Country-Wide insurance review 2024
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At a glance
Bankrate's take
For New York drivers — especially those in NYC — seeking straightforward car insurance without the added complexity of multiple product offerings, Country-Wide could be a suitable choice. However, its sole focus on auto coverage without options like home insurance might not align with the needs of those who desire a more diverse range of insurance products.
- Only available in New York, with special expertise in the NYC metro area
- No other insurance lines besides auto
- Few endorsements advertised
- Works through a network of independent brokers
Country-Wide car insurance review
Country-Wide offers all the basic auto insurance coverage types, including the required minimum coverage in New York. These are bodily injury and property damage liability insurance, personal injury protection (PIP) and uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. Drivers can also add collision and comprehensive. Unfortunately, the company does not advertise any other add-ons like new car replacement, roadside assistance or accident forgiveness. It does not sell directly to consumers, so you’ll need to work with one of its independent brokers to purchase a policy.
If you are in the market for auto insurance in New York, Country-Wide Insurance may not be the best option. In addition to the company’s lack of car insurance endorsements and other insurance products, it also has a very poor financial strength rating. AM Best rated the company C++, which is in the “marginal” category. That could mean Country-Wide has not always been able to meet policyholder obligations and pay claims.
Pros and cons of Country-Wide car insurance
Consider these pros and cons before you request a quote for a car insurance policy from Country-Wide Insurance Company:
Pros
- Network of New York brokers available for in-person service
- May be especially familiar with the needs of NY drivers, particularly those in New York City
- Flexible payment options available
Cons
- No online quoting or mobile app available
- Received C++ rating from AM Best for financial strength
- Only available to drivers in New York state
Country-Wide car insurance cost
While average rates for Country-Wide car insurance aren't available, knowing the average cost of car insurance in New York could be useful when comparing quotes. For example, drivers in New York pay an average of $3,751 per year for full coverage car insurance and $1,605 per year for minimum coverage. Both are significantly higher than the national average, which is $ per year for full coverage and $644 per year for minimum coverage.
Country-Wide customer satisfaction
For our Country-Wide insurance review, Bankrate leveraged the knowledge of our experienced insurance editorial team, which includes licensed agents. We consider third-party scores and ratings from organizations like J.D. Power and AM Best when evaluating a company and its offerings. Assessments by these groups can give you a better understanding of how a company performs and is perceived by its customers.
Because Country-Wide is a smaller regional provider, it is not rated by J.D. Power for digital experience, claims satisfaction or customer satisfaction. The company has a C++ financial strength rating from AM Best, though, which is significantly lower than many of its competitors.
Country-Wide auto insurance customer complaints
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) maintains a database of insurance company complaints, which are categorized by product. Every insurance company is assigned a complaint index, which may be higher or lower than the industry index of 1.00.
Country-Wide’s complaint index for private passenger auto insurance for 2023 is 0.24, which is below the industry index of 1.00. That means Country-Wide received a slightly lower number of complaints than expected for a company of its size. However, Country-Wide had a higher complaint index in 2022 and 2021. It’s possible that the company is prioritizing customer service more than it did before to help lower complaint volume.
Country-Wide car insurance discounts
Country-Wide does not advertise any car insurance discounts on its website. You could reach out to a Country-Wide broker to find out if there are any savings opportunities available for you to lower your car insurance premium.
Compare Country-Wide with other insurers
Looking for the best car insurance may mean requesting quotes from more than one company. If Country-Wide isn't an ideal fit for you, you may find it helpful to consider these other car insurance carriers:
Country-Wide vs. Erie
Erie Insurance could be an option to consider for New Yorkers who want a regional carrier that offers other types of insurance, such as home and life. Erie's average home and auto insurance rates are relatively affordable compared to the national average, which could be ideal for shoppers on a budget. Additionally, Erie ranks very highly in multiple regions of J.D. Power's customer satisfaction study.
Learn more: Erie Insurance review
Country-Wide vs. Progressive
Progressive is a larger national carrier, but it may offer affordable rates for high-risk drivers. Progressive also has digital tools, such as an online portal and mobile app, for those who want to manage their car insurance policies online. Progressive also lists a wide variety of discounts for potential extra savings.
Learn more: Progressive Insurance review
Country-Wide vs. Geico
According to Bankrate’s analysis of rate data sourced from Quadrant Information Systems, Geico ranks as one of the cheapest car insurance companies on average, which might make it a good option for drivers on a budget. Although the carrier has a long list of potential discounts, it does have limited add-on coverage options for its auto insurance, and its home and life policies are underwritten by third-party companies. Its financial strength rating, however, is much higher than Country-Wide’s.
Learn more: Geico Insurance review
Why you can trust Bankrate
Read our full methodologyOur insurance editorial team includes licensed agents with decades of combined experience, and we used our intimate knowledge of the industry to conduct this in-depth Country-Wide insurance review.
46
years of industry expertise
122
carriers reviewed
20.7K
ZIP codes examined
1.2M
quotes analyzed
Is Country-Wide a good insurance company?
Country-Wide advertises a personalized auto insurance experience with its network of independent brokers, but it doesn't offer coverage outside of New York and is lacking in terms of digital tools. Although the company offers all the coverage types necessary to meet New York's minimum insurance requirements, it has limited add-on coverage options and no listed discounts. These factors, combined with limited available customer satisfaction scores and low financial strength ratings, mean you may want to speak to current policyholders in your area for more information before pursuing a quote from Country-Wide.
What are real-life customers saying about Country-Wide?
Third-party insurance ratings are helpful in gauging an insurance company’s overall customer satisfaction, but real-life reviews can also offer great insight. Bankrate’s insurance editorial team reviewed the online discussion forum Reddit and review site Yelp to get a read on Country-Wide’s customer service. Some users voiced concerns about the company’s claims process; others had a more positive view, praising the company’s customer service and low rates:
*The quotes and citations included on this page have been verified by our editorial team and are accurate as of the posting date. Outlinked content may contain views and opinions that do not reflect the views and opinions of Bankrate.
Country-Wide company details
Although Country-Wide does not offer a mobile app, there are several potential ways to get in touch with the insurer:
- General contact: 1-212-514-7000
- Claims: 1-212-344-8700
- Payments: 1-877-940-2167
- Website: cwico.com
- Mailing address: 40 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005
- Payments address: P.O. Box 7039, New York, NY 10008-7039
State availability
Country-Wide Insurance is only available in New York.
Country-Wide tools and benefits
Country-Wide does not advertise whether it offers any additional services to car insurance policyholders. In addition to personal auto insurance, Country-Wide also offers commercial truck insurance with the same available coverage types.
Frequently asked questions about Country-Wide
Methodology
Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze April 2024 rates for all ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Rates are weighted based on the population density in each geographic region.
Auto
Quoted rates are based on a 40-year-old male and female driver with a clean driving record, good credit and the following full coverage limits:
- $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
- $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
- $50,000 property damage liability per accident
- $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
- $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
- $500 collision deductible
- $500 comprehensive deductible
To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our base profile drivers own a 2022 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually.
These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes.
Age: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the ages 16-60 (base: 40 years) applied. Depending on age, drivers may be a renter or homeowner. Age is not a contributing rating factor in Hawaii and Massachusetts.
The rates for drivers ages 16-20 added to their parents' policy reflect the good student and driver's training discounts applied. The rates for drivers aged 16-20 on their own policy do not include the good student and driver's training discounts. Additionally, 25-year-old rates are based on the driver as a renter and 30+ on the driver as a homeowner.
Incidents: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base), single speeding ticket and single at-fault accident.
Credit-based insurance scores: Rates were calculated based on the following insurance credit tiers assigned to our drivers: “poor, average, good (base) and excellent.” Insurance credit tiers factor in your official credit scores but are not dependent on that variable alone. Four states prohibit or limit the use of credit as a rating factor in determining auto insurance rates: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan.
Bankrate Scores
Our 2024 Bankrate Score considers variables our insurance editorial team determined impacts policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. Each factor was added to a category, and these categories were weighted in a tiered approach to analyze how companies perform in key customer-impacting categories.
Each category was assigned a metric to determine performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate Score — out of 5 points. Our scoring model provides a comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and highlighting where they fall short.
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Cost & ratings 50%
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Coverage & savings 30%
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Support 20%
- Tier 1 (Cost & ratings): To determine how well auto and home insurance companies satisfy these priorities, average quoted premiums from Quadrant Information Services (if available), as well as any of the latest third-party agency ratings from J.D. Power, AM Best, Demotech and the NAIC, were analyzed.
- Tier 2 (Coverage & savings): We assessed companies’ coverage options and availability to help policyholders find a provider that balances cost with coverage. Additionally, we evaluated each company’s discount options listed on its website.
- Tier 3 (Support): To encompass the many ways an auto and home insurance company can support policyholders, we analyzed avenues of customer accessibility along with community support. This analysis incorporated additional financial strength ratings from S&P and Moody’s and factored a company’s corporate sustainability efforts.
Tier scores are unweighted to show the company's true score in each category out of a possible five points.
Natalie Todoroff is an insurance writer for Bankrate, prior to which she wrote for a popular insurance comparison shopping app. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English and has written over 800 articles about insurance throughout her career.
