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Home insurance & natural hazards in Essex County, MA

Calm, plain facts for homeowners in Essex 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 4,049 FEMA NFIP policies
  • 15 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

Essex at a glance

Four numbers most homeowners ask about first.

$2,041
Typical home premium

Per policy per year in 2022, median of 41 ZIP codes (inflation-adjusted).

$1,525
Avg. flood policy

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

0.94%
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 95.6% of U.S. counties.

Essex County in numbers
808,897
residents (2020 Census)
3.1%
of policies had a paid claim (2022, median ZIP)
$16,202
average paid claim (2022, median ZIP)
4,049
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 Essex County were $2,041 per policy in 2022, 10% above the typical Massachusetts ZIP code ($1,850) and 32% above the typical U.S. ZIP code ($1,551). After adjusting for inflation, local premiums held roughly steady between 2018 and 2022.

Premiums by ZIP

Typical premium per policy

Inflation-adjusted dollars, median across ZIP codes
EssexMassachusettsU.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 $1,525, compared with $1,314 in 2022. About 75% of local policies are for homes in high-risk A or V zones and 25% 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

4,049 policies
A zones 61%X/B/C zones 25%V zones 15%

Natural hazards

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025

Bars show how Essex compares with every U.S. county for each hazard (100 = highest). Coastal flooding, ice storm 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
Suffolk County$2,4711.66%$1,888
Essex County$2,0410.94%$1,525
Middlesex County$1,8800.94%$1,041
Rockingham County, NH$1,4670.81%$1,679
Hillsborough County, NH$1,3550.90%$1,522

Flood insurance by ZIP, 2025

FEMA NFIP, single-family homes, ZIPs with the most policies
ZIPPoliciesAvg. cost
01951 Newbury400$1,507
01952 Salisbury377$1,646
01930 Gloucester373$1,502
01950 Newburyport353$1,708
01906 Saugus247$1,787
01945 Marblehead214$1,415
01970 Salem211$1,662
01907 Swampscott189$1,500

ZIP code pages in Essex County

01810 Andover01830 Haverhill01832 Haverhill01833 Georgetown01834 Groveland01835 Haverhill01841 Lawrence01843 Lawrence01844 Methuen01845 North Andover01860 Merrimac01902 Lynn01904 Lynn01905 Lynn01906 Saugus01907 Swampscott01908 Nahant01913 Amesbury01915 Beverly01921 Boxford01923 Danvers01930 Gloucester01938 Ipswich01940 Lynnfield01945 Marblehead01949 Middleton01950 Newburyport01951 Newbury01952 Salisbury01960 Peabody01966 Rockport01969 Rowley01970 Salem01982 South Hamilton01983 Topsfield

Practical next steps

Simple things Essex 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.
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.
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.
Prepare for freezing weather. Burst pipes are a common winter claim. Insulating exposed pipes, keeping heat on while away and knowing where your main water shut-off is all help.

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.