Home insurance costs & natural hazards in North Carolina
Plain facts for North Carolina homeowners: what coverage has cost across the state, what flood insurance runs, and which natural hazards matter in each county.
See the numbersHistorical averages, not a quote. Updated Oct 2026.
North Carolina at a glance
Four numbers most homeowners ask about first.
Median ZIP code, per policy per year in 2022 (inflation-adjusted).
Single-family NFIP policies that took effect in 2025.
Median ZIP in 2022. Typical U.S. ZIP: 0.81%.
Counties FEMA rates relatively high or very high on its overall National Risk Index.
What homeowners in North Carolina pay
Each block pairs a short explanation with the data behind it.
Homeowners insurance
The typical North Carolina ZIP code saw homeowners premiums of $1,319 per policy in 2022, 15% below the typical U.S. ZIP code ($1,551). After adjusting for inflation, that figure rose 7% between 2018 and 2022. The figures come from 725 North Carolina ZIP codes in Treasury's data.
Typical premium per policy
Flood insurance
Standard home policies don't cover floods. 100,741 single-family NFIP policies took effect in North Carolina in 2025, at an average full cost of $1,116, compared with $884 in 2022. About 55% of those policies are for homes in high-risk A or V zones.
Average flood policy cost
Policies by flood zone, 2025
Natural hazards
Bars count how many of North Carolina's 100 counties FEMA rates relatively high or very high for each hazard. The most widespread are ice storm, lightning and winter weather. Open any county for its full hazard profile.
Hazards across North Carolina's counties
North Carolina counties
All 100 counties: typical premium (2022), average flood policy (2025) and FEMA's overall risk rating.
Typical home premium by county, 2022
| County | Premium | Flood | FEMA rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance County | $1,123 | $1,097 | Relatively Low |
| Alexander County | $1,052 | $1,255 | Relatively Low |
| Alleghany County | $1,336 | $1,308 | Very Low |
| Anson County | $1,376 | — | Relatively Low |
| Ashe County | $1,291 | $1,551 | Relatively Low |
| Avery County | $1,335 | $1,260 | Relatively Low |
| Beaufort County | $1,345 | $1,078 | Relatively Moderate |
| Bertie County | $1,649 | $1,004 | Relatively Low |
| Bladen County | $1,719 | $921 | Relatively Moderate |
| Brunswick County | $1,210 | $1,094 | Relatively High |
| Buncombe County | $1,285 | $1,108 | Relatively Moderate |
| Burke County | $984 | $1,522 | Relatively Low |
| Cabarrus County | $1,359 | $1,185 | Relatively Moderate |
| Caldwell County | $1,054 | $1,349 | Relatively Low |
| Camden County | $1,241 | $957 | Very Low |
| Carteret County | $895 | $1,346 | Relatively Moderate |
| Caswell County | $1,220 | — | Very Low |
| Catawba County | $1,065 | $1,186 | Relatively Low |
| Chatham County | $1,426 | $928 | Relatively Low |
| Cherokee County | $1,239 | $1,394 | Relatively Low |
| Chowan County | $1,399 | $1,199 | Very Low |
| Clay County | $1,476 | $1,593 | Very Low |
| Cleveland County | $1,102 | $1,570 | Relatively Low |
| Columbus County | $1,912 | $966 | Relatively Moderate |
| Craven County | $1,155 | $1,079 | Relatively Moderate |
| Cumberland County | $1,834 | $917 | Relatively Moderate |
| Currituck County | $1,226 | $1,066 | Very Low |
| Dare County | $1,292 | $971 | Relatively Moderate |
| Davidson County | $1,132 | $1,136 | Relatively Moderate |
| Davie County | $1,160 | $974 | Very Low |
| Duplin County | $1,626 | $921 | Relatively Moderate |
| Durham County | $1,534 | $1,064 | Relatively Moderate |
| Edgecombe County | $1,442 | $984 | Relatively Low |
| Forsyth County | $1,227 | $1,131 | Relatively Moderate |
| Franklin County | $1,410 | $953 | Relatively Low |
| Gaston County | $1,189 | $1,144 | Relatively Moderate |
| Gates County | $1,462 | $770 | Very Low |
| Graham County | $1,366 | $1,493 | Very Low |
| Granville County | $1,243 | $776 | Relatively Low |
| Greene County | $1,489 | $907 | Relatively Low |
| Guilford County | $1,241 | $1,141 | Relatively Moderate |
| Halifax County | $1,505 | $1,163 | Relatively Low |
| Harnett County | $1,439 | $997 | Relatively Low |
| Haywood County | $1,317 | $1,437 | Relatively Low |
| Henderson County | $1,308 | $938 | Relatively Moderate |
| Hertford County | $1,409 | $1,066 | Relatively Low |
| Hoke County | $1,608 | $714 | Relatively Low |
| Hyde County | $1,436 | $966 | Relatively Low |
| Iredell County | $1,197 | $1,093 | Relatively Low |
| Jackson County | $1,491 | $1,379 | Relatively Low |
| Johnston County | $1,330 | $950 | Relatively Moderate |
| Jones County | $1,267 | $1,040 | Relatively Low |
| Lee County | $1,492 | $1,350 | Relatively Low |
| Lenoir County | $1,710 | $948 | Relatively Moderate |
| Lincoln County | $1,167 | $923 | Relatively Low |
| Macon County | $1,556 | $1,424 | Relatively Low |
| Madison County | $1,400 | $1,429 | Very Low |
| Martin County | $1,537 | $955 | Relatively Low |
| McDowell County | $1,236 | $1,540 | Relatively Low |
| Mecklenburg County | $1,562 | $1,074 | Relatively High |
| Mitchell County | $1,114 | $1,480 | Very Low |
| Montgomery County | $1,284 | $983 | Relatively Low |
| Moore County | $1,476 | $1,044 | Relatively Low |
| Nash County | $1,366 | $1,206 | Relatively Low |
| New Hanover County | $1,119 | $1,159 | Relatively High |
| Northampton County | $1,393 | $894 | Relatively Low |
| Onslow County | $1,030 | $1,186 | Relatively High |
| Orange County | $1,404 | $1,307 | Relatively Low |
| Pamlico County | $900 | $1,135 | Relatively Low |
| Pasquotank County | $1,228 | $915 | Relatively Low |
| Pender County | $1,101 | $1,371 | Relatively Moderate |
| Perquimans County | $1,417 | $1,079 | Very Low |
| Person County | $1,270 | $888 | Very Low |
| Pitt County | $1,641 | $878 | Relatively Moderate |
| Polk County | $1,454 | $1,436 | Very Low |
| Randolph County | $1,089 | $956 | Relatively Low |
| Richmond County | $1,320 | $1,054 | Relatively Low |
| Robeson County | $1,623 | $1,060 | Relatively Moderate |
| Rockingham County | $1,094 | $1,191 | Relatively Low |
| Rowan County | $1,226 | $1,267 | Relatively Moderate |
| Rutherford County | $1,216 | $1,906 | Relatively Low |
| Sampson County | $1,653 | $999 | Relatively Moderate |
| Scotland County | $1,468 | $896 | Relatively Low |
| Stanly County | $1,208 | $1,411 | Relatively Low |
| Stokes County | $1,111 | $875 | Very Low |
| Surry County | $1,104 | $1,250 | Relatively Low |
| Swain County | $1,173 | $1,646 | Relatively Low |
| Transylvania County | $1,312 | $1,065 | Relatively Low |
| Tyrrell County | $919 | $1,035 | Relatively Low |
| Union County | $1,307 | $1,134 | Relatively Moderate |
| Vance County | $1,254 | $979 | Relatively Low |
| Wake County | $1,613 | $1,015 | Relatively High |
| Warren County | $1,324 | $1,201 | Relatively Low |
| Washington County | $1,162 | $933 | Relatively Low |
| Watauga County | $1,469 | $1,361 | Relatively Low |
| Wayne County | $1,538 | $860 | Relatively Moderate |
| Wilkes County | $1,221 | $1,407 | Relatively Moderate |
| Wilson County | $1,378 | $1,043 | Relatively Low |
| Yadkin County | $1,044 | $792 | Very Low |
| Yancey County | $1,206 | $1,530 | Very Low |
ZIP codes with the most flood policies
Practical next steps
Simple things North Carolina homeowners can do with this information.
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.