A $300,000 house costs about $738 a year to insure in Hawaii. Move the same house to Florida and the average bill is $8,471, more than eleven times as much. Nothing else in a homeowners quote, not your insurer, your deductible or your discounts, moves the price as much as the state on your address.
So the cheapest homeowners insurance depends first on where you live, and second on how well you shop inside that state. Find your state below, then use the rest of this guide to bring your own quote down.
Last reviewed: October 2026 · SmartCoverage Editorial Team · How we research
Look up your state
Average yearly homeowners premium for the same home in every state, and where yours ranks. Tap a bar to jump to that state.
Insurance.com 2026 averages (Quadrant Information Services data): $300,000 dwelling, $300,000 liability, $1,000 deductible, 2% hurricane deductible where applicable, good credit. Your price depends on your home, ZIP code, claims history and insurer. For guidance only.
The ten cheapest and ten most expensive states
The cheap end of the list is mostly New England, the Mid-Atlantic and a few places with mild weather. The expensive end follows two belts on the map: the hurricane coast along the Gulf and the Atlantic, and the hail and tornado corridor that runs from Texas north through Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska.
| Rank | Cheapest | Avg/yr | Most expensive | Avg/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $738 | Florida | $8,471 |
| 2 | Vermont | $1,017 | Nebraska | $5,513 |
| 3 | Maine | $1,299 | Colorado | $5,511 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $1,324 | Oklahoma | $5,378 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $1,434 | Kansas | $5,289 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $1,449 | Louisiana | $5,185 |
| 7 | Delaware | $1,461 | Texas | $4,582 |
| 8 | Alaska | $1,492 | Kentucky | $4,471 |
| 9 | Washington, DC | $1,558 | North Carolina | $3,799 |
| 10 | Oregon | $1,647 | Missouri | $3,783 |
Two results surprise people. Hawaii sits on hurricane routes but is the cheapest state, partly because hurricane cover is often left out of standard policies there and bought separately and partly because big storms rarely make landfall. California, known for wildfires, is below the national average at $1,653, because its strict rate approval rules hold prices down. The catch in California is availability rather than price: many homeowners in fire areas struggle to find a company that will write a policy at all.
What actually sets the price in your state
Weather losses
Insurers price a state on the claims they expect to pay there. Hurricanes produce the largest single losses, but hail is the steady, expensive problem in the middle of the country. A single hailstorm can damage thousands of roofs in an afternoon, and it happens every spring. That is why Nebraska and Kansas, far from any ocean, cost even more than Louisiana.
Rebuilding costs
Your dwelling coverage pays to rebuild, so local labor and material prices feed straight into the premium. After a big disaster, contractors become scarce and prices jump, which then shows up in everyone’s renewal.
Lawsuits and fraud
In some states a larger share of claims ends up in litigation, which raises costs for every policyholder. Florida passed reforms in 2022 and 2023 aimed at cutting claim-related lawsuits, and insurers have pointed to them as a reason the market there has started to stabilize. Prices remain the highest in the country.
State rules
Each state regulates insurers differently. Some require insurers to get approval before raising rates; others let them move faster. A few, including California, Massachusetts and Maryland, ban or restrict the use of credit-based insurance scores for homeowners policies, which changes how much your credit affects your price. In most other states, poor credit can push a quote well above the averages shown here, since those assume good credit.
Regional playbook: where the savings are
The general advice to compare quotes applies everywhere. Beyond that, each region has its own levers.
Gulf and Atlantic coast
Your policy probably has a separate hurricane or wind deductible. The Insurance Information Institute counts 19 states plus Washington, DC, where hurricane deductibles are used, usually 1% to 5% of the insured value of the home. On a $300,000 dwelling, a 2% deductible means you pay the first $6,000 of hurricane damage. Choosing a lower percentage raises the premium; choosing a higher one lowers it, but only do that if you have the savings.
In Florida, ask for a wind mitigation inspection. It records features like roof straps, shutters and impact windows, and state law requires insurers to give credits for them. The inspection typically costs around $100 to $150, and the savings can be much larger. If no private insurer will offer you a policy, state-backed options such as Citizens in Florida and Louisiana, or the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association for coastal wind, exist as a last resort.
Hail belt: Texas to the Dakotas
Your roof drives your price. Many insurers in these states offer discounts for Class 4 impact-resistant shingles, and some now pay roof claims at actual cash value once a roof passes a certain age, meaning depreciation comes out of the payout. Ask each insurer how it settles roof claims before you compare prices. A cheaper quote that pays only part of a roof replacement is not cheaper when the hail comes.
West and wildfire country
In Colorado, California and parts of Oregon and Washington, the biggest risk is being turned away, not overcharged. Defensible space around the house, ember-resistant vents and a Class A roof help with both eligibility and price, and some states now require insurers to recognize those steps. If you are offered nothing else, your state’s FAIR plan can cover the house itself, and you can add a separate policy for the rest.
Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
Prices are lower, but the gaps between companies can still be large. Older housing stock is the main issue here: knob-and-tube wiring, old oil tanks and aging roofs can lead to higher prices or refusals. Our guide to insuring an older home covers what insurers check. Winter freeze and ice damming also cause many claims, so a water-leak sensor or automatic shutoff valve can earn a discount.
How to get the lowest price in your state
Start with a mix of companies. Get at least one quote from a large national insurer, one from a regional company that is strong in your state, and one through an independent agent who can reach several insurers at once. The cheapest company in your state is often a regional name that does not advertise nationally. Our ranking of the best homeowners insurance companies shows how the big names compare on price and service.
Keep the quotes comparable. Ask for the same dwelling amount, the same liability limit and the same deductibles, including any wind or hail deductible. Check that each quote pays replacement cost rather than actual cash value, and read what is excluded. Flood is never part of a standard policy, wherever you live; our guide to what homeowners insurance covers lists the other gaps.
Then push the price down. Bundling your car insurance with the same company is usually the single biggest discount; see how much a home and auto bundle saves. After that, ask about alarm and leak sensor discounts, roof upgrades, paying the year in full and staying claim-free. A higher standard deductible lowers your premium, but treat a $2,500 deductible as a bill you might have to pay next month.
Finally, check the company itself. The NAIC Consumer Insurance Search shows how many complaints regulators receive about each insurer, and your state insurance department can confirm the company is licensed where you live and explain any local rules on non-renewals.
One thing to remember
A state average describes thousands of homes, not yours. Two houses on the same street can get very different quotes because of roof age, claims history or distance to a fire station. Use your state’s figure as a reference point: if your renewal is well above it and your home has no obvious risk, that is a strong signal to shop around now rather than at the next renewal.
This guide gives general information, not personal insurance or financial advice. Coverage, prices and rules vary by state and insurer. Read your policy and talk to a licensed agent before you decide.