10 major housing markets with high risks for homeowners
Many of America’s biggest counties are difficult to insure affordably. Among the 100 most populous counties, 87 score above the national average on Insurify’s HIRI.
Some of the traits that make an area attractive to homebuyers, such as beaches, warm weather, and large urban centers, are also conducive to significant natural disaster damage. About 2 in 5 Americans live in coastal shoreline counties, and these counties account for nearly half (46%) of the nation’s GDP.[15]
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Just 3.6% of the nation’s counties score above 90 on Insurify’s HIRI. But those counties encompass 12.1% of the nation’s housing units, according to Insurify’s analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.
Midway through 2026, however, trends suggest some potential homebuyers may be growing more worried about buying homes in less insurable areas. Homesellers are reporting higher profits in northern and Midwest metros, such as Lansing, Michigan, while homesellers are posting lower profits in cyclone-prone parts of Florida, such as Punta Gorda.[16]
1. Los Angeles County, California
Home Insurance Risk Index: 96.5/100 (No. 35 nationally)
Average annual home insurance premium: $4,173 (42% above national average)
Median home value: $783,300
America’s most highly populated county is also one of the counties most threatened by natural disasters. In early 2025, the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire devastated parts of the county. They became the two most expensive fires on record globally based on insured losses, racking up $23 billion and $18 billion in losses, respectively.[17]
But wildfires aren’t the only peril potential homebuyers have to watch out for. Los Angeles County is more at risk for earthquakes and inland flooding damage than any other county nationally, according to FEMA analysts. In fact, they project that in a typical year, natural hazards will cost the county $3.9 billion in economic losses due to deaths, injuries, and property damage.[18]
2. Lee County, Florida
Home Insurance Risk Index: 95.8/100 (No. 47 nationally)
Average annual home insurance premium: $8,181 (178% above national average)
Median home value: $326,300
Lee County is home to nearly 900,000 residents and the city of Fort Myers on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Despite home values near the national median, residents pay nearly triple the national average in home insurance premiums ($8,181 vs. $2,948).
The area’s susceptibility to extreme weather led insurers to pull back their presence in Lee County from 2018 to 2023. In that span, insurers went from declining to renew 0.4% of home insurance policies to 2.5%.[19] That trend, along with high premiums, may explain why nearly 19% of residents are uninsured, compared to 14% uninsured nationally.
But going uninsured is a potentially ruinous financial decision, especially in Lee County. Winds and flooding from Hurricane Ian in 2022 destroyed 5,369 buildings in the county and damaged about 47,000 more.[20]
3. Broward County, Florida
Home Insurance Risk Index: 94.3/100 (No. 67 nationally)
Average annual home insurance premium: $12,912 (338% above national average)
Median home value: $380,400
Broward County, like other coastal areas in southern Florida, is vulnerable to catastrophic cyclones. Just four counties in the U.S. have a higher risk of hurricane damage, according to FEMA.[18]
But hurricane-force winds and storm surge aren’t the only perils homeowners have to worry about here. In 2023, historic flash flooding poured more than 25 inches of rain on the city of Fort Lauderdale in 24 hours, inundating homes and vehicles and causing over $1 billion in damage.[2] Severe weather risks contribute to Broward County’s average home insurance rate being more than four times the national average ($12,912 vs. $2,948).
4. Miami-Dade County, Florida
Home Insurance Risk Index: 94.2/100 (No. 69 nationally)
Average annual home insurance premium: $15,715 (327% above national average)
Median home value: $425,400
Miami-Dade is one of the least insurable major counties in the U.S., according to Insurify’s HIRI. In fact, insurers declined to renew 4.3% of home insurance policies in 2023, one of the highest rates nationally and nearly a 200% increase since 2018, according to a U.S. Senate report that cited hurricane risk as playing a role.[19]
Homeowners in Miami-Dade pay the second-highest premiums of any county ($15,715), behind only Monroe County. As of 2025, Miami-Dade also has one of the highest rates of uninsured homeowners, at 25%, compared to the national average of 14%.
5. San Francisco County, California
Home Insurance Risk Index: 93.7/100 (No. 78 nationally)
Average annual home insurance premium: $3,509 (19% above national average)
Median home value: $1,380,500
At a glance, San Francisco County may seem more secure from hazards than more fire-prone parts of California. But while other counties may see wildfires escalate their risk profiles over time, San Francisco owes its high HIRI rating to the much less common but potentially cataclysmic major earthquake.
The legendary 1906 San Francisco earthquake had a magnitude of 7.9, killed an estimated 3,000 people, and left roughly 200,000 homeless.[21]
Standard home insurance policies generally exclude earthquake coverage, which helps keep San Francisco County home insurance relatively affordable ($3,509 annually) but leaves homeowners open to risk. Prospective homebuyers in the area may consider adding a separate earthquake policy, though these tend to have higher deductibles in the event of a claim.
6. Orange County, California
Home Insurance Risk Index: 93.6/100 (No. 79 nationally)
Average annual home insurance premium: $3,483 (18% above national average)
Median home value: $915,500
Only 78 counties nationally are riskier for homeowners than Orange County, yet its average annual home insurance premiums are much lower relative to that risk. Insurers generally can’t move forward with significant rate increases in California without regulators giving approval, which can keep rates low but has also led some home insurance companies to leave the state, reducing competition and potentially limiting access to coverage.
Despite relatively low rates, Orange County is vulnerable to a variety of disasters. From 2015 to 2018 alone, fires burned over 35,000 acres of Orange County.[22] Apart from wildfires, landslides also threaten parts of the county, prompting the evacuation of four oceanfront apartments in 2023.[23] FEMA rates the county within the top 10 nationally for risk of economic damage from landslides.[18]
7. Denver County, Colorado
Home Insurance Risk Index: 93/100 (No. 85 nationally)
Average annual home insurance premium: $4,455 (51% above national average)
Median home value: $586,700
Denver County has one of the highest Insurify HIRI ratings of any noncoastal county, largely due to hail and wind risk. Colorado, as a whole, has seen its premiums jump 55% since 2023 and is now the sixth most expensive state for home insurance.
In Denver County, hail accounts for more than 50% of homeowner premiums.[24] From 2017 to 2019, at least three major hailstorms hit Denver, with the total damage running up to $7.3 billion.[2] Storm risks, as well as high median home values that often require more insurance coverage, contribute to Denver’s home insurance premiums being one and a half times more expensive than the national average ($4,455 vs. $2,948).
8. Palm Beach County, Florida
Home Insurance Risk Index: 93/100 (No. 87 nationally)
Average annual home insurance premium: $14,235 (383% above national average)
Median home value: $407,300
Florida is one of the highest-risk states for homeownership, with nearly 1 in 3 counties posting an Insurify HIRI higher than 90/100. Palm Beach County is another scenic South Florida area prone to hurricanes. In 2024, Hurricane Milton forced the evacuation of roughly 1,000 people in Palm Beach County and caused an estimated $81 million in damage locally. The hurricane caused three tornadoes in the county, which destroyed 15 buildings and damaged hundreds more.[25]
Although Palm Beach has the 87th-highest HIRI rating of any county, it has the third-highest average home insurance premium ($14,235). Potential homebuyers should also keep in mind other homeownership costs, as Palm Beach County has the highest average property tax cost ($9,175) of any Florida county, according to ATTOM Data.[26]
9. Fort Bend County, Texas
Home Insurance Risk Index: 91.5/100 (No. 99 nationally)
Average annual home insurance premium: $5,450 (85% above national average)
Median home value: $350,300
Fort Bend County, situated southwest of Houston, isn’t technically a coastal county, yet it shares similar risks. It’s one of the 100 least insurable counties in the U.S., based on Insurify’s HIRI. In 2017, officials ordered 200,000 evacuations, more than 20% of the county’s population, due to Hurricane Harvey. That storm flooded about 21% of the county, damaging or destroying about 7,000 homes.[27]
Home insurance premiums in the county ($5,450) are slightly lower than those in neighboring Harris County ($5,869) on average. Still, Fort Bend County has a higher HIRI in part because a greater share of its properties are residential, rather than commercial.
10. Collin County, Texas
Home Insurance Risk Index: 90.8/100 (No. 108 nationally)
Average annual home insurance premium: $4,243 (44% above national average)
Median home value: $447,600
Part of the Dallas metro area, Collin County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the country, adding nearly 43,000 residents from mid-2024 to mid-2025.[28] But those moving to the county should prepare to put up with severe storms that bring a range of perils.
Strong winds, tornadoes, and hail are major drivers of risk in North Texas. From 2020 to 2025, Collin and three other North Texas counties combined for about $2.4 billion in property losses due to hail alone.[29] In May 2023, a severe storm dropped hailstones that reached the size of tennis balls, damaging homes and vehicles.
Ferocious winds are another potential peril for local homeowners. FEMA ranks Collin County third nationally for tornado risk.[18] A May 2024 tornado outbreak in the area brought winds up to 165 mph, killing seven people and destroying about 200 homes and buildings.[30]
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Given the destruction hurricanes bring, insurers often charge more in the Southeast. For perspective, major natural disasters tend to cause about $7 billion in damage on average, while hurricanes specifically cause $23 billion per event, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.
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