Since standard home insurance in New Jersey doesn’t cover water damage from flooding, you’ll want to consider purchasing flood insurance to ensure you’re fully protected. Though flood insurance is not required by law, if your house is located in a FEMA-designated special flood hazard area, which is any area labeled A or V on FEMA’s flood maps, your mortgage lender may require you to purchase flood insurance.
Around 17% of New Jersey is within a high-risk flood zone, the sixth highest of any other U.S. state, according to our analysis of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) data. [1]
While most of the Garden State’s flood plains are in counties that border the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware River, there are many additional sources of flooding besides hurricane storm surge or overflowing riverbanks. Flooding can happen anywhere in New Jersey for any number of reasons, including heavy rainfall or rapid snowmelt.
How much is flood insurance in New Jersey?
The average cost of flood insurance in New Jersey is $1,209 per year through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the federal government entity that provides the vast majority of flood insurance policies in the U.S.
Looking at the 40 New Jersey communities with at least 1,000 NFIP policies, the average cost of flood insurance is as high as $1,184 in the borough of Beach Haven on Long Beach Island, and as low as $330 per year in the borough of Edgewater along the Hudson River.
Here’s a look at the average cost of flood insurance in New Jersey cities with at least one active FEMA flood insurance policy. [2]
Your flood insurance costs are generally calculated based on the following factors:
Your home’s location
Your home’s age, size, and construction type
Your home’s elevation
Your policy deductible amount
The amount of coverage in your policy
In addition to the above factors, the amount you pay for flood insurance will also depend on how your flood insurance provider calculates your rates.
FEMA, for example, has historically based its rates on whether or not your house is in a high-risk flood zone according to its Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). This means you’ll often pay the same flood insurance rate as your neighbor if you live in the same flood zone, even if their house is larger or closer to a beach or riverbank.
Conversely, private flood insurance providers use more advanced methods to determine and price flood risk. This includes analyzing each home’s elevation and simulating flood events using computerized models.
10 cheapest New Jersey cities for flood insurance
Here are the cheapest cities in New Jersey for flood insurance for towns that have at least 500 NFIP policyholders.
City | Average annual premium |
|---|---|
Edgewater | $330 |
Sea Isle City | $526 |
Wildwood Crest | $530 |
Lower | $542 |
Monmouth Beach | $600 |
Spring Lake | $603 |
Weehawken | $610 |
Ocean City | $626 |
Brigantine | $636 |
Point Pleasant | $640 |
10 most expensive New Jersey cities for flood insurance
Here are the most expensive cities in New Jersey for flood insurance for towns that have at least 500 NFIP policyholders.
City | Average annual premium |
|---|---|
Paterson | $2,353 |
Wayne | $2,316 |
Fairfield | $2,241 |
Pequannock | $2,136 |
Little Ferry | $2,122 |
Plainfield | $1,577 |
Burlington | $1,510 |
Cranford | $1,469 |
Hackensack | $1,393 |
Point Pleasant Beach | $1,367 |
Flood insurance rates by flood zone in New Jersey
Flood insurance rates in New Jersey will generally vary depending on where you live and whether or not your house is in a FEMA flood zone, which it determines based on the likelihood of flooding over a period of time. Any A or V zone, for example, has at least a 1% chance of flooding during any given year.
Also referred to as a 100-year flood plain, these areas have the highest flood risk, according to FEMA flood maps. Here are the average flood insurance rates in areas with a high risk, moderate to low risk, and undetermined risk, according to an analysis of NFIP premium data.
Flood zone | Average annual cost |
|---|---|
High risk (A or V) | $1,026 |
Moderate to low risk (B, C, or X) | $637 |
Undetermined risk (D) | $1,262 |
What does flood insurance cover in New Jersey?
Flood insurance helps cover the cost of flood damage to your home and belongings. That means if your house is damaged due to coastal flooding, a river overflow, or any source of natural flooding, flood insurance can pay to repair or replace your property.
A standard flood insurance policy through the NFIP comes with two main coverages that can be purchased together or individually.
Building property coverage: Pays to repair or rebuild your house or garage if they’re damaged in a flood. The maximum building property coverage limit with the NFIP is $250,000, meaning that’s the most the NFIP will reimburse you for repairs, regardless of the damage amount.
Personal property coverage: Pays to repair or replace your belongings if they’re damaged in a flood. This includes your furniture, electronics, clothes, and any other items you own. The maximum personal property coverage limit with the NFIP is $100,000.
Each coverage also comes with its own separate out-of-pocket deductible, which is the amount you’re responsible for paying on each claim. Choosing a higher deductible will lower your flood insurance premium, but it will also reduce your claim payment.
How to buy flood insurance in New Jersey
New Jersey residents can buy flood insurance in one of two ways: through the NFIP, which is regulated and backed by the federal government and sold by insurance companies, or private flood insurance.
Private flood insurance vs. NFIP coverage
Private flood insurance generally gives you the option for higher coverage limits beyond the relatively low $250,000/$100,000 in coverage you’re limited to with the NFIP.
Additionally, private flood policies include coverages and perks that aren’t available through the heavily regulated NFIP. This includes loss of use coverage to help cover the cost of lodging or restaurant meals in the event your house is badly damaged and you’re forced to evacuate; or replacement cost coverage for your personal belongings.
Here’s a look at what New Jersey residents can expect with NFIP and private flood insurance.
NFIP | Private flood insurance | |
|---|---|---|
Maximum home rebuild limit | $250,000 | Typically up to $500,000 or higher |
Availability | Every county in New Jersey | May be limited in high-risk areas |
Waiting period | 30 days | As little as two weeks |
Accepted by mortgage lenders | Yes | Yes |
Replacement cost building coverage | Yes | Yes |
Replacement cost contents coverage | No | Yes |
Loss of use coverage | No | Yes |
Loss avoidance coverage (sandbags, etc.) | No | Yes |
Debris removal coverage | Yes | Yes |
Do I need flood insurance in New Jersey?
While you aren’t legally required to buy flood insurance in the Garden State or anywhere else in the country, if your home is one of the approximately 360,574 New Jersey housing units in a FEMA-designated high-risk flood zone, your mortgage lender may require it as a stipulation in your loan agreement.
But even if your lender doesn’t require it, homeowners in flood-prone areas of New Jersey will want to consider this important piece of financial protection. While only around 10% of New Jersey homes are located in Special Flood Hazard Areas, around 25% of all flood insurance claims come from moderate- to low-risk areas, according to FEMA. [3]
Here’s a look at the total number of housing units and the percentage of all homes in high-risk flood zones for each county in New Jersey.
County | Housing units in SFHAs | Total housing units | Percentage of homes in SFHAs |
|---|---|---|---|
Atlantic | 47,401 | 126,647 | 37% |
Bergen | 22,133 | 352,388 | 6% |
Burlington | 9,436 | 175,615 | 5% |
Camden | 6,433 | 204,943 | 3% |
Cape May | 66,684 | 98,309 | 68% |
Cumberland | 2,694 | 55,834 | 5% |
Essex | 7,855 | 312,954 | 3% |
Gloucester | 3,020 | 109,796 | 3% |
Hudson | 40,181 | 270,335 | 15% |
Hunterdon | 1,667 | 49,487 | 3% |
Mercer | 5,126 | 143,169 | 4% |
Middlesex | 8,266 | 294,800 | 3% |
Monmouth | 25,520 | 258,410 | 10% |
Morris | 9,187 | 189,842 | 5% |
Ocean | 71,235 | 278,052 | 26% |
Passaic | 8,610 | 175,966 | 5% |
Salem | 5,405 | 27,417 | 20% |
Somerset | 5,620 | 123,127 | 5% |
Sussex | 1,509 | 62,057 | 2% |
Union | 10,999 | 199,489 | 6% |
Warren | 1,593 | 44,925 | 4% |
Regardless of which flood zone you live in, you’ll want to make sure you’re finding the best flood insurance at the most affordable rate. For the best flood insurance policy comparison, consider comparing both NFIP and private flood insurance plans with Policygenius.
Our team of licensed insurance agents at Policygenius can help you compare policies and find the best option for you. Click the calculator to get started.
