Best Homeowners Insurance in North Carolina (2024)
- Allstate, Nationwide, State Farm and USAA are the best home insurance companies in North Carolina.
- State Farm has the cheapest home insurance rates in the state, at an average of $123 a month.
- Allstate and Nationwide have the best coverage options and discounts, respectively. USAA is the best military home insurance company.
Cheapest home insurance companies in North Carolina
State Farm is the cheapest home insurance company in North Carolina, charging $1,475 a year, on average.
North Carolina Farm Bureau, Travelers and Allstate also offer home insurance that’s cheaper than the state average rate of $3,378 a year.
| Company | Annual rate | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| State Farm | $1,475 | $123 |
| North Carolina Farm Bureau | $2,138 | $178 |
| Travelers | $2,343 | $195 |
| Allstate | $3,055 | $255 |
| Nationwide | $3,566 | $297 |
| USAA* | $4,912 | $409 |
| Erie Insurance | $6,154 | $513 |
Best home insurance companies in North Carolina
State Farm, Allstate, Nationwide and USAA are the best homeowners insurance companies in North Carolina based on their rates, coverages, discounts and more.
| Company | Best for | Average rate | Customer satisfaction 1 | Complaint index 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Farm | Low rates | $1,475 | 829 | 1.05 |
| Allstate | Coverages | $3,055 | 809 | 1.3 |
| Nationwide | Discounts | $3,566 | 812 | 1.1 |
| USAA* | Military | $4,912 | 881 | 0.33 |
1 J.D. Power’s 2023 U.S. Home Insurance Study. Higher scores are better, with 819 as average
2 NAIC Complaint Index data from 2023. Lower scores are better, with 1.0 as average
Best for cheap rates: State Farm
State Farm is North Carolina’s best home insurance company for low rates, at an average of $1,475 a year. This is 31% cheaper than second-place North Carolina Farm Bureau’s average rate of $2,138 a year.
But while State Farm offers cheap home insurance rates, it doesn’t offer many coverage options or discounts — and its complaint rating isn’t that great, either.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Lowest average rate in North Carolina Above-average customer satisfaction rating Good discount for bundling home and auto insurance with State Farm | Offers fewer optional coverages than main competitors Small selection of home insurance discounts Complaint rating could be better |
Best for coverage options: Allstate
Allstate offers many optional coverages that can help you customize your home insurance policy to your specific needs.
Allstate also offers a wide range of home insurance discounts that could help you save money on the coverage you buy.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Offers the most coverage options of the companies we surveyed Menu of discounts could help make policy cost more affordable | Average rate is middle of the road Customer satisfaction rating is below average Complaint rating is the worst of the companies surveyed |
Best for discounts: Nationwide
Nationwide has the best home insurance deals and discounts of the companies we surveyed in North Carolina. You may get a discount for:
- Bundling your auto and home insurance with Nationwide
- Renovating your home’s plumbing, heating, cooling or electrical systems
- Installing smoke detectors, fire alarms, burglar alarms or other protective devices
- Living in a gated community
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Offers many discounts that can help you lower your payment Standard policies include protection against credit card fraud and building code violations Good selection of optional homeowner insurance coverages | Average rate is on the high side Customer satisfaction rating is below average Complaint rating is worse than most of the other companies surveyed |
Best for military: USAA
USAA is North Carolina’s best home insurance company for military members and their families.
USAA’s average rate is high, but its specialized coverage options and discounts could make up the difference. It also has the state’s best customer satisfaction and complaint ratings.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Standard policies include replacement cost coverage for belongings Offers coverage options aimed at the military community Best complaint and customer satisfaction ratings of surveyed insurers | Average rates are among the state’s highest Not as many optional coverages or discounts as main competitors |
Average cost of home insurance in North Carolina
The average cost of homeowners insurance in North Carolina is $3,378 a year, or $281 a month.
This is for a home with a dwelling coverage limit of $400,000. The dwelling coverage portion of your home insurance policy helps pay to repair or rebuild the structure of your home if a “covered peril” damages or destroys it. Covered perils include events like fires, hail and even vandalism.
Home insurance policies with dwelling limits lower than $400,000 will usually pay less than $3,378 a year, while policies with higher dwelling limits will pay more.
| Dwelling limit | Annual rate | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| $350,000 | $3,033 | $253 |
| $400,000 | $3,378 | $281 |
| $450,000 | $3,734 | $311 |
Your home insurance rate is based on several factors, including:
- Where you live in the state
- Your home’s age
- How much coverage you buy
- Your deductible
- Your credit, insurance and claims history
One of the best ways to find out how much you’ll pay for a home insurance policy is to compare home insurance quotes from a number of companies before you buy.
North Carolina home insurance rates by city
Where you live in North Carolina can have a big impact on how much you pay for home insurance.
Asheville homeowners pay the lowest home insurance rates among the state’s largest cities, at an average of $1,841 a year, or $153 a month.
Wilmington’s average rate is the most expensive of these top 15 cities, averaging $8,107 a year, or $676 a month.
The average home insurance rate in Charlotte is $2,194 a year, which is well below the state average. Raleigh’s average rate is also below the state average, at $2,411 a year.
| City | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| Apex | $2,396 |
| Asheville | $1,841 |
| Cary | $2,416 |
| Charlotte | $2,194 |
| Concord | $2,041 |
| Durham | $2,376 |
| Fayetteville | $3,359 |
| Gastonia | $2,118 |
| Greensboro | $2,085 |
| Greenville | $3,673 |
| High Point | $2,129 |
| Jacksonville | $5,131 |
| Raleigh | $2,411 |
| Wilmington | $8,107 |
| Winston-Salem | $2,044 |
Additional home insurance coverages in North Carolina
Along with a standard home insurance policy and any needed add-on coverages, North Carolina homeowners may want to consider buying windstorm and hail insurance as well as flood insurance.
The state doesn’t require you to buy these types of insurance coverage, but you may need to buy flood insurance if you have a mortgage and live in a high-risk flood zone.
Windstorm and hail insurance
Standard home insurance policies don’t cover windstorm or hail damage in some parts of North Carolina. You have to buy separate wind and hail coverage to be fully protected in such situations.
Many home insurance companies do sell windstorm and hail insurance policies in North Carolina, but if you can’t find an affordable policy, you should look into the Coastal Property Insurance Pool. It offers windstorm and hail coverage to homeowners in 18 coastal North Carolina counties.
Flood insurance
North Carolina has a high flood risk. Unfortunately, though, standard home insurance policies don’t cover flood damage. For that, you need separate flood insurance coverage.
State law doesn’t require homeowners to buy flood insurance, but your mortgage lender might require it — especially if you live in a high-risk flood zone.
You can buy flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or some private insurance companies.
Frequently asked questions
State Farm has the cheapest homeowners insurance in North Carolina, with average rates of $1,475 a year, or $123 a month. (See above for details.)
Home insurance in North Carolina costs $3,378 a year, or $281 a month, on average.
This is for a policy with $400,000 of dwelling coverage. You may pay more or less than this amount if you need more or less dwelling coverage. (See above for details.)
North Carolina law doesn’t require homeowners to buy home insurance, but most lenders do. Your lender may also make you buy flood insurance if your home is in a high-risk flood zone.