Cheapest states for flood insurance
The cheapest state for flood insurance is Alaska, with an average NFIP premium of just $428 per year — about -56.1% versus the US average of $976. Next come District of Columbia ($463) and Maryland ($505). The full ranking of all 51 states and DC, lowest to highest, is below.
Source: FEMA NFIP — Policy Information by State (compiled by NerdWallet, May 2026). Data as of June 2026.
All 51 states ranked, cheapest to most expensive
| # | State | Avg premium/yr | vs US | NFIP claims |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $428 | -56.1% | 805 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $463 | -52.6% | 494 |
| 3 | Maryland | $505 | -48.3% | 25,355 |
| 4 | Utah | $689 | -29.4% | 1,204 |
| 5 | South Carolina | $764 | -21.7% | 49,606 |
| 6 | Virginia | $765 | -21.6% | 50,566 |
| 7 | Hawaii | $823 | -15.7% | 6,250 |
| 8 | Delaware | $827 | -15.3% | 6,334 |
| 9 | Michigan | $854 | -12.5% | 14,921 |
| 10 | Arizona | $867 | -11.2% | 5,323 |
| 11 | North Dakota | $871 | -10.8% | 13,307 |
| 12 | Georgia | $889 | -8.9% | 24,418 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $902 | -7.6% | 109,539 |
| 14 | Nevada | $924 | -5.3% | 1,960 |
| 15 | Alabama | $928 | -4.9% | 44,875 |
| 16 | Florida | $938 | -3.9% | 448,425 |
| 17 | Montana | $942 | -3.5% | 2,217 |
| 18 | Texas | $966 | -1.0% | 393,669 |
| 19 | Oregon | $969 | -0.7% | 6,095 |
| 20 | Colorado | $971 | -0.5% | 5,778 |
| 21 | Nebraska | $980 | +0.4% | 6,067 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $986 | +1.0% | 9,498 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $987 | +1.1% | 561 |
| 24 | Idaho | $991 | +1.5% | 1,113 |
| 25 | California | $1,015 | +4.0% | 53,545 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $1,015 | +4.0% | 484,979 |
| 27 | Indiana | $1,017 | +4.2% | 19,283 |
| 28 | Washington | $1,030 | +5.5% | 16,061 |
| 29 | Illinois | $1,050 | +7.6% | 52,736 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $1,058 | +8.4% | 10,250 |
| 31 | Kansas | $1,060 | +8.6% | 7,857 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $1,079 | +10.6% | 12,973 |
| 33 | New Jersey | $1,096 | +12.3% | 202,156 |
| 34 | Ohio | $1,109 | +13.6% | 28,179 |
| 35 | Rhode Island | $1,109 | +13.6% | 7,023 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $1,138 | +16.6% | 12,470 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $1,157 | +18.5% | 1,927 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $1,179 | +20.8% | 64,278 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $1,197 | +22.6% | 4,017 |
| 40 | New Hampshire | $1,201 | +23.1% | 4,422 |
| 41 | Massachusetts | $1,217 | +24.7% | 35,366 |
| 42 | New York | $1,218 | +24.8% | 175,253 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $1,220 | +25.0% | 17,649 |
| 44 | Iowa | $1,340 | +37.3% | 14,748 |
| 45 | Maine | $1,365 | +39.9% | 5,671 |
| 46 | Missouri | $1,445 | +48.1% | 51,261 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $1,472 | +50.8% | 27,849 |
| 48 | Connecticut | $1,502 | +53.9% | 29,425 |
| 49 | Pennsylvania | $1,513 | +55.0% | 76,907 |
| 50 | Vermont | $1,697 | +73.9% | 3,726 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $1,840 | +88.5% | 27,832 |
Source: FEMA NFIP — Policy Information by State (compiled by NerdWallet, May 2026) (2026); OpenFEMA — FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims v2 (since 1978). Data as of June 2026.
A cheap average is not a cheap quote
A low state average premium can hide wide variation — under Risk Rating 2.0 your premium depends on your property's distance to water, elevation and rebuild cost, not the state average. Use the estimator for a rough figure and always get an NFIP quote. For the priciest end of the table, see the most expensive states.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest state for flood insurance?
Alaska has the lowest average NFIP flood-insurance premium, at $428 per year — about -56.1% versus the US average of $976. District of Columbia ($463) and Maryland ($505) are next cheapest.
Why is flood insurance cheaper in these states?
Lower average premiums usually reflect lower expected flood losses, fewer high-risk coastal properties, or a policy base concentrated in lower-risk zones. A low state average does not mean your specific property is cheap — under Risk Rating 2.0, pricing is set per property, and a riverside home in a cheap state can still cost a lot.
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Last updated: 2026-06-20