No. 7: Kentucky
Average annual premium on a $250,000 dwelling: $2,009
“Kentucky experiences strong summer storms that can cause damage from wind, hail and water. One of the biggest risks in the state is flood damage, with a large number of counties at a higher-than-average risk level. The western corner of the state is also at risk for earthquakes.” — Bankrate.com
(Photo: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
No. 6: South Dakota
Average annual premium on a $250,000 dwelling: $2,105
“South Dakota is a land of extremes. Summers can be blazing hot and winters can be intensely cold. Homeowners may face strong summer storms including high winds and tornadoes. Winter can bring frigid temperatures that could easily freeze and burst pipes, leading to interior water damage.” — Bankrate.com
(Photo: Sebastien Lecocq/Adobe Stock)
No. 5: Arkansas
Average annual premium on a $250,000 dwelling: $2,123
“The state’s proximity to the New Madrid fault increases the risk for earthquakes, and several regions are prone to flooding. Tornadoes and high winds are also common.” — Bankrate.com
(Photo: Shutterstock)
No. 4: Colorado
Average annual premium on a $250,000 dwelling: $2,152
“Strong storms frequently roll off the Rocky Mountains and through Colorado. Damage to roofs caused by hail storms can be expensive to repair and maintain. Tornadoes in the state are also fairly common, as are wildfires.” — Bankrate.com
(Photo: Sean/Adobe Stock)
No. 3: Nebraska
Average annual premium on a $250,000 dwelling: $2,951
“Summers can be rough in Nebraska. The state ranks as one of the worst for hail, which can damage a home’s exterior and can lead to interior water damage. Strong storms can bring high winds, tornadoes and flash floods.” — Bankrate.com
(Photo: Box Lab/Shutterstock)
No. 2: Kansas
Average annual premium on a $250,000 dwelling: $3,089
“The high cost of insurance in Kansas is likely due to the state’s risk level. It’s one of the most risky places in the country for tornadoes and hail damage.” — Bankrate.com
(Photo: Shutterstock)
No. 1: Oklahoma
Average annual premium on a $250,000 dwelling: $3,659
“Tornadoes and strong winds are common in the state, as is seismic activity in certain areas. Eastern Oklahoma is also at risk for widespread flooding.” — Bankrate.com
(Photo: sladkozaponi/Shutterstock)
There are some static elements that factor into an individual homeowner’s annual insurance premiums such as their property’s replacement cost, age, construction type and quality, size and the number of people who live there.
But there also are a myriad of locational factors that can cause home insurance premiums to swell, and they aren’t necessarily headline-grabbing weather events.
Bankrate.com recently surveyed the top risks in each U.S. state in order to better understand how home insurance premiums vary from one place to the next. The consumer-finance educational site paired those geographic factors with the average price of insuring a $250,000 residence to determine how premiums compare across state lines.
The slideshow above illustrates seven states in the U.S. where average home insurance premiums on a $250,000 dwelling surpass $2,000 per year, according to Bankrate.com.
Researchers assembled this information with the intention of providing consumers with a more thorough look at how their home insurance premiums are determined. However, given the details involved in fully covering a residence as well as the distinctions from one household to the next, it takes a knowledgeable insurance agent to truly pinpoint a homeowner’s risk and necessary coverages.
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