FloodRate
US flood insurance cost & flood-zone risk, by state — built on FEMA NFIP data.
FloodRate is a free, answer-first reference for US flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The national average NFIP premium is about $976 per year (2026), but it varies widely by state — from $428 in Alaska to $1,840 in West Virginia. Each of our 51 state pages shows the average premium, total NFIP claims since 1978, the dominant FEMA flood zones and a plain-language risk read. We also explain all 11 FEMA flood-zone designations and offer a rough premium estimator. This is general information, not insurance advice.
Source: FEMA NFIP — Policy Information by State (compiled by NerdWallet, May 2026). Data as of June 2026.
Popular states
Avg premium $938/yr (-3.9% vs US) · 448,425 claims
TexasAvg premium $966/yr (-1.0% vs US) · 393,669 claims
LouisianaAvg premium $1,015/yr (+4.0% vs US) · 484,979 claims
New JerseyAvg premium $1,096/yr (+12.3% vs US) · 202,156 claims
New YorkAvg premium $1,218/yr (+24.8% vs US) · 175,253 claims
CaliforniaAvg premium $1,015/yr (+4.0% vs US) · 53,545 claims
What you can look up
- Flood insurance cost by state — a page for every state with its average NFIP premium, rank, cumulative claims and dominant flood zones.
- FEMA flood zones explained — what Zone AE, VE, X and the others mean, and where insurance is mandatory.
- A premium estimator — the flood-insurance calculator gives a rough annual cost from state, coverage and zone (not a quote).
- Rankings — the most expensive and cheapest states, and where the most claims are paid.
5 most expensive states
- West Virginia — $1,840/yr
- Vermont — $1,697/yr
- Pennsylvania — $1,513/yr
- Connecticut — $1,502/yr
- Kentucky — $1,472/yr
5 cheapest states
- Alaska — $428/yr
- District of Columbia — $463/yr
- Maryland — $505/yr
- Utah — $689/yr
- South Carolina — $764/yr
5 states with most claims
- Louisiana — 484,979 claims
- Florida — 448,425 claims
- Texas — 393,669 claims
- New Jersey — 202,156 claims
- New York — 175,253 claims
FEMA flood zones at a glance
High-risk (SFHA) · insurance usually mandatory
Zone VEHigh-risk coastal (SFHA) · insurance usually mandatory
Zone X (shaded)Moderate-risk · insurance optional
Zone X (unshaded)Minimal-risk · insurance optional
All 11 FEMA flood zones explained →
Guides
The average NFIP flood insurance premium is about $976/yr in 2026, but ranges from $428 in Alaska to $1,840 in West Virginia. See the cost in every state.
2026-06-20 Do I need flood insurance? (flood zones explained)If you have a federally backed mortgage in a high-risk FEMA flood zone (A or V), flood insurance is mandatory. Here's how to tell, zone by zone.
2026-06-19 What is an SFHA (Special Flood Hazard Area)?A Special Flood Hazard Area is land with a 1%-annual-chance (100-year) flood risk — FEMA zones A and V. Insurance is mandatory there with a federal mortgage.
2026-06-18 NFIP vs private flood insurance: which is better?NFIP caps coverage at $250,000 for buildings; private flood insurance can offer higher limits and extras but isn't federally backed. How to choose.
2026-06-17 How Risk Rating 2.0 changed flood insurance premiumsFEMA's Risk Rating 2.0 prices each property individually instead of by zone. Most policyholders see changes of $20/month or less, but some pay much more.
2026-06-16 Cheapest and most expensive states for flood insurance (2026)West Virginia, Vermont and Pennsylvania are the priciest states for NFIP flood insurance; Alaska, DC and Maryland the cheapest. The full picture and why.
2026-06-15Where the data comes from
Average premiums are the FEMA NFIP Policy Information by State figures (2026). Cumulative claims are queried from the OpenFEMA NFIP claims dataset (records since 1978). Flood-zone definitions are FEMA's. All are in the US public domain. The estimator output is a transparent calculation over those inputs — see our methodology. Figures are estimates for general information; flood insurance is YMYL, so verify with FEMA, FloodSmart.gov or a licensed agent before relying on them.
Last updated: 2026-06-20