The US Treasury’s Federal Insurance Office (FIO) has published new ZIP code-level data covering the 2018–2022 period that shows homeowners insurance is becoming more expensive and difficult to obtain for millions of policyholders across the country.
The data were collected through a joint initiative involving the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), state insurance regulators, and the FIO, marking the first time federal and state agencies have collaborated to compile granular nationwide homeowners insurance information.
The dataset includes annual submissions from more than 330 private insurers and reflects approximately 50 million homeowners insurance policies each year. The information was used to produce an interactive map released in January 2025 that allows users to input a ZIP code and view a summary of average insurance trends in that area.
These include average annual premiums, nonrenewal rates, claim frequency, and claim payments. The map is based on aggregate data and does not reflect individual policies.
The map tool was released alongside a 66-page report which presents a detailed assessment of how weather-related perils and climate exposure are influencing insurance costs, availability, and risk-based underwriting outcomes across geographic regions.
According to the report, average homeowners insurance premiums rose 8.7% faster than the rate of inflation over the five-year period. Regional differences were also significant, with premiums diverging sharply in areas with higher exposure to climate-related risks.
Consumers residing in ZIP codes ranked in the top 20% for expected annual building losses due to climate-related perils paid average premiums of $2,321 from 2018 to 2022. This was 82% higher than average premiums in ZIP codes with the lowest risk exposure.
In high-risk ZIP codes, consumers also experienced elevated policy nonrenewal rates – about 80% higher than those in low-risk areas.
The data further show that insurers operating in areas with higher expected losses face increased costs. The paid loss ratio – defined as claims paid divided by premiums earned – was highest in the highest-risk ZIP codes. The average claim payment in these areas was approximately $24,000, compared to about $19,000 in the lowest-risk ZIP codes.
The release of the ZIP code-level data follows multiple calls from consumer advocacy organizations for increased transparency in how insurance companies operate in climate-exposed markets. In December, several national and state-based groups petitioned the Treasury to make detailed geographic data public.
Their requests included breakdowns of premiums, nonrenewals, losses, deductibles, and coverage terms to help communities understand the pricing and availability of insurance coverage under worsening weather conditions.
Recent projections have also suggested that the upward trend in homeowners premiums is likely to continue over the next three decades. A forecast released by industry analysts in late 2024 estimated that average homeowners insurance costs could rise nearly 29.4% nationally by 2054 due to intensifying climate risk.
Certain high-exposure regions, including Miami, were projected to see increases exceeding 300%, placing substantial affordability pressures on households in vulnerable areas.
Between 2021 and 2023, homeowners premiums increased nearly 20% across the United States. These gains were linked not only to escalating weather-related damages, but also to inflationary impacts on labor and materials costs.
Analysts have noted that this growth trajectory is unlikely to reverse in the near term, with insurers continuing to adjust pricing models to reflect mounting catastrophe exposures and operational risk.
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