both providers, $91 at Nationwide and $61 at Travelers.
Credit Tier | Travelers | Nationwide | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
Excellent Credit | $52 | $80 | $51 |
Good Credit | $61 | $91 | $61 |
See More: Car Insurance for Drivers with Good Credit
Which is cheapest for bad credit?
Travelers has lower average car insurance rates for drivers with bad credit than Nationwide. Drivers with an average credit score can expect monthly payments of $68 with Travelers and $102 with Nationwide, $33 higher. This gap becomes smaller for drivers with poor credit: Nationwide’s average monthly rate is $124 and Travelers’ is $114, only $10 lower.
Credit Tier | Travelers | Nationwide | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
Average Credit | $68 | $102 | $67 |
Poor Credit | $114 | $124 | $102 |
See More: Car Insurance for Drivers with Bad Credit
Compare Travelers vs. Nationwide Car Insurance by Driving Record
Your driving record is one of the most important factors when it comes to your car insurance rates. Good drivers—those with accident-free records without DUIs or speeding tickets—have access to the best rates and often enjoy insurance discounts. Insurance companies may define drivers with negative factors on their records as “high-risk” and give them a higher quote.
There are several driving offenses that can increase your insurance rates. Drivers with DUIs can expect the highest average rates with both Travelers and Nationwide, $116 and $182 per month, respectively. Having a speeding ticket on your record will drive up your monthly costs by $29 with Nationwide and $39 with Travelers.
Which is cheapest for good drivers?
On average, you can expect to pay $33 less per month with Travelers than with Nationwide as a good driver. With an average monthly premium of $102, Nationwide’s rates are $34 higher than the national average for drivers with a clean driving record. The average monthly quote with Travelers—$68—is a bit lower than the national average, $77.
Driver Type | Travelers | Nationwide | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
Drivers with Clean Record | $68 | $102 | $77 |
See More: Car Insurance for Drivers with a Clean Driving Record
Which is cheapest after a speeding ticket?
On average, you will pay $23 less per month with Travelers than with Nationwide, which adds up to $281 in annual savings. You can expect average monthly payments of $108 with Travelers—$4 higher than the national average—and $131 with Nationwide—$27 higher than the national average.
Driver Type | Travelers | Nationwide | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
Drivers with Speeding Ticket | $108 | $131 | $104 |
See More: Car Insurance for Drivers with a Speeding Ticket
Which is cheapest after an accident?
Insurify data shows that Travelers has a lower average monthly quote than both Nationwide and the national average. On average, you can expect to pay $93 in insurance premiums per month with Travelers and $153 per month with Nationwide, which adds up to a $719 annual difference.
Driver Type | Travelers | Nationwide | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
Drivers with Accident | $93 | $153 | $113 |
See More: Car Insurance for Drivers with an Accident on Their Record
Which is cheapest after a DUI?
Travelers offers cheaper rates to drivers with DUIs than Nationwide. On average, you can expect to pay $182 per month with Nationwide and $116 per month with Travelers, which amounts to a $788 annual difference.
Driver Type | Travelers | Nationwide | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
Drivers with DUI | $116 | $182 | $155 |
See More: Car Insurance for Drivers with a DUI
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Travelers vs. Nationwide Car Insurance: What discounts does each offer?
Travelers Discounts
Safe driver
Continuous coverage
Multiple policy (bundling your car insurance with other insurance products that the company offers, such as your home insurance, life insurance, renters insurance, or pet insurance)
Multi-vehicle
Homeowner
EFT, pay in full, good payer
Early quote
Good student
Student away at school
Defensive driving
Hybrid/electric car
New car/anti-theft
Nationwide Discounts
Multiple policy
SmartRide
SmartMiles
Accident-free
Good student
Defensive driving
New car/anti-theft
Safe driver
Automatic payments
Multi-vehicle
Discount | Travelers | Nationwide |
---|---|---|
Safe driver | ||
Continuous coverage | ||
Multiple policy | ||
Multi-vehicle | ||
Homeowner | ||
EFT, pay in full, good payer | ||
Early quote | ||
Good student | ||
Student away at school | ||
Hybrid/electric car | ||
New car/anti-theft | ||
SmartRide | ||
SmartMiles | ||
Accident-free | ||
Automatic payments |
Our Methodology and How We Compared Travelers 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
Overall, Travelers insurance offers cheaper rates than Nationwide insurance. On average, a policy with Travelers costs $70 per month, but your insurance premiums depend on your desired coverage limits, whether you want comprehensive coverage or any add-ons such as gap insurance, discounts you qualify for, individual factors such as your age and driving history, and more.
When comparing Nationwide vs. Travelers, it’s important to take into account not only customer satisfaction ratings and customer complaints you see on the internet, but also your unique factors that influence your car insurance rates. For example, safe drivers may find better coverage with Nationwide, while young drivers can find lower-than-average rates with Travelers.
The best way to get cheap car insurance quotes from multiple insurance providers in one place is to use Insurify. It is an AI-powered comparison tool that allows you to compare 10+ personalized quotes side by side, suggests discounts you can qualify for, and helps you clearly see the differences between your coverage options.
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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.