Last updated: May 11, 2026
This page describes how the insurance cost numbers, calculators, and rankings on InsuranceCostCity are produced. We are not an insurance carrier or licensed agent — we publish modeled estimates and aggregated industry data to help people understand cost ranges. Actual premiums offered by a carrier will differ.
For state-level insurance cost data, we cross-reference multiple publicly available and industry sources and use a consensus midpoint when sources disagree. Common sources include:
• National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)
• State Departments of Insurance and their published rate filings
• Industry publishers — Insurance.com, Bankrate, Insurify, MoneyGeek, NerdWallet, Insure.com, Kiplinger, ValuePenguin
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood and hazard mapping
• Crime statistics from publicly available federal and local datasets
• U.S. Census Bureau demographic and housing data
• Carrier rate filings and disclosures where available
For each state we record the underlying values along with notes on the spread between sources. This is documented in the project data files.
State-level annual premium averages for homeowners, renters, auto, and landlord insurance are set as the consensus midpoint of credible recent industry estimates, normalized to a common coverage profile where possible:
• Homeowners: roughly $300,000 dwelling coverage with $300,000 liability and a $1,000 deductible, where source data allows
• Auto: full-coverage profile of 100/300/100 liability with comprehensive and collision
• Renters: market-standard personal property and liability limits
• Landlord: estimated at approximately 125% of the state homeowners figure, reflecting industry-typical DP-3 pricing relative to HO-3
When sources disagree, we record the range and select a value that reflects the bulk of the evidence rather than the highest or lowest estimate.
City-level insurance estimates are modeled values derived from the state average and adjusted for local factors. The adjustments are intended to reflect well-understood drivers of variation, not to predict the exact price any individual will be quoted. Inputs to the model include:
• Population and population density (urban areas tend to have different cost profiles than rural areas)
• A crime index drawn from publicly available datasets
• Local natural disaster exposure (coast, fire zone, tornado, hail, earthquake)
• Regional construction cost differences
City estimates are useful for relative comparison and ballpark planning. They are not equivalent to a carrier quote. Many of our city pages are not indexed by search engines because the modeled estimate alone is not substantial enough to justify standalone indexable content; they remain available for users who navigate to them.
Our calculators apply simplified models on top of the state and city data above. Each calculator answers a specific question — replacement cost, deductible trade-off, bundle savings, premium impact of credit score, and so on — using factors that are publicly known to influence insurance pricing.
Inputs: state, home value, construction type, deductible. Output is an estimated annual premium derived from the state average and adjusted for the inputs. The output is an estimate, not a quote.
Inputs: state, coverage amount, deductible. Output is an estimated annual premium relative to the state and national renters averages.
Inputs: state, property value, rental income, number of units. Output is an estimated DP-3 style premium derived from the homeowners baseline.
Inputs: state, age, coverage level, driving record. Output is an estimated annual premium relative to the state and national auto averages.
Replacement cost, bundle savings, roof age, credit score impact, hurricane/windstorm, total housing cost, disaster recovery cost, rate-shock projections, "should I file a claim," market health score, and carrier solvency lookups each use a documented model. The methodology for each is described on the tool page or in the underlying repository.
Insurance pricing is highly individualized. The number a specific person is quoted depends on factors that no public dataset can capture for every household, including:
• The specific property — age, construction, condition, materials, distance to a fire station, distance to coast
• The specific vehicle and driver — model, mileage, age, driving record, claims history
• Credit and insurance score, in states where these are used
• Coverage levels, deductibles, endorsements, and policy form selected
• Insurer-specific underwriting criteria and risk appetite
• Available discounts (bundling, claims-free, security, safety devices, professional affiliations)
• Local risk factors that are sharper than a state or city average can express
For these reasons we present cost figures as ranges and averages rather than as predictions. Always obtain actual quotes from licensed insurance carriers or agents for accurate pricing.
State-level averages and key model assumptions are reviewed periodically as new industry data is published. The most recent comprehensive data review is reflected in the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and on individual state pages. Some pages may show a "data review" date specific to that page.
Important things to keep in mind:
• These are estimates and averages, not quotes or guarantees
• Industry sources disagree more in some categories than others, and our consensus value may differ from any single published figure
• Modeled city estimates do not capture every local nuance
• Insurance markets change quickly, especially in disaster-prone regions, and recent regulatory or market events may not be fully reflected
For corrections to specific numbers, see our Corrections Policy.