Homeowners insurance claims statistics (Updated 2023)

We break down homeowners insurance facts by the numbers — from the most common home insurance claims to the average settlement amount.

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By

Pat HowardManaging Editor & Licensed Home Insurance ExpertPat Howard is a licensed insurance expert and managing editor at Policygenius. Pat has written extensively about the home insurance industry and his insights as a subject matter expert have appeared in several top tier publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and Reuters. Pat has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Michigan State University.&Kara McGinleySenior Editor & Licensed Home Insurance ExpertKara McGinley is a former senior editor and licensed home insurance expert at Policygenius, where she specialized in homeowners and renters insurance. As a journalist and as an insurance expert, her work and insights have been featured in Forbes Advisor, Kiplinger, Lifehacker, MSN, WRAL.com, and elsewhere.

Reviewed by

Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®Certified Financial PlannerIan Bloom, CFP®, RLP®, is a certified financial planner and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius. Previously, he was a financial advisor at MetLife and MassMutual.

Updated|5 min read

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Over 1 in 4 property damage claims are caused by fire and lightning, which are far and away the most expensive home insurance claims you can file. [1] On the liability end, claims may be less frequent, but they’re also more expensive. That’s because liability claims often result in lawsuits that require paying out medical expenses and settlements — which can be pricey. The liability component of your homeowners insurance policy pays for all of these expenses.

Check out even more homeowners insurance statistics — from average claim settlements to misinformation most homeowners believe and more.

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Homeowners insurance claims statistics

We dig into everything from the most common types of home insurance claims to how much insurance companies have to pay out in claim settlements on average. 

  • 6% of insured homes filed at least one claim in 2020 [2]

  • $168 is how much more homeowners pay on average in 2022 for home insurance after filing one claim — compared to homeowners with a clean claims history

  • $13,962 was the average property damage claim amount from 2016 to 2020 [3]

  • 2.3% percent of claims were liability claims in 2020 [4]

  • 34% of claims were caused by wind and hail — the most common type of insurance claim [5]

  • $77,340 was the average home insurance claim amount for fire and lightning claims from 2016 to 2020 [6]

  • 104,691 was the estimated number of hospital emergency room-treated injuries associated with trampolines in 2014, which could lead to home insurance liability claims [7]

Most common types of homeowners insurance claims

Here are the most common homeowners insurance claims, along with the average settlement for each type of claim from 2016 to 2020, according to the Insurance Information Institute. [8]

Cause of claim

Average claim settlement

Property damage claims

$13,804

Fire and lightning

$77,340

Water damage and freezing

$11,650

Wind and hail 

$11,695

Theft

$4,415

All other property damage

$6,773

Liability claims

$22,611

Bodily injury and property damage

$30,324

Medical payments and other

$7,147

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Average cost of home insurance by claims history

Filing a claim can result in your home insurance rates going up. Here's the average annual cost of home insurance in the U.S. in 2022 based on different claims histories:

Number of claims

National average rate

0 claims

$1,933 per year

1 claim

$2,101 per year

3 claims

$2,916 per year

5 claims

$4,407 per year

Home insurance losses by state

California, Florida, and Texas take the top spots as the states with the most home insurance losses between 2015 and 2019 — not surprising given the natural disasters these states are prone to. New York State also landed a spot in the top 5 likely due to its risk of both hurricanes and winter storms.

Here’s a complete look at the average homeowners insurance losses by state from 2015 to 2019, according to the III.

Rank

State

Average homeowners insurance losses (2015–2019)

1

California

$10,733,309,200

2

Florida

$6,482,582,800

3

Texas

$5,865,190,400

4

Illinois

$2,431,011,000

5

New York

$2,428,999,000

6

Georgia

$2,056,878,600

7

Colorado

$1,936,387,200

8

Pennsylvania

$1,568,408,800

9

North Carolina

$1,467,062,200

10

Michigan

$1,383,606,200

11

Minnesota

$1,360,476,400

12

Virginia

$1,302,552,800

13

Ohio

$1,275,407,000

14

New Jersey

$1,171,429,400

15

Missouri

$1,134,358,000

16

Massachusetts

$1,128,428,200

17

Maryland

$1,028,328,600

18

Tennessee

$1,007,537,400

19

Indiana

$981,446,200

20

Washington

$921,236,400

21

Alabama

$856,051,200

22

Arizona

$801,786,800

23

South Carolina

$732,084,200

24

Oklahoma

$726,138,800

25

Wisconsin

$708,497,600

26

Connecticut

$665,001,600

27

Louisiana

$624,820,000

28

Nebraska

$597,052,400

29

Kentucky

$577,635,400

30

Kansas

$544,881,800

31

Arkansas

$508,401,200

32

Iowa

$476,700,600

33

Oregon

$447,948,800

34

Mississippi

$413,557,200

35

New Mexico

$357,842,800

36

Nevada

$298,835,200

37

Utah

$282,194,000

38

Idaho

$246,612,000

39

West Virginia

$222,663,800

40

Rhode Island

$208,193,600

41

Montana

$192,382,800

42

New Hampshire

$182,150,400

43

Maine

$172,670,200

44

South Dakota

$166,040,400

45

Wyoming

$149,107,600

46

Hawaii

$129,414,200

47

Delaware

$115,016,800

48

North Dakota

$99,088,200

49

Vermont

$85,591,000

50

Washington D.C.

$80,421,600

51

Alaska

$78,103,000

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Which states have the most home insurance lightning claims?

Along with being deadly, lightning strikes can also wreak havoc on your home by striking your house, hitting a power line that causes a surge in your home, or even causing wildfires (these are often the biggest and most dangerous wildfires). 

Here are the top 10 states with the most lightning claims and how much they cost in insured losses in 2021. [9]

State

Number of lightning claims

Insured losses

Florida

5,339

$88,300,000

Texas

4,490

$95,200,000

Georgia

3,817

$43,800,000

California

3,381

$522,600,000

New York

2,426

$45,100,000

Pennsylvania

2,410

$34,000,000

North Carolina

2,377

$36,800,000

Louisiana

2,372

$28,000,000

Alabama

2,276

$29,300,000

Michigan

1,887

$26,900,000

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In which states are homes most at risk of wildfire damage?

California may not experience the most wildfires of any U.S. state (that designation belongs to Texas) or even the most acreage burned (see: Alaska), but the Golden State has by far the most properties at risk of wildfire damage, according to Verisk Wildfire Risk Analysis. [10]

Here are the top 10 states with the most properties at risk of wildfire damage in 2021.

State

Number of properties at risk of wildfires

Percentage of homes at risk of wildfires

California

2,040,600

15%

Texas

717,800

7%

Colorado

373,900

17%

Arizona

242,100

9%

Idaho

175,000

26%

Washington

155,500

6%

Oklahoma

153,400

9%

Oregon

147,500

9%

Montana

137,800

29%

Utah

136,000

14%

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California has over 2 million homes in designated high-wildfire risk areas, almost 75% more than the number of at-risk homes in Texas. This residential exposure has had devastating consequences for California real estate. The year 2020 saw four of the five largest wildfires in California state history. The increase in wildfires is part of the reason home insurance rates are spiking in the Golden State

In which states are homes most at risk of hurricane damage?

One of the most common types of homeowners insurance claims is due to wind and hail-related losses, including damage from destructive tropical storms and hurricanes. As the table below shows, homes in coastal states like Florida, Louisiana, and Texas are particularly vulnerable to tropical cyclones. 

A Category 5 hurricane in Florida, for example, is powerful enough to inflict damage on around 3 million homes, according to the III. That accounts for nearly one-third of the total housing units in the Sunshine State.

Number of homes at risk for hurricane damage — broken down by category

Here’s how many homes in each state are at risk of hurricane damage based on the severity of the storm as of 2020.

State

Category 1 hurricane

Category 2 hurricane

Category 3 hurricane

Category 4 hurricane

Category 5 hurricane

Florida

353,994

1,088,511

1,806,312

2,362,323

2,851,642

Louisiana

72,883

212,707

640,307

770,030

843,349

Texas

41,398

122,453

264,103

399,741

563,024

New Jersey

95,473

277,147

381,388

471,323

471,323

New York

76,805

228,069

351,937

467,787

467,787

Virginia

23,232

89,347

243,707

366,117

410,277

South Carolina

37,107

132,728

219,420

308,387

363,875

North Carolina

33,254

97,694

165,266

216,446

267,802

Georgia

9,378

54,470

113,068

152,882

164,504

Massachusetts

8,102

42,832

97,083

151,979

151,979

Maryland

16,091

59,214

98,757

126,589

126,589

Mississippi

5,740

25,385

56,768

90,023

102,596

Pennsylvania

847

21,378

58,921

85,794

85,794

Connecticut

6,708

27,921

46,186

67,433

67,433

Delaware

10,855

31,057

49,103

67,055

67,055

Alabama

5,203

15,841

27,769

40,287

51,929

Rhode Island

1,396

7,979

17,345

26,336

26,336

Maine

5,657

7,912

11,969

18,149

18,149

New Hampshire

193

4,069

7,074

9,336

9,336

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Which states have the most hail damage claims?

In terms of homeowners insurance losses, hail damage claims don’t get nearly the same attention as tornadoes or other kinds of weather disasters, however hail storms are a quiet (and costly) risk that all homeowners should be aware of.

If you live in certain parts of the country — particularly in Tornado and Dixie Alleys — consider hail-proofing your house by installing storm shutters or panels to your windows and doors. If hail had a favorite victim, your roof would probably top its list, so make sure you’re getting your roof inspected regularly if you live in any of the following states. 

State

Total hail damage claims (2017–2019)

Texas

637,977

Colorado

380,066

Nebraska

161,374

Minnesota

150,673

Illinois

150,416

Kansas

147,793

Missouri

133,704

Iowa

113,139

Indiana

63,892

North Carolina

58,342

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Which states have the most dog bite claims?

While you may consider your dog to be your best friend, your insurance company might consider it a significant liability risk. In fact, some homeowners insurance companies will go so far as to not insure homes with certain dog breeds or, at best, exclude breeds like Rottweilers, German shepherds, and pit bulls from coverage.

Although this might seem unfair, dog bite liability claims cost insurers a lot of money: Dog bite claims cost a total of $882 million in 2021.

Here are the top 10 states with the highest number of dog bite claims along with the average cost per claim in 2021, according to the III. [11]

State

Number of dog bite claims in 2021

Average cost per claim 

California

2,026

$59,561

Florida

1,478

$54,820

Texas

1,003

$39,884

New York

900

$68,203

Michigan

892

$48,258

Illinois

844

$56,292

Pennsylvania

777

$47,353

Ohio

732

$41,499

New Jersey

611

$49,981

Arizona

489

$45,059

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Homeowners insurance costs by state

The average cost of homeowners insurance is $1,754 per year, but insurance costs vary considerably by state. For example, states located on the Atlantic Coast or in a tornado-prone region have higher average annual premiums than landlocked states with more mild weather. 

Here’s the average annual premium for homeowners insurance by state, according to our analysis of rate data from across the country.

State

Average annual cost

Average monthly cost

Alabama

$2,063

$172

Alaska

$1,446

$120

Arizona

$1,897

$158

Arkansas

$3,391

$283

California

$1,565

$130

Colorado

$2,496

$208

Connecticut

$1,571

$131

Delaware

$980

$82

District of Columbia

$1,154

$96

Florida

$2,643

$220

Georgia

$1,988

$166

Hawaii

$486

$40

Idaho

$1,363

$114

Illinois

$2,053

$171

Indiana

$2,045

$170

Iowa

$1,830

$153

Kansas

$3,159

$263

Kentucky

$2,705

$225

Louisiana

$2,719

$227

Maine

$1,103

$92

Maryland

$1,733

$144

Massachusetts

$1,382

$115

Michigan

$1,712

$143

Minnesota

$1,966

$164

Mississippi

$2,919

$243

Missouri

$2,876

$240

Montana

$2,778

$231

Nebraska

$4,567

$381

Nevada

$1,239

$103

New Hampshire

$974

$81

New Jersey

$926

$77

New Mexico

$1,792

$149

New York

$1,186

$99

North Carolina

$1,678

$140

North Dakota

$1,908

$159

Ohio

$1,586

$132

Oklahoma

$4,331

$361

Oregon

$943

$79

Pennsylvania

$1,303

$109

Rhode Island

$1,470

$122

South Carolina

$1,793

$149

South Dakota

$2,426

$202

Tennessee

$2,526

$211

Texas

$3,080

$257

Utah

$949

$79

Vermont

$1,046

$87

Virginia

$1,516

$126

Washington

$1,280

$107

West Virginia

$1,499

$125

Wisconsin

$1,211

$101

Wyoming

$1,599

$133

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States where home insurance costs are going up the most

Homeowners insurance premiums in the U.S. increased an average of 21% nationally from May 2022 to May 2023, according to the 2023 Policygenius Home Insurance Pricing Report. Florida homeowners faced an average premium increase of 35% at renewal, followed by Idaho at 31% and Colorado at 30%. 

Here are the top 5 states where home insurance costs are rising the most.

State

Average original premium in May 2022

Average renewal premium in May 2023

Average premium increase

Average percentage increase

Florida

$1,406

$1,896

$489

35%

Idaho

$615

$804

$189

31%

Colorado

$1,558

$2,031

$473

30%

South Dakota

$1,185

$1,513

$328

28%

Louisiana

$1,473

$1,876

$403

27%

Homeowners insurance costs by company

Here we break down how much some of the best home insurance companies charge on average for a homeowners insurance policy with $300,000 in dwelling coverage

Home insurance company

Average annual cost

Auto owners

$1,283

Erie

$1,346

USAA

$1,432

American Family

$1,491

Allstate

$1,596

Chubb

$1,922

Nationwide

$1,955

State Farm

$2,039

Progressive

$2,618

Travelers

$3,638

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Methodology

Policygenius has analyzed home insurance rates provided by Quadrant Information Services in March 2022 for ZIP codes in all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., for a 40-year-old female homeowner with no claim history, good credit, a $1,000 deductible, and the following coverage limits:

  • Dwelling: $300,000

  • Other structures: $30,000

  • Personal property: $150,000

  • Loss of use: $60,000

  • Liability: $300,000

  • Medical: $1,000

All rates based on the above coverage limits except where otherwise noted.

Some carriers may be represented by affiliates or subsidiaries. Rates provided are a sample of costs. Your actual quotes may differ.

References

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Policygenius uses external sources, including government data, industry studies, and reputable news organizations to supplement proprietary marketplace data and internal expertise. Learn more about how we use and vet external sources as part of oureditorial standards.

  1. Insurance Information Institute

    . "

    Facts + Statistics: Homeowners and renters insurance

    ." Accessed October 25, 2022.

  2. Consumer Product Safety Commission

    . "

    CPSC Safety Alert: Trampoline Safety

    ." Accessed August 15, 2023.

  3. Insurance Information Institute

    . "

    Triple-I: Lightning Caused $1.3 Billion In U.S. Homeowners Claim Payouts In 2021; Supply Chain Issues Exacerbate Losses

    ." Accessed October 25, 2022.

  4. Verisk

    . "

    Verisk Wildfire Risk Analysis

    ." Accessed September 13, 2022.

  5. Insurance Information Institute

    . "

    Spotlight on: Dog bite liability

    ." Accessed October 25, 2022.

Authors

Pat Howard is a licensed insurance expert and managing editor at Policygenius. Pat has written extensively about the home insurance industry and his insights as a subject matter expert have appeared in several top tier publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and Reuters. Pat has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Michigan State University.

Kara McGinley is a former senior editor and licensed home insurance expert at Policygenius, where she specialized in homeowners and renters insurance. As a journalist and as an insurance expert, her work and insights have been featured in Forbes Advisor, Kiplinger, Lifehacker, MSN, WRAL.com, and elsewhere.

Expert reviewer

Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®, is a certified financial planner and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius. Previously, he was a financial advisor at MetLife and MassMutual.

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