Topic Index

Flood Insurance by State (2026)

Flood insurance is not included in standard homeowners policies — it's a separate purchase, and in FEMA-designated high-risk zones, your lender requires it. But nearly 1 in 3 NFIP claims nationally come from properties outside mapped flood zones. FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0 (active since 2021) now prices policies to individual property risk rather than zone designations — meaning premiums are changing regardless of your zone. This guide covers the 20 states with the highest NFIP policy counts and active flood loss history.

Policy and premium data from FEMA NFIP State Profiles (fema.gov/flood-insurance), the NAIC Flood Insurance Report 2024, and ValuePenguin NFIP Policy Study. Premiums under Risk Rating 2.0 are property-specific and vary from the state averages shown.