25 North Carolina Homeowners Insurance Statistics for 2026: Cost, Rate Cases and Hurricane Claims
North Carolina homeowners insurance in 25 cited statistics: NAIC average premiums, NCDOI 2025 premium and market share data, consent-to-rate growth, the 2025-2026 rate settlement, Hurricane Helene claims and coastal pool exposure.
North Carolina homeowners pay more than the national average for the standard HO-3 policy, and a growing share of them pay more than the state’s approved rates. This report gathers 25 cited statistics on what homeowners insurance costs in North Carolina, how large the market is, which insurer groups write it, how consent-to-rate pricing has spread, what the 2025 and 2026 rate settlements changed, and what Hurricane Helene cost insurers. Every figure comes from the NAIC, the North Carolina Department of Insurance (NCDOI), the North Carolina Rate Bureau (NCRB) or the state’s coastal property pool.
Key Takeaways
- North Carolina HO-3 averaged $1,852 - the NAIC’s 2023 exposure-weighted HO-3 average in North Carolina was $1,852, 6.6% above the $1,737 countrywide average.
- Premium written reached $5.50 billion in 2025 - insurers wrote $5,499,222,952 of homeowners premium in North Carolina in 2025, up 28.7% from 2023.
- Most policies are now priced above the approved rate - 62.9% of homeowners policies written in 2025 used consent to rate, up from 44.6% in 2023.
- Base rates rose 7.5% in 2025 and 7.5% in 2026 - the NCDOI settled the Rate Bureau’s requested 42.2% increase at two 7.5% steps.
- Helene produced 80,311 homeowners claims - the NCDOI’s Helene data call counted 80,311 homeowners claims and $1.18 billion of incurred losses as of September 2025.
- State Farm and NC Farm Bureau write 29% of the market - the two largest groups wrote 15.33% and 13.56% of 2025 homeowners premium, by our tally of NCDOI company data.
What homeowners insurance costs in North Carolina
1. North Carolina’s average HO-3 premium was $1,852 in 2023
The HO-3 is the standard owner-occupied homeowners form. The NAIC’s Dwelling Fire and Homeowners report for 2023 data puts North Carolina’s exposure-weighted HO-3 average at $1,852, based on 2,040,734 house-years of coverage. That figure divides total premium by house-years across every coverage amount and insurer. It is not a quote, and it predates both of the 7.5% base rate increases that took effect in June 2025 and June 2026.
2. That was 6.6% above the $1,737 countrywide HO-3 average
The countrywide HO-3 average in the same NAIC table was $1,737, so North Carolina homeowners paid about $115 more per year on average for the same form. Wind is priced explicitly in North Carolina: the Rate Bureau’s homeowners circular revises windstorm or hail exclusion credits, wind mitigation credits and wind-only rates by territory alongside base rates.
3. All owner-occupied forms averaged $1,771
When the NAIC combines dwelling fire with every owner-occupied homeowners form in North Carolina, the average premium was $1,771 in 2023 across 2,311,945 house-years. The broader HO-5 form averaged $2,290 and the narrower HO-2 averaged $1,420.
4. $1 million homes averaged $5,574 on an HO-3
Coverage amount moves premium more than anything else in the NAIC tables. North Carolina HO-3 policies with $1 million or more of coverage averaged $5,574 in 2023, against $1,665 at $300,000 to $324,999 and $2,408 at $500,000 to $599,999. At under $150,000 of coverage the average was $721.
5. Condo owners paid $637 and renters $174
North Carolina HO-6 condo policies averaged $637 in 2023, slightly below the $658 countrywide average, and HO-4 renters policies averaged $174, close to the $173 countrywide figure. Renters and condo forms made up 23.5% of the state’s insured house-years, against 73.6% for owner-occupied homeowners forms and 2.9% for dwelling fire.
- Owner-occupied homeowners 74%
- Renters and condo 24%
- Dwelling fire 3%
6. The dwelling fire form averaged $372
The NAIC’s dwelling fire series, which it collects for one-family, owner-occupied, non-seasonal buildings, averaged just $372 in North Carolina in 2023, far below the $1,019 countrywide figure. Almost half of those house-years (48.6%) carried less than $150,000 of coverage. This is not a landlord average. For what rental owners pay under the Rate Bureau’s dwelling program, see our North Carolina landlord insurance cost guide.
How big the North Carolina market is
7. Insurers wrote $5.50 billion of homeowners premium in 2025
Homeowners multiple-peril direct premiums written in North Carolina totaled $5,499,222,952 in 2025, according to the NCDOI’s 2025 statistical reports, which are compiled from insurer annual statements. Homeowners was 19.34% of all property and casualty premium written in the state.
8. Premium grew 28.7% in two years
The same NCDOI series shows homeowners premium written of $4.27 billion in 2023 and $4.81 billion in 2024 before reaching $5.50 billion in 2025. That is a 14.4% increase in 2025 alone and 28.7% since 2023. Written premium grows with rates, consent-to-rate surcharges and the number and value of insured homes, so it is not the same as the change in any one household’s bill.
Data
| 2023 | $4.27B |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $4.81B |
| 2025 | $5.50B |
9. Average premium per policy written rose 31% from 2023 to 2025
The NCDOI’s consent-to-rate data call reports policies written and actual written premium for the main owner forms (HO-2, HO-3, HO-5, HO-7 and HO-8) under Rate Bureau jurisdiction. Dividing one by the other gives about $1,483 per policy in 2023, $1,667 in 2024 and $1,944 in 2025, by our calculation from the 2025, 2024 and 2023 summaries. That is a 31.1% rise in two years.
10. 2025’s homeowners loss ratio was 40.5%
North Carolina homeowners insurers incurred $2,087,970,687 of losses on $5,154,494,982 of earned premium in 2025, a loss ratio of 40.5% by our calculation. In 2024, the year Hurricane Helene struck, the same line ran about 73.9% ($3.34 billion of losses on $4.52 billion earned), and in 2023 about 57.8%, per the NCDOI’s 2024 and 2023 summaries.
Who writes North Carolina homeowners insurance
11. State Farm wrote 15.33% of the market
State Farm’s companies wrote $843.3 million of North Carolina homeowners premium in 2025, a 15.33% share, by our sum of the company rows in the NCDOI’s 2025 homeowners report. See our State Farm review for its ratings.
12. North Carolina Farm Bureau was a close second at 13.56%
North Carolina Farm Bureau’s group wrote $745.9 million, or 13.56%, of 2025 homeowners premium in the same NCDOI data. Together, the top two groups wrote 28.9% of the market; adding USAA, the top three wrote 39.75%.
13. USAA, Allstate and Erie each wrote 7% or more
USAA’s companies wrote 10.85% of 2025 homeowners premium, Allstate’s 7.12% and Erie’s 7.00%, followed by Auto-Owners (5.05%), Nationwide (4.71%), Travelers (4.52%), American Family (3.34%) and Liberty Mutual (3.31%), per our tally of the NCDOI report. The top ten groups held 74.8% of the market.
14. 133 companies wrote homeowners premium
The NCDOI’s 2025 homeowners report lists 133 companies with positive written premium, including local farmers mutuals and surplus lines writers. Surplus lines companies wrote about 1.35% of premium, so nearly all North Carolina homeowners coverage is still written by licensed insurers.
Rates and consent to rate
15. The Rate Bureau asked for 42.2% and got two 7.5% increases
The NCRB, which files homeowners rates on behalf of member insurers, requested an average 42.2% statewide increase in January 2024, with up to 99.4% in some areas. The settlement announced January 17, 2025 raised the statewide average base rate 7.5% on June 1, 2025 and another 7.5% on June 1, 2026, per the NCDOI and the Rate Bureau’s circular P-25-1.
16. No territory could rise more than 35%
The same settlement capped any territory at a 35% increase and barred the Rate Bureau from seeking another homeowners increase before June 1, 2027. The commissioner estimated homeowners would save about $777 million over two years compared with the request.
17. 62.9% of policies used consent to rate in 2025
Under G.S. 58-36-30, an insurer can charge more than the Rate Bureau’s rate on a home of up to four units through consent to rate, with a disclosure showing the premium at approved rates next to the premium charged. In 2025, 1,518,921 of 2,414,544 homeowners policies written, 62.9%, used consent to rate, up from 55.6% in 2024 and 44.6% in 2023.
Data
| 2023 | 44.6% |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 55.6% |
| 2025 | 62.9% |
18. Consent-to-rate policies paid $724 more on average
The NCDOI reports the average difference between the consented premium and the manual premium for each consent-to-rate policy. It was $724 in 2025, up from $553 in 2024 and $447 in 2023. Consent-to-rate policies averaged about $2,228 of consented premium against about $1,504 at manual rates in 2025, by our calculation from the same file.
19. Consent-to-rate policies were 72.1% of premium
Because they carry higher premiums, consent-to-rate policies made up an even larger share of dollars than of policies: 72.1% of 2025 actual written premium, against 53.8% in 2023. Territory 220 had the largest average consent-to-rate difference in 2025, $979 per policy.
Hurricanes, Helene and the coast
20. Helene generated 80,311 homeowners claims
The NCDOI’s Hurricane Helene data call, which covers licensed insurers, surplus lines insurers and both state residual pools with North Carolina policies in force on September 26, 2024, counted 80,311 homeowners claims as of September 12, 2025, against 3,348,319 homeowners policies in force. Incurred homeowners losses were $1,179,713,906, of which $926,349,823 had been paid.
21. About 27% of Helene homeowners claims closed without payment
Of those homeowners claims, 21,666 were closed without payment, about 27% of the total by our calculation. Standard homeowners policies exclude flood, and the insurance commissioner wrote in an April 2025 memo that many Helene losses would not be covered “because very few people had flood insurance.” Private flood policies, just 32,820 in force, reported $579.9 million of incurred losses, and the federal flood program is not included in the data call. See our flood insurance statistics.
22. Helene losses across all lines topped $3.49 billion
Across residential, commercial, flood and other lines, insurers reported 125,658 Helene claims and $3,487,391,280 of incurred losses in the NCDOI data. Residential property alone accounted for 93,060 claims and $1.42 billion. Dwelling policies, the form used for most rentals, had 7,696 claims and $122.3 million incurred.
23. The coastal pool insured $152 billion
The North Carolina Insurance Underwriting Association, the coastal property pool formerly called the Beach Plan, reported 272,841 risks and $152.0 billion of aggregate exposure at December 31, 2024, up from 252,281 risks and $125.7 billion a year earlier, a 20.9% rise in exposure. It writes only in beach and coastal areas.
24. The pool carries $6.475 billion of storm capacity for 2026
The association’s 2026 risk financing structure totals $6.475 billion, built from $1.65 billion of retained earnings, a $1 billion member company assessment, catastrophe bonds and reinsurance layers, and a $625 million catastrophe recovery charge.
25. North Carolina had five federal disaster declarations in 2021-2025
The NAIC’s homeowners report lists two FEMA disaster declarations for North Carolina in 2021, two in 2024 and one in 2025, five in total over the five years. The NAIC uses the table to show how catastrophe exposure feeds into homeowners prices across states. For storm-specific figures, see our hurricane insurance statistics.
What these statistics mean for North Carolina homeowners
- Look for the consent-to-rate disclosure. If your policy shows a premium at approved rates and a higher premium charged, you are on consent to rate. Use the gap as a reason to compare quotes.
- Insure to rebuild cost. The NAIC bands show premium tracks coverage amount. See our homeowners insurance cost guide plus Texas homeowners insurance statistics, South Carolina homeowners insurance statistics and Colorado homeowners insurance statistics and Washington homeowners insurance statistics and Arkansas homeowners insurance statistics.
- Buy flood separately. About 27% of Helene homeowners claims closed without payment. Flood needs its own policy.
- Ask about wind mitigation credits. The Rate Bureau’s filings include windstorm mitigation credits, and the NCDOI ties its dwelling settlement to fortified home and roof credits.
- Compare carriers. See our best homeowners insurance companies ranking and the carrier directory.
- Rental owners: price a dwelling policy. A full-time rental is written on a dwelling or landlord form. See North Carolina landlord insurance and city pages for Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro, then request a quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is homeowners insurance in North Carolina?
The NAIC’s 2023 exposure-weighted HO-3 average in North Carolina was $1,852, above the $1,737 countrywide average. NCDOI data put actual written premium at about $1,944 per policy written in 2025, by our calculation, after two years of rate increases and more consent-to-rate pricing. Your quote depends on location, rebuild cost, deductible and wind exposure.
Did North Carolina homeowners rates go up in 2026?
Yes. The settled Rate Bureau case raised the statewide average base rate 7.5% on June 1, 2025 and another 7.5% on June 1, 2026, varying by territory with a 35% cap. No new Rate Bureau homeowners increase can be sought before June 1, 2027.
What is consent to rate in North Carolina?
It is the mechanism in G.S. 58-36-30 that lets an insurer charge more than the Rate Bureau’s approved rate, with a disclosure of both premiums. In 2025, 62.9% of homeowners policies written used it, and those policies paid $724 more on average than the manual premium.
Who is the largest home insurer in North Carolina?
State Farm’s companies wrote 15.33% of 2025 homeowners premium, followed by North Carolina Farm Bureau at 13.56% and USAA at 10.85%, by our tally of the NCDOI 2025 homeowners report.
Does homeowners insurance cover a North Carolina rental property?
Not for a full-time rental. The NCDOI says dwelling policies typically cover non-owner-occupied residences of up to four units, such as rentals. See our North Carolina landlord insurance cost guide and best landlord insurance companies.