Every article on the average home insurance cost quotes one number and every homeowner reading it pays something else. The Insurance Information Institute's NAIC-based figure puts the average US homeowners premium at $1,411 for 2021, and the average renters premium at $170; both are national averages that no single household pays, and the rate pages on this site show what carriers actually file where you live. The average is useful for one thing only: it tells you the order of magnitude before you shop. Your own price is set by the rebuild cost of your particular house, its age and roof, the perils where it stands, your deductible and your claims history, and the carrier's appetite for your zip code that year.
What the average homeowners insurance cost is made of
The published average is total premium written divided by policies in force, so it mixes a coastal Florida house with a brick ranch in Ohio and a condo in Denver. The average price home insurance articles quote is therefore a midpoint between very different risks, and the useful question is not whether you are above or below it but which of the things that move a premium apply to your house.
What moves your price away from the average home insurance price
The dwelling limit, which is the cost to rebuild rather than the market value; the age of the roof and the wiring; wind, hail, wildfire and freeze exposure where you live; the deductible you choose, including a separate wind and hail deductible where carriers use one; your claims history; and the carrier's own results in your area. Two identical houses a state apart can sit on either side of the average home insurance price for reasons neither owner controls.
Why claims frequency keeps the home insurance average price where it is
Premiums pay for the years something happens. The III reports that 5.5 percent of insured homes had a claim in 2022, so most policy years end with nothing paid out and the price is paid for the year something is. A carrier's average premium reflects the losses it expects across everyone it insures, not what your house is likely to cost it this year.
Where to look instead of the average price home insurance articles quote
The rate pages on this site show what carriers have filed in your state, by coverage and situation, which is the figure the average cannot give you. Compare those, then get quotes on the same dwelling limit and deductible so the prices are for the same policy.
Questions people ask about average home insurance cost
What is the average home insurance cost in the US?
The III's NAIC-based figure is $1,411 a year for 2021. It is a national average across every state and house type; your own price depends on the rebuild cost, the perils where you live, your deductible and your claims record.
Why is my homeowners insurance above the average?
Usually the rebuild cost of the house, an older roof, wind or wildfire exposure, a low deductible or a recent claim. The rate pages here show what carriers file for your situation.
Does the average include flood?
No. Flood is a separate policy, and FEMA notes that almost one-third of NFIP flood claims come from outside high-risk areas.