States with the most NFIP flood insurance claims
The state with the most NFIP flood-insurance claims is Louisiana, with 484,979 claims filed since the program's records began in 1978 (OpenFEMA NFIP claims dataset). Next are Florida (448,425) and Texas (393,669). These are cumulative claim counts — coastal, hurricane-exposed states dominate. The full ranking of all 51 states and DC is below.
Source: OpenFEMA — FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims v2. Data as of June 2026.
All 51 states ranked by total NFIP claims
| # | State | NFIP claims (since 1978) | Avg premium/yr | Exposure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana | 484,979 | $1,015 | Coastal |
| 2 | Florida | 448,425 | $938 | Coastal |
| 3 | Texas | 393,669 | $966 | Coastal |
| 4 | New Jersey | 202,156 | $1,096 | Coastal |
| 5 | New York | 175,253 | $1,218 | Coastal |
| 6 | North Carolina | 109,539 | $902 | Coastal |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 76,907 | $1,513 | Inland |
| 8 | Mississippi | 64,278 | $1,179 | Coastal |
| 9 | California | 53,545 | $1,015 | Coastal |
| 10 | Illinois | 52,736 | $1,050 | Inland |
| 11 | Missouri | 51,261 | $1,445 | Inland |
| 12 | Virginia | 50,566 | $765 | Coastal |
| 13 | South Carolina | 49,606 | $764 | Coastal |
| 14 | Alabama | 44,875 | $928 | Coastal |
| 15 | Massachusetts | 35,366 | $1,217 | Coastal |
| 16 | Connecticut | 29,425 | $1,502 | Coastal |
| 17 | Ohio | 28,179 | $1,109 | Coastal |
| 18 | Kentucky | 27,849 | $1,472 | Inland |
| 19 | West Virginia | 27,832 | $1,840 | Inland |
| 20 | Maryland | 25,355 | $505 | Coastal |
| 21 | Georgia | 24,418 | $889 | Coastal |
| 22 | Indiana | 19,283 | $1,017 | Inland |
| 23 | Tennessee | 17,649 | $1,220 | Inland |
| 24 | Washington | 16,061 | $1,030 | Coastal |
| 25 | Michigan | 14,921 | $854 | Coastal |
| 26 | Iowa | 14,748 | $1,340 | Inland |
| 27 | North Dakota | 13,307 | $871 | Inland |
| 28 | Oklahoma | 12,973 | $1,079 | Inland |
| 29 | Minnesota | 12,470 | $1,138 | Inland |
| 30 | Arkansas | 10,250 | $1,058 | Inland |
| 31 | Wisconsin | 9,498 | $986 | Coastal |
| 32 | Kansas | 7,857 | $1,060 | Inland |
| 33 | Rhode Island | 7,023 | $1,109 | Coastal |
| 34 | Delaware | 6,334 | $827 | Coastal |
| 35 | Hawaii | 6,250 | $823 | Coastal |
| 36 | Oregon | 6,095 | $969 | Coastal |
| 37 | Nebraska | 6,067 | $980 | Inland |
| 38 | Colorado | 5,778 | $971 | Inland |
| 39 | Maine | 5,671 | $1,365 | Coastal |
| 40 | Arizona | 5,323 | $867 | Inland |
| 41 | New Hampshire | 4,422 | $1,201 | Coastal |
| 42 | South Dakota | 4,017 | $1,197 | Inland |
| 43 | Vermont | 3,726 | $1,697 | Inland |
| 44 | Montana | 2,217 | $942 | Inland |
| 45 | Nevada | 1,960 | $924 | Inland |
| 46 | New Mexico | 1,927 | $1,157 | Inland |
| 47 | Utah | 1,204 | $689 | Inland |
| 48 | Idaho | 1,113 | $991 | Inland |
| 49 | Alaska | 805 | $428 | Coastal |
| 50 | Wyoming | 561 | $987 | Inland |
| 51 | District of Columbia | 494 | $463 | Inland |
Source: OpenFEMA — FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims v2 (since 1978); FEMA NFIP — Policy Information by State (compiled by NerdWallet, May 2026) (2026). Data as of June 2026.
Claims, premiums and risk
High claim counts and high premiums do not always line up. Florida, Louisiana and Texas dominate the claims table because of their enormous, hurricane-exposed policy bases, yet their average premiums are mid-range. Meanwhile some of the most expensive states by premium have far fewer claims. Look up any state to see both figures side by side, or learn how flood zones shape the risk.
Frequently asked questions
Which state has the most flood insurance claims?
Louisiana has the most NFIP flood-insurance claims of any state — 484,979 since the program's records began in 1978, per the OpenFEMA claims dataset. Florida (448,425) and Texas (393,669) are next.
Why do these states have so many claims?
The top states for NFIP claims are mostly coastal — Louisiana, Florida, Texas — where hurricanes and storm surge cause repeated flooding, plus states along major rivers. Claim counts also reflect how many policies are in force, so large, flood-exposed states dominate.
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Last updated: 2026-06-20