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Home insurance & natural hazards in Erie County, NY

Calm, plain facts for homeowners in Erie 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 1,252 FEMA NFIP policies
  • 16 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

Erie at a glance

Four numbers most homeowners ask about first.

$1,009
Typical home premium

Per policy per year in 2022, median of 61 ZIP codes (inflation-adjusted).

$1,149
Avg. flood policy

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

0.45%
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 97.7% of U.S. counties.

Erie County in numbers
954,005
residents (2020 Census)
4.0%
of policies had a paid claim (2022, median ZIP)
$10,209
average paid claim (2022, median ZIP)
1,252
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 Erie County were $1,009 per policy in 2022, 17% below the typical New York ZIP code ($1,218) and 35% below the typical U.S. ZIP code ($1,551). After adjusting for inflation, local premiums rose 6% between 2018 and 2022.

Premiums by ZIP

Typical premium per policy

Inflation-adjusted dollars, median across ZIP codes
ErieNew YorkU.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 $1,149, compared with $960 in 2022. About 71% of local policies are for homes in high-risk A or V zones and 29% 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

1,252 policies
A zones 71%X/B/C zones 29%V zones 0%

Natural hazards

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025

Bars show how Erie compares with every U.S. county for each hazard (100 = highest). Cold wave, winter weather 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
Erie County$1,0090.45%$1,149
Niagara County$9500.42%$1,013
Chautauqua County$9490.45%$1,265
Wyoming County$9450.45%$1,741
Genesee County$9350.43%$1,343
Cattaraugus County$9040.52%$1,439

Flood insurance by ZIP, 2025

FEMA NFIP, single-family homes, ZIPs with the most policies
ZIPPoliciesAvg. cost
14051 East Amherst307$1,098
14228 Buffalo136$1,205
14218 Buffalo127$1,277
14081 Irving111$1,315
14221 Buffalo101$1,049
14047 Derby63$737
14224 Buffalo40$1,298
14006 Angola38$978

ZIP code pages in Erie County

Practical next steps

Simple things Erie 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.
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.
Keep records. A roof certificate, receipts for upgrades and photos of your home's condition can help when you shop for coverage or file a claim.
Review your deductibles. Many policies have separate wind, hail or hurricane deductibles set as a percentage of your dwelling coverage. Knowing yours in dollars helps you budget.

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.