At a glance
| Citizens HO-3 average (2026) | $3,202 |
|---|---|
| CHOICES insurers listed | 19 per county |
| New insurers since reforms | 20 (May 2026) |
| Citizens policies | 255,099 (Sept 18, 2026) |
| Flood | Not covered; separate policy |
What's the average homeowners insurance cost in Florida?
The state does not publish one average premium for the whole market, but it publishes two official measures you can use.
Citizens' average premiums
Citizens Property Insurance, the state-created insurer of last resort, publishes average premiums by county with each rate filing. For its standard homeowners (HO-3) policies, the average fell from $3,506 to $3,202 under the 2026 rates FLOIR approved, an 8.7% cut, applying to new policies from July 1, 2026 and to existing ones at renewal. Across all its personal lines, including condo and dwelling policies, the average is $2,768. Citizens' customers skew toward homes private insurers turned down, so these are not market averages.
CHOICES sample premiums by county
FLOIR's CHOICES tool shows what each of 19 insurers would charge for the same sample homes in every county, based on their approved rate filings. The table uses its standard example: a masonry home built in 2005, with a $300,000 replacement value, a $500 all-other-perils deductible, a 2% hurricane deductible, no claims in three years and minimal wind mitigation credits.
| County | CHOICES median, $300k 2005 home | Range across 19 insurers | Citizens HO-3 average, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alachua | $2,813 | $1,911 to $6,959 | $1,918 |
| Brevard | $4,926 | $2,498 to $9,624 | $2,969 |
| Broward | $8,025 | $3,228 to $16,645 | $4,377 |
| Collier | $6,897 | $2,777 to $12,439 | $4,261 |
| Duval | $3,120 | $1,909 to $7,745 | $2,306 |
| Escambia | $4,924 | $2,989 to $11,070 | $3,697 |
| Hillsborough | $5,111 | $3,067 to $8,438 | $2,757 |
| Lake | $3,685 | $2,143 to $9,866 | $2,117 |
| Lee | $5,125 | $2,923 to $7,919 | $3,039 |
| Leon | $2,595 | $1,526 to $6,362 | $1,555 |
| Miami-Dade | $9,774 | $4,344 to $16,927 | $4,116 |
| Monroe | $8,745 | $2,860 to $37,947 | $6,371 |
| Orange | $4,369 | $2,500 to $12,217 | $2,692 |
| Palm Beach | $7,918 | $3,737 to $20,327 | $4,455 |
| Pinellas | $4,763 | $2,633 to $7,997 | $2,785 |
| Polk | $4,221 | $3,144 to $7,743 | $2,564 |
| Sarasota | $4,515 | $2,690 to $8,645 | $2,901 |
CHOICES figures were retrieved in September 2026 and are illustrative; FLOIR says your own premium will vary and recommends getting a quote. The Citizens column is the approved 2026 average for the homes Citizens insures in that county, which differ from the sample home.
What the table shows
The same house costs roughly three to four times as much to insure in Miami-Dade, Broward or Monroe as in Leon or Alachua, and within one county the most expensive insurer often charges three times or more what the cheapest does. Shopping matters as much as location. County property tax is the other big carrying cost; see our Florida property tax guide.
How much is home insurance on a $400,000 or $500,000 house?
There is no official figure for a $400,000 or $500,000 house, because premiums are set by the cost to rebuild (the dwelling limit), not the sale price, and by location, age, roof and mitigation. A $500,000 home on an expensive lot may need a lower dwelling limit than its price suggests. Three things you can calculate with certainty:
The hurricane deductible
At 2%, the hurricane deductible on a $400,000 dwelling limit is $8,000, and on $500,000 it is $10,000. Insurers do not have to offer a $500 hurricane deductible once the dwelling limit reaches $250,000. Our hurricane insurance guide works through the rules.
Citizens' flood requirement
If the home is insured by Citizens with wind cover, a replacement cost of $500,000 or more has required flood insurance since January 1, 2025, and $400,000 or more since January 1, 2026. That can add a second premium to the budget.
How to get a real number
Start with the CHOICES median for your county as a reference point, then ask an agent to quote the actual dwelling limit with a wind mitigation report. Get quotes during the inspection period so the premium is known before your deposit is at risk; the closing costs guide shows how the first year's premium is paid at closing.
Who is still writing homeowners insurance in Florida?
Plenty of insurers. By FLOIR's figures, Florida's domestic property insurers paid out more than they took in from 2020 to 2022, and the market has turned around since the state's legislative reforms.
Established insurers in CHOICES
CHOICES lists sample rates in every county for 19 insurers, among them State Farm Florida, Universal Property & Casualty, Heritage, People's Trust, Security First, Slide, TypTap, American Strategic, Castle Key Indemnity, Florida Farm Bureau, Southern Oak, Cypress, Monarch National, Homeowners Choice, Manatee Insurance Exchange, Auto Club Insurance Company of Florida and USAA. Companies that filed their data as trade secret are left out, so the list is not complete.
New entrants
FLOIR reported in May 2026 that 20 new property insurers had entered the market since the reforms, the latest being Builder Reciprocal Insurance Exchange, Frontline Insurance Reciprocal Exchange and Wingsail Insurance Company. FLOIR's New Entities report lists every company approved to enter.
Citizens
Citizens had 255,099 policies in force on September 18, 2026, down from a peak of about 1.41 million in October 2023. By law, a new applicant for a primary home is not eligible for Citizens if a private insurer offers comparable cover for no more than 20% above Citizens' premium.
Is the Florida home insurance crisis over?
The official numbers point to a market that has stabilized, though premiums remain high by national standards.
Rates are falling
In September 2026 FLOIR reported that the average homeowners rate request over the prior 30 days was −4.8%, against +15.33% for the average approved rate in July 2022. It said 48 companies had filed for decreases and 53 for no change since January 2024, and cited an S&P Global report that Florida had the lowest rate change of any state in 2025. Citizens' 2026 rates cut personal lines by at least 2% for every policyholder.
Insurers are profitable again
FLOIR reports that Florida's domestic property insurers had a pooled combined ratio of 83% at year-end 2025, down from 109% in 2022 and 116% in 2020. A ratio under 100% means an insurer's claims and expenses are below its premiums.
What a Florida homeowners policy covers
The six parts of a policy
FLOIR describes the standard homeowners policy in parts: Coverage A for the dwelling, B for other structures such as sheds and fences, C for personal property, D for loss of use (additional living expense), plus personal liability and medical payments to others.
Policy forms
HO-3 is the common open-peril form for houses, covering anything not excluded. HO-5 extends open-peril cover to belongings. HO-6 is condo "walls-in" cover alongside the association's master policy. HO-8 is used for older homes. HO-4 is renters insurance. Most exclude flood and earthquake.
Law and ordinance cover
Section 627.7011 requires insurers to offer replacement cost cover and law and ordinance cover of 25% or 50% of the dwelling limit, which pays extra costs of rebuilding to current code. Unless you reject it in writing, the policy includes the 25% level.
What is not covered
Flood is excluded, and Florida requires a bold notice saying so on the declarations page. Sinkhole damage beyond catastrophic ground cover collapse needs an optional endorsement; see our Florida sinkholes guide. Flood cover is covered in the flood zones guide.
How to lower your homeowners insurance in Florida
Get a wind mitigation inspection
CHOICES prices a 1990 masonry home with a $150,000 replacement value both with no wind mitigation features and with the maximum. In Hillsborough the median sample premium drops from $5,908 to $2,830; in Duval, from $2,973 to $1,687. Credits apply to the hurricane-wind part of the premium. Our wind mitigation guide explains the form.
Apply to My Safe Florida Home
Eligible homesteaded single-family owners can get a free wind mitigation inspection and a matching grant of up to $10,000 for upgrades, subject to state funding.
Compare insurers every year
Within a single county, CHOICES sample premiums for the same home often vary threefold or more between insurers. An independent agent can quote several at once.
Choose the deductible deliberately
A higher hurricane deductible lowers the hurricane-wind premium, but only choose an amount you could pay after a storm.
Know your roof rights
An insurer may not refuse or non-renew solely because a roof is under 15 years old, and for an older roof it must accept an inspection showing at least five years of life left. Older homes may also need a 4-point inspection before a policy is written.
Common mistakes when comparing quotes
- Comparing premiums with different deductibles. A quote with a 5% hurricane deductible will look cheaper than one at 2%; line up the deductibles first.
- Insuring the sale price instead of the rebuild cost. The dwelling limit should reflect what it costs to rebuild, and it also sets the dollar size of a percentage deductible.
- Not checking whether the insurer is admitted. Surplus lines policies are not protected by the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association and do not follow the state's deductible rules.
- Leaving out flood. Budget a flood quote alongside the homeowners quote, especially in an A or V zone or with Citizens.
- Buying a condo without checking the master policy. An HO-6 policy only works alongside the association's cover, which our Florida condo law guide touches on.
Common questions
Who is still writing homeowners insurance in Florida?+
Many insurers. FLOIR's CHOICES tool lists sample rates for 19 insurers in every county, including State Farm Florida, Universal, Heritage, Security First, Slide and People's Trust. FLOIR reported in May 2026 that 20 new property insurers had entered since the state's reforms. Citizens Property Insurance remains the insurer of last resort.
What's the average homeowners insurance cost in Florida?+
There is no single state average. Citizens' approved 2026 average for standard HO-3 homeowners policies is $3,202. FLOIR's CHOICES sample for a $300,000, 2005-built masonry home has medians from about $2,600 in Leon County to about $9,800 in Miami-Dade across 19 insurers. Location, rebuild cost, roof and mitigation drive the difference.
How much is home insurance on a $400,000 house in Florida?+
It depends on the rebuild cost, not the price, and on county, age and wind features, so there is no official figure. You can calculate the hurricane deductible: 2% of a $400,000 dwelling limit is $8,000. If Citizens insures the home with wind and its replacement cost is $400,000 or more, flood insurance has been required since January 1, 2026.
How much is homeowners insurance on a $500,000 house in Florida?+
No official average exists for a $500,000 home. Get quotes for the dwelling limit an insurer sets, and use FLOIR's CHOICES county medians as a starting point. A 2% hurricane deductible on a $500,000 dwelling limit is $10,000, and Citizens has required flood cover on homes with replacement costs of $500,000 or more since 2025.
Is homeowners insurance required in Florida?+
No state law requires it, but mortgage lenders require it as a condition of the loan, and if you do not keep it they can buy lender-placed cover, which FLOIR notes usually costs more. If you own outright, it is your choice, though you would bear all storm, fire and liability losses yourself.
Why is home insurance so expensive in Florida?+
Hurricane risk is the main reason: every Florida policy is priced partly on the hurricane-wind risk, which is highest near the coast. Citizens credits recent reforms that reduced litigation with the market's recovery. Since then rates have started to fall, with the average homeowners rate request in the 30 days before September 22, 2026 at minus 4.8%.
Sources
- FLOIR: CHOICES Homeowners Rate Comparison Tool (sample premiums retrieved September 2026)
- FLOIR: Homeowners Insurance
- FLOIR: New Entities to the Market
- FLOIR: 20 companies entering the market since legislative reforms (May 20, 2026)
- FLOIR: Commissioner approves rate decreases for homeowners (September 22, 2026)
- Citizens Property Insurance: Revised 2026 Rate Kit (approved changes and average premiums by county)
- Citizens Property Insurance: Citizens' 2026 Multiperil Rates to Drop Statewide
- Citizens Property Insurance: News (policies in force, September 18, 2026)
- Florida Statutes s. 627.7011: Homeowners' policies
- Florida Statutes s. 627.351: Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
- Florida Department of Financial Services: Florida's Hurricane Deductible
- My Safe Florida Home: Frequently Asked Questions