On August 6, CNBC reported on National Association of Insurance Commissioners findings: homeowners insurance premiums have risen faster than inflation nationwide, and insurers are dropping customers at a higher rate. After adjusting for inflation, consumers saw average premium increases of 18% in the Northeast, 25% in the Midwest, 27% in the Southeast, and 43% in the West over a seven-year window.
That tracks a longer Treasury finding: from 2018 to 2022, average premiums per policy rose 8.7% faster than inflation, with the highest-risk ZIP codes paying far more than the lowest-risk ones. The Zebra’s 2026 home-trend work put the average homeowner near $2,966 a year — and found that nearly half of owners said they would struggle to pay the mortgage if premiums rose again.
Costs also vary wildly by state. A MoneyGeek analysis published August 4 put a national average well above $3,000 in one standardized profile, while a handful of states remain a fraction of that. Location, construction, roof age, and weather exposure still drive the quote more than any national headline.
What to do before your renewal
- Review dwelling limits against today’s rebuild cost, not the purchase price.
- Ask whether the roof, water backup, ordinance-or-law, and wind/hail deductibles still match the house you own.
- If you were non-renewed, do not wait. Replacement markets move faster when you still have days on the current policy.
- Remember that flood is almost never in the homeowners form. If surface water or a nearby waterway is a real risk, price a flood policy separately.
Landlords and condo owners should not assume the association or the tenant has them covered. A landlord or HO-6 policy still has to meet the gap the master policy leaves behind.
Sources: CNBC / NAIC (Aug. 6, 2026); U.S. Department of the Treasury; The Zebra 2026 State of Insurance; MoneyGeek / Quartz (Aug. 4, 2026).