Home insurance is having an uneven year. Prices are still rising across most of the country, yet Florida, long the symbol of unaffordable coverage, is now approving rate decreases. Here is what the latest numbers say and what they mean for your next renewal.
All figures are as of September 28, 2026. Each source uses a different sample policy and method, so treat the numbers as trends rather than as your personal quote.
Where premiums are highest
Insurance.com, using data from Quadrant Information Services, puts the national average at $2,872 a year for a policy with $300,000 in dwelling coverage, $300,000 in liability, and a $1,000 deductible. Florida sits far above everyone else at $8,471, and that sample includes a 2% hurricane deductible. Five other states average more than $5,000: Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Louisiana.
Where premiums are rising fastest
The most expensive states are not always the ones where prices are jumping the most. Massachusetts had the largest percentage increase in the Insurance.com data, up 42.9%, yet at $2,112 it still ranks 31st and sits below the national average. Nebraska had the largest dollar increase, about $960, which took its average to $5,513. A Massachusetts insurance regulator's spokesperson pointed to weather risk, rebuilding costs, claims patterns, insurer participation, and older housing stock as factors.
A separate mid-year analysis from Insurify found the national average at $3,012 and prices up 2.2% in the first half of 2026, after a 12% rise in 2025. Insurify expects roughly a 4% increase by year-end, which would make it a fifth straight year of increases. Nearly 1,900 counties saw higher costs in the first half, and more than 130 had double-digit jumps, with hail and wind damage driving some of the sharpest increases in Minnesota.
Florida's rate cuts
Florida is moving the other way. Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky recently approved decreases for four insurers covering more than 62,000 policies: One Alliance North America and Vyrd (each about 10.4%), Safe Harbor (4.1%), and Unique (3.2%). The cuts take effect at renewal, and individual policies can differ. Yaworsky said pending requests include reductions ranging from 0.3% to 19.7% and that he expects more aggressive cuts heading into 2027.
Context matters here: Florida is still the most expensive state by a wide margin, and Insurify's data shows it rose only 2.3% in the first half of 2026. A falling price from a very high base is welcome news, not a return to cheap coverage.
Renewal checklist
- Shop every renewal. Insurers in recovering markets, Florida especially, are competing for customers again. Get at least three quotes.
- Read your deductible. In hurricane and hail states, deductibles are often a percentage of your dwelling coverage, which can mean several thousand dollars rather than a flat $1,000.
- Match coverage to rebuild cost. Construction costs, not market value, drive what a total loss costs to replace.
- Ask about mitigation discounts. Newer roofs, wind-rated openings, and monitored alarms can lower premiums with many carriers.
- Do not assume flood or wildfire is covered. Standard policies exclude flood, and wildfire terms vary by insurer and region.
National averages hide enormous local swings. The only number that counts is what insurers quote for your address, so compare several before you renew.
To see where your own coverage should land, try our home insurance calculator, then compare it against the quotes you receive.