How to Compare Home Insurance Quotes (2024)

Shopping around for home insurance quotes helps you find the right coverage at the cheapest price. Comparing home insurance quotes could save you $700 a year.

Find the Cheapest Home Insurance Quotes in Your Area

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Compare home insurance quotes by company

When shopping around for quotes, home insurance companies offer a wide range of rates. This is due to companies weighing factors differently when determining your rate. Insurance companies can also offer different types of discounts and savings that may drive down your rate.

CompanyAverage Annual RateAverage Monthly Rate
Erie$2,055$171
State Farm$2,427$202
USAA*$2,507$209
Allstate$2,560$213
Chubb$2,606$217
Progressive$2,648$221
Country$2,827$236
Nationwide$3,055$255
American Family$3,072$256
Travelers$3,149$262
Farm Bureau$3,639$303
Farmers$3,801$317

*USAA is only available to military members and veterans, along with their families

Best for rates: Erie Insurance

Erie Insurance has the cheapest home insurance rates of $2,055 a year, on average. This is 36% cheaper than the national average rate ($2,801).

Erie Insurance is only available in 12 states and the D.C. area. Homeowners elsewhere may get the cheapest rates from State Farm, which charges an average of $2,427 a year.

How to compare home insurance quotes

You can get a home insurance quote by using an online quote comparison tool, talking to an insurance agent or directly visiting an insurance company’s website.

When getting multiple quotes, insurance companies may include different coverages and deductibles in their quotes. We recommend looking at more than just the rate in a quote to make the most accurate comparison.

You can simplify the process of comparing quotes by gathering basic information about your home and coverage needs before you start shopping. If you don’t know or remember some of these details about your home, you can view your county assessor’s website or your home’s inspection report.

1. Compare home insurance quotes by coverage

You’ll need to know how much coverage you need and want when you get home insurance quotes. Coverage limits can have a big impact on your quote. These coverages are often included in a standard home insurance policy:

  • Dwelling
  • Other structures
  • Personal property
  • Loss of use
  • Personal liability
  • Medical payments to others

Dwelling coverage

Your dwelling coverage pays to repair damage to your home from covered perils, like fires or fallen trees.

If you have a mortgage, your lender will likely require your policy’s dwelling limit to match your home’s replacement value (this is the estimated cost of rebuilding it).

Insurance companies usually calculate your dwelling limit for you based on details you provide about your home. Make sure the information they have about your home is accurate.

Other structures

The other structures coverage in a homeowners insurance policy applies to sheds, detached garages and other structures that aren’t attached to your home. Most insurers offer this in default amounts ranging from 10% to 20% of your dwelling limit.

Personal property

The personal property coverage in homeowners insurance covers your belongings. This includes your appliances, furniture, clothing, electronics, gadgets and other items.

Make note of the type of personal property coverage in each quote, and consider adding coverage for any valuables you may have.

QuestionsStandard optionsUpgrades
What types of personal property coverage can I get?Standard home insurance covers your belongings at actual cash value, or at depreciated prices.A replacement cost upgrade pays to replace damaged or stolen items with new ones.
How does home insurance cover my valuables?Most policies cap their coverage at $1,500 for jewelry and similar amounts for other valuables, unless you buy add-on protection.Ask to see the price of add-ons you may need in your quotes.

Your insurance company can reimburse a claim according to the actual cash value or replacement cost value of your property or belongings.

Replacement cost value coverage pays out claims based on the amount of money it would take to replace your property or belongings.

Actual cash value coverage factors in depreciation at the time of the loss when paying out.

Tip: If you can’t decide between replacement cost and actual cash value coverage for your belongings, ask for separate quotes showing your rate with each coverage type.

Loss of use

If a covered peril leaves your home uninhabitable during repairs, your loss of use coverage pays for rent and other temporary living expenses until you move back home.

A common default amount is 20% of your dwelling limit, but many companies cut off your loss of use benefits after a set period of time, such as a year.

Personal liability and medical payments

The personal liability coverage in homeowners insurance covers injuries or damage you cause to others, generally not while operating a vehicle.

Medical payments cover the medical costs of a guest who gets hurt while visiting your home, regardless of fault.

Both are offered in default amounts, but you can increase your limits.

Home insurance endorsements to compare

Insurance companies usually offer endorsements (also called add-ons), for certain coverages that other companies automatically include in their base policies. Two important coverages that you may or may not have to pay extra for, depending on the company, are:

  • A backup of a sewer or drain in your home could cause costly damage to your floors, walls and personal belongings. Find out if the policies you review cover this risk or require an endorsement.
  • Extended replacement cost coverage increases your dwelling coverage if the cost of rebuilding your home after a covered disaster goes over your limit. A company may include it in your quote, or you might need to pay extra for it.

Insurance companies can also offer these optional coverages at a cost:

  • Earthquake insurance
  • Flood insurance
  • Identity theft

2. Compare home insurance quotes by deductible

You should also account for any price differences that may result from having different deductibles in your home insurance quotes.

In most areas, raising your deductible from $1,000 to $2,000 can lower your premium (also known as your rate) by about 10%.

Since your deductible is the amount that comes out of your pocket for property damage or theft claims, you don’t want it to be too high. However, increasing it to the most you’d be able to afford after a disaster can help you save money.

How to navigate wind and hail deductibles

In many parts of the U.S., insurance companies separate your deductible for wind, hail and/or hurricane damage from the deductible that applies to other covered perils.

3. Compare home insurance quotes by ratings

While a low price is important, you also want the home insurance company you choose to provide great customer service.

Erie, Amica Mutual and Auto-Owners are the best home insurance companies for overall satisfaction, according to J.D. Power. However, although USAA has a higher rating than any other insurance company, only current and former members of the military and their families can get insurance from USAA.

Country Financial has the lowest Complaint Index score from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). The NAIC calculates complaint index scores using the number of complaints a company receives and the size of the company. If a company receives a score lower than 1.0, it receives fewer complaints than what’s expected from a company of its size.

CompanyLendingTree scoreJ.D. Power overall satisfaction (higher is better)NAIC complaint index (lower is better)
Erie8560.50
Amica MutualNot rated8440.33
Auto-Owners8340.40
State Farm8291.05
Country FinancialNot rated8190.10
Average8191.0
American Family8130.49
Nationwide8120.95
ASI Progressive7911.43
USAA*8810.50

While it’s good to consider these ratings when shopping for home insurance, it’s also helpful to review each company’s pros and cons. As an example, we reviewed Erie Insurance, State Farm and Progressive.

Pros
  • Offers cheap home insurance rates
  • Earned a high customer satisfaction score from J.D. Power
  • Offers guaranteed home replacement cost, which covers rebuilding costs that go over your policy’s limits
Cons
  • Not available in every state
  • Has few discounts compared to competitors
Pros
  • Charges affordable home insurance rates
  • Has a great multi-discount that can save you up to $1,273 per year on car and home insurance
  • Received an above-average customer satisfaction score from J.D. Power
Cons
  • Offers few home insurance discounts
  • Has limited optional coverages
Pros
  • Offers a wide variety of discounts
Cons
  • Charges average home insurance rates
  • Provides poor customer service, according to J.D. Power
Tip: We recommend taking advantage of discounts available to you. You can contact your agent if you’re unsure which discounts you may qualify for.

Compare home insurance quotes by state

The location of your home can affect how much you pay for home insurance. If your home insurance quote is higher than your state average, we recommend looking at other companies.

StateAverage rateCheapest companyCheapest premium
Alabama$3,217Allstate$2,228
Alaska$1,475Western National$1,235
Arizona$2,623State Farm$1,737
Arkansas$3,722MetLife$2,519
California$1,260USAA$799
Colorado$4,489Chubb$2,614
Connecticut$2,618Allstate$1,737
Delaware$1,701Nationwide$840
District of Columbia$1,764Nationwide$1,409
Florida$3,889Chubb$2,294
Georgia$2,869Progressive$2,061
Hawaii$632UPC Insurance$370
Idaho$2,178Mutual of Enumclaw$957
Illinois$2,743Nationwide$1,545
Indiana$2,643Erie Insurance$1,453
Iowa$2,697Pekin Insurance$1,830
Kansas$5,412Shelter Insurance$3,227
Kentucky$4,671Cincinnati Insurance Co.$2,030
Louisiana$4,033State Farm$1,274
Maine$1,863Vermont Mutual Insurance$1,006
Maryland$1,810Travelers$1,384
Massachusetts$1,906Norfolk & Dedham Group$685
Michigan$2,467The Hanover Insurance Group$1,004
Minnesota$3,642North Star Mutual Insurance Co.$2,001
Mississippi$4,201Southern Farm Bureau Casualty$3,249
Missouri$3,387Allstate$2,356
Montana$3,068Farmers$1,660
Nebraska$5,912American Family$3,834
Nevada$1,626Nationwide$1,065
New Hampshire$1,760Vermont Mutual Insurance$1,048
New Jersey$1,744Allstate$1,028
New Mexico$3,354State Farm$2,183
New York$1,897NYCM Insurance$529
North Carolina$3,378State Farm$1,475
North Dakota$2,911North Star Mutual Insurance Co.$1,947
Ohio$2,207Erie Insurance$1,242
Oklahoma$6,133American Farmers & Ranchers$4,466
Oregon$1,885Mutual of Enumclaw$782
Pennsylvania$1,928Westfield Insurance$1,017
Rhode Island$2,240State Farm$1,027
South Carolina$3,335Allstate$1,274
South Dakota$3,605North Star Mutual Insurance Co.$2,530
Tennessee$2,857Erie Insurance$2,332
Texas$5,180Texas Farm Bureau Insurance$3,474
Utah$1,507Farm Bureau Financial Services$1,230
Vermont$1,339Allstate$768
Virginia$2,499State Farm$1,483
Washington$1,600Mutual of Enumclaw$907
West Virginia$2,511USAA$1,197
Wisconsin$2,159Erie Insurance$1,222
Wyoming$2,323Nationwide$1,408

Your home insurance rate can also vary depending on the city you live in. If you live in a city with a high crime rate or you live by the coast, you might pay higher home insurance rates.

Sample home insurance quote comparisons

Since coverage types, limits and prices tend to vary by company, comparing home insurance quotes on an exact apples-to-apples basis may be difficult.

It’s usually up to you to decide what’s more important: a cheaper price or more coverage.

Quote AQuote BQuote C
Dwelling coverage: $300,000Dwelling coverage: $300,000Dwelling coverage: $300,000
Other structures: $30,000Other structures: $30,000Other structures: $30,000
Personal property: $180,000, replacement costPersonal property: $150,000, actual cash valuePersonal property: $180,000, replacement cost
Loss of use: $60,000Loss of use: $60,000Loss of use: $60,000
Personal liability: $100,000Personal liability: $100,000Personal liability: $100,000
Medical payments: $5,000Medical payments: $5,000Medical payments: $5,000
Endorsements: Extended replacement costEndorsements: NoneEndorsements: Extended replacement cost
All-perils deductible: $1,000All-perils deductible: $1,000All-perils deductible: $2,000
Price: $1,173 per year ($98 a month)Price: $1,037 a year ($86 a month)Price: $1,106 per year ($92 a month)

Choosing a home insurance policy

We recommend reviewing your coverages, discounts, and policy information before buying a home insurance policy. You can buy home insurance through an agent or online. Insurance companies will require a start date for your policy.

If you have an escrow account, you may need to pay for your home insurance yearly or according to your lender’s requirements. Otherwise, you can decide whether to pay for your home insurance policy monthly or yearly.

When should I shop around for a better home insurance rate?

If you already have homeowners insurance, you should compare quotes every few years to see if you can get a better deal. Since insurance companies adjust their rates regularly, a company that quoted you a high rate in the past may offer a lower rate the next time you shop.

You may also get a lower rate now than you did before if:

  • More than three years have elapsed since your last home insurance claim
  • Your credit has improved
  • You’ve replaced your roof or upgraded your plumbing, heating or electricity

Events such as these may also lower your rate with your current insurer. However, comparing quotes as your circumstances change lets you see if a different company can give you a cheaper price.

Your existing home insurer may charge an early termination fee if you cancel midway through a policy term to switch. These cancellation fees tend to be small, but you can avoid one entirely if you switch when your current term expires.

Frequently asked questions

Bundling your homeowners policy with your car insurance and shopping around for the lowest rate are among the best ways to save money on home insurance. Make sure to ask about any discounts that may be available to you.

Homeowners insurance isn’t required by law. For mortgages, lenders often require you to insure your home at its replacement value, which is the estimated cost of rebuilding it. You can insure it for a lower amount if you have a low loan balance or no mortgage. However, doing so is rarely advised.

If you’re buying a home, it’s best to begin shopping for homeowners insurance as soon as your offer is accepted. For mortgages, lenders require your insurance policy to take effect on your closing date.

Methodology

The rates shown in this article are based on nonbinding quotes collected from Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. Average rates were compiled from rates in all 50 states. The following coverages and deductible were used unless otherwise noted:

  • $400,000 dwelling coverage
  • $40,000 other structures
  • $200,000 personal property
  • $80,000 loss of use coverage
  • $100,000 liability
  • $5,000 medical payments
  • $1,000 deductible

Customer satisfaction and claims satisfaction ratings were obtained from the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Home Insurance Study.

Complaint ratings come from National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) records for 2023. A confirmed complaint is one that leads to a finding of fault. A company with a 2.0 complaint rating has twice as many confirmed complaints as expected for its size. A company with a 0.5 rating has half as many.

*USAA is only available to military members and veterans, along with their families

Our team of insurance experts rated insurance companies based on several categories. These categories include average rates, discounts, coverage options, third party customer service ratings, and app / website experience. We weighted these categories based on what customers value in an insurance company.

For 3rd party customer service ratings, we included NAIC’s Complaint Index scores and financial strength ratings from A.M. Best. NAIC Complaint Index scores are used to determine how satisfied customers are with their claims, while financial strength ratings from A.M. Best reflect the ability to pay out claims.