United States › Washington › King County

Home insurance & natural hazards in King County, WA

Calm, plain facts for homeowners in King 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 3,884 FEMA NFIP policies
  • 17 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

King at a glance

Four numbers most homeowners ask about first.

$1,505
Typical home premium

Per policy per year in 2022, median of 76 ZIP codes (inflation-adjusted).

$1,164
Avg. flood policy

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

0.64%
Nonrenewal rate

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

Very high
FEMA risk rating

Overall National Risk Index rating, higher than 99.7% of U.S. counties.

King County in numbers
2.27M
residents (2020 Census)
3.2%
of policies had a paid claim (2022, median ZIP)
$22,623
average paid claim (2022, median ZIP)
3,884
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 King County were $1,505 per policy in 2022, 15% above the typical Washington ZIP code ($1,304) and about the same as the typical U.S. ZIP code ($1,551). After adjusting for inflation, local premiums rose 10% between 2018 and 2022.

Premiums by ZIP

Typical premium per policy

Inflation-adjusted dollars, median across ZIP codes
KingWashingtonU.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 $1,164, compared with $977 in 2022. About 59% of local policies are for homes in high-risk A or V zones and 41% 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

3,884 policies
A zones 55%X/B/C zones 41%V zones 4%Other/unrated 0%

Natural hazards

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025

Bars show how King compares with every U.S. county for each hazard (100 = highest). Earthquake, inland flooding and avalanche 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
Kittitas County$1,5321.32%$1,416
Chelan County$1,5071.21%$1,519
King County$1,5050.64%$1,164
Yakima County$1,3401.02%$1,321
Pierce County$1,2990.78%$962
Kitsap County$1,2580.50%$805
Snohomish County$1,2500.65%$1,401

Flood insurance by ZIP, 2025

FEMA NFIP, single-family homes, ZIPs with the most policies
ZIPPoliciesAvg. cost
98045 North Bend663$1,432
98065 Snoqualmie422$1,558
98027 Issaquah192$1,526
98014 Carnation161$1,088
98070 Vashon157$1,070
98008 Bellevue105$990
98022 Enumclaw103$1,383
98038 Maple Valley91$1,868

ZIP code pages in King County

Practical next steps

Simple things King 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.
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.

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.