How much has homeowners insurance gone up?

Premiums rose 54% over the past five years, faster than maintenance (32%) or property taxes (19%), according to a Zillow and Thumbtack report released October 22, 2026. The typical premium is now $2,266 a year nationally.

Which city has the most expensive home insurance?

Miami, at $4,997 a year, more than twice the national figure. Dallas, Houston, Tampa, Orlando, and Denver also top $3,000. Pittsburgh is the cheapest of the 30 metros in the report, at $1,436.

Why are home insurance premiums going up?

Regulators cite extreme weather and major disasters, higher labor and materials costs for repairs, and rising reinsurance costs, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Storm-prone metros like Dallas and Denver saw some of the biggest increases.

Home insurance is now the fastest-rising cost of owning a home

Premiums are up 54% in five years. Miami homeowners pay nearly $5,000, and Dallas saw the biggest jump.

Owning a home now costs about $16,566 a year beyond the mortgage payment, or roughly $1,380 a month, according to a new report from Zillow and Thumbtack released October 22. That covers the three bills every owner pays: $11,171 for maintenance, $3,129 for property taxes, and $2,266 for homeowners insurance.

Insurance is the smallest of the three, but it's growing the fastest. Over the past five years, premiums rose 54%, while maintenance costs rose 32% and property taxes 19%, the report found.

The overall climb is slowing. Total hidden costs rose 2.8% over the past year, compared with 31.7% over five years. Yearly increases in maintenance costs have shrunk every year, from 9% in 2022 to 1% this year. Federal data shows insurance premiums rose just 0.3% between February and June, Zillow said, though they remain well above where they were five years ago.

Where premiums jumped most. Insurance premiums are up at least 50% over five years in 19 of the 30 metros in the report. The biggest increases were in Dallas (75%), Tampa (71%), Denver (70%), and Houston (69%). "Severe weather, including hail, tornadoes and damaging winds, may be driving premium increases in storm-prone metros like Dallas and Denver," the report says.

Miami homeowners pay the most, $4,997 a year, which is more than twice the national figure, according to Thumbtack's report. Six metros now top $3,000 a year: Miami, Dallas, Houston, Tampa, Orlando, and Denver. In four metros, Houston, Phoenix, Denver, and Nashville, homeowners now pay more each year for insurance than for property taxes.

Here's the typical annual homeowners insurance bill in each metro, from highest to lowest, with property taxes and the total of all three hidden costs:

Metro	Insurance	Property tax	Total hidden costs
Miami	$4,997	$5,643	$20,861
Dallas	$3,604	$4,490	$17,598
Houston	$3,503	$2,800	$16,529
Tampa	$3,456	$3,818	$17,775
Orlando	$3,234	$3,849	$17,327
Denver	$3,208	$3,189	$17,659
Minneapolis	$2,769	$4,455	$19,755
San Francisco	$2,635	$9,490	$24,383
San Diego	$2,544	$6,524	$20,718
Boston	$2,443	$7,167	$22,096
New York	$2,442	$11,143	$25,111
Los Angeles	$2,390	$6,687	$22,915
St. Louis	$2,340	$3,013	$15,809
Nashville	$2,322	$2,303	$15,538
Atlanta	$2,308	$3,654	$17,346
Sacramento	$2,222	$4,781	$18,883
Washington, D.C.	$2,170	$5,583	$18,663
Baltimore	$2,087	$3,941	$17,507
Raleigh	$2,086	$3,442	$16,181
Seattle	$2,027	$6,733	$21,354
Chicago	$1,999	$5,286	$18,239
Indianapolis	$1,930	$2,729	$15,680
Philadelphia	$1,901	$5,561	$18,834
Charlotte	$1,879	$2,466	$15,364
Phoenix	$1,805	$1,567	$14,187
Salt Lake City	$1,726	$2,899	$15,553
Detroit	$1,721	$3,082	$16,186
Portland, Oregon	$1,703	$5,288	$19,656
Cleveland	$1,630	$3,813	$16,904
Pittsburgh	$1,436	$3,256	$15,619
United States	$2,266	$3,129	$16,566

The totals are highest on the coasts, led by New York at $25,111 and San Francisco at $24,383, mostly because of property taxes and maintenance. Phoenix has the lowest total at $14,187. Los Angeles had the sharpest jump in maintenance costs, up 27% in a year.

Why premiums keep rising. Regulators point to several forces at once. Extreme weather and major disasters mean more damage and more claims, labor and materials cost more when homes are repaired, and insurers are paying more for reinsurance, the coverage they buy for themselves, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. A U.S. Treasury study found average premiums per policy rose 8.7% faster than inflation from 2018 to 2022. People in the fifth of ZIP codes with the highest expected losses from climate-related disasters paid $2,321 on average, 82% more than those in the lowest-risk fifth, the Treasury Department said.

States are responding in different ways. Average Texas home insurance premiums rose 79% between 2020 and 2026, Fox 4 reported, and in September the Texas Department of Insurance urged insurers to offer discounts for storm-resistant upgrades. In Florida, 48 companies have filed for rate decreases since January 2024, according to state regulators, Florida Realtors reported. "I expect to see more aggressive rate cuts in the near future and going into 2027," said Florida Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky.

How to lower your bill. Get quotes from several companies before you buy a policy, the NAIC says. Raising your deductible can lower your premium, as long as you have the money to cover it if you file a claim. Bundling home and auto coverage with one company can also cut costs. Ask your state insurance department whether it has a grant program for roof upgrades or other work that makes a home sturdier, and whether those upgrades qualify for discounts. Texas regulators note that companies often give discounts for roofs that resist damage or fire. Read the fine print, too. Policies often have separate deductibles for wind and hail, Oklahoma's insurance department warns.

If you're shopping for a house, Zillow suggests getting an insurance quote before you make an offer. Premiums vary so much by place that the cost of insuring a particular house can change how much you can afford to pay for it.