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Home insurance & natural hazards in San Mateo County, CA

Calm, plain facts for homeowners in San Mateo County: what neighbors have paid for coverage, what flood insurance costs, and which weather hazards matter most here.

  • Typical premiums from U.S. Treasury insurance data
  • Flood insurance costs from 3,151 FEMA NFIP policies
  • 13 natural hazards rated by the FEMA National Risk Index
See the numbers

Historical averages, not a quote. Updated Oct 2026.

Illustration of a house on a hill in front of a large shield

San Mateo at a glance

Four numbers most homeowners ask about first.

$1,768
Typical home premium

Per policy per year in 2022, median of 27 ZIP codes (inflation-adjusted).

$1,368
Avg. flood policy

Average full cost of a single-family NFIP policy that took effect in 2025.

0.60%
Nonrenewal rate

Share of policies insurers chose not to renew in 2022, median ZIP. Typical U.S. ZIP: 0.81%.

Rel. high
FEMA risk rating

Overall National Risk Index rating, higher than 99.2% of U.S. counties.

San Mateo County in numbers
763,661
residents (2020 Census)
2.0%
of policies had a paid claim (2022, median ZIP)
$26,255
average paid claim (2022, median ZIP)
3,151
single-family NFIP flood policies (2025)

What homeowners here pay

Each block pairs a short explanation with the data behind it.

Homeowners insurance

U.S. Treasury FIO, HO-3/HO-5 policies, 2018–2022

Typical premiums in San Mateo County were $1,768 per policy in 2022, 9% above the typical California ZIP code ($1,617) and 14% above the typical U.S. ZIP code ($1,551). After adjusting for inflation, local premiums rose 18% between 2018 and 2022.

Premiums by ZIP

Typical premium per policy

Inflation-adjusted dollars, median across ZIP codes
San MateoCaliforniaU.S. typical ZIP

Flood insurance

FEMA NFIP single-family policies, 2022–2025

Standard home policies don't cover floods. The average single-family NFIP policy that took effect here in 2025 cost $1,368, compared with $1,204 in 2022. About 65% of local policies are for homes in high-risk A or V zones and 35% in moderate- to lower-risk zones.

Flood costs by ZIP

Average flood policy cost

Full cost incl. fees, by year the policy took effect

Policies by flood zone, 2025

3,151 policies
A zones 65%X/B/C zones 35%V zones 0%Other/unrated 0%

Natural hazards

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025

Bars show how San Mateo compares with every U.S. county for each hazard (100 = highest). Earthquake, landslide and inland flooding rank highest here. A high rank doesn't mean an event is likely in any given year. It shows where preparation and the right coverage matter most.

How the ratings work

Hazard risk, national percentile

Higher than X% of U.S. counties

Compare nearby

Neighboring counties

Typical premium 2022 (Treasury FIO), nonrenewal 2022, avg. flood policy 2025 (NFIP)
CountyPremiumNonrenewalFlood
San Francisco County$2,3960.59%$921
Santa Cruz County$2,0381.44%$1,925
San Mateo County$1,7680.60%$1,368
Alameda County$1,6960.67%$1,152
Santa Clara County$1,3650.60%$1,515

Flood insurance by ZIP, 2025

FEMA NFIP, single-family homes, ZIPs with the most policies
ZIPPoliciesAvg. cost
94025 Menlo Park562$1,283
94044 Pacifica233$1,892
94010 Burlingame215$1,501
94403 San Mateo171$1,315
94066 San Bruno159$1,228
94063 Redwood City154$1,195
94404 San Mateo141$1,423
94401 San Mateo114$2,108

ZIP code pages in San Mateo County

Practical next steps

Simple things San Mateo homeowners can do with this information.

Check your flood zone. Look up your address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center (msc.fema.gov). Standard home policies don't cover flood damage, and flood insurance usually has a 30-day waiting period, so it's worth sorting out before storm season.
Know that earthquake damage is separate. Standard homeowners policies exclude earthquakes. If shaking is a concern where you live, ask about a separate earthquake policy or endorsement and its deductible.
Plan for heat and dry spells. Long dry periods can stress foundations and landscaping. Regular checks of your HVAC system and foundation can catch small problems before they become claims.
Compare at renewal. Premiums vary widely by ZIP code, home and insurer. Use these averages as a reference point, not a price, and compare a few quotes at renewal.

Historical averages, not a quote. Homeowners figures are inflation-adjusted averages from the U.S. Treasury Federal Insurance Office "Supporting Underlying Metrics" (2018–2022, published January 2025). They cover HO-3/HO-5 policies from participating private insurers and exclude state residual-market plans (such as FAIR plans and Citizens), surplus-lines and flood coverage. Treasury notes that individual ZIP codes can contain data anomalies. Your price depends on your home, coverage and insurer.

Sources: U.S. Treasury FIO; FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Policies v3 (data as of Sep 8, 2026); FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA-to-county relationship file (2020) and county adjacency file; GeoNames place names. How we calculate these numbers.

This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API and National Risk Index data, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). SafeHomeFacts is independent and not affiliated with the U.S. Treasury, FEMA or any insurer.