25 South Carolina Homeowners Insurance Statistics for 2026: Cost, Market Share and Coastal Wind
South Carolina homeowners insurance in 25 cited statistics: NAIC average premiums, SC DOI 2024 market share, NAIC 2025 group shares, SCWHUA residual wind market and dwelling fire benchmarks.
South Carolina homeowners pay close to the national HO-3 average, while coastal property owners often split wind coverage through the South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association. This report gathers 25 cited statistics on what homeowners insurance costs in South Carolina, how large the market is, which insurer groups write it, how SCWHUA fits in, and what the dwelling fire form costs. Every figure comes from the NAIC or the South Carolina Department of Insurance (SC DOI).
Key Takeaways
- South Carolina HO-3 averaged $1,753 - the NAIC’s 2023 exposure-weighted HO-3 average in South Carolina was $1,753, 0.9% above the $1,737 countrywide average.
- Insurers wrote $2.895 billion of homeowners premium in 2024 - SC DOI’s company market-share report puts statewide homeowners multiple-peril written premium at $2,894,859,671.
- NAIC 2025 group premium reached $3.51 billion - the NAIC’s 2025 market share report shows South Carolina homeowners group DPW of $3,506,382,000 with a 26.36% statewide loss ratio.
- State Farm leads the market - State Farm Fire and Casualty held 21.42% of 2024 company premium; State Farm Group held 20.21% of 2025 group premium.
- SCWHUA had 15,337 in-force policies at year-end 2025 - the coastal wind-and-hail residual market carried about $6.73 billion of insured limits after a 994-policy decline in 2025.
- The dwelling fire form averaged $564 - that NAIC owner-occupied series is not a landlord average; see our South Carolina landlord insurance cost guide for rental context.
What homeowners insurance costs in South Carolina
1. South Carolina’s average HO-3 premium was $1,753 in 2023
The HO-3 is the standard owner-occupied homeowners form. The NAIC’s Dwelling Fire and Homeowners report for 2023 data puts South Carolina’s exposure-weighted HO-3 average at $1,753, based on 1,072,109.3 house-years of coverage and about $1.88 billion of premium. That figure divides total premium by house-years across every coverage amount and insurer. It is not a quote.
2. That was 0.9% above the $1,737 countrywide HO-3 average
The countrywide HO-3 average in the same NAIC table was $1,737, so South Carolina homeowners paid about $16 more per year on average for the same form. Relative to high-cost coastal peers, South Carolina sits near the national mid-point on this NAIC series.
3. All owner-occupied forms averaged $1,728
When the NAIC combines dwelling fire with every owner-occupied homeowners form in South Carolina, the average premium was $1,728 in 2023 across 1,221,097.3 house-years. The broader HO-5 form averaged $2,744 and the narrower HO-2 averaged $1,425. HO-1 averaged $598 across only 350.3 house-years, and HO-8 averaged $737.
4. $1 million homes averaged $6,410 on an HO-3
Coverage amount moves premium more than anything else in the NAIC tables. South Carolina HO-3 policies with $1 million or more of coverage averaged $6,410 in 2023, against $1,488 at $300,000 to $324,999 and $2,230 at $500,000 to $599,999. At under $150,000 of coverage the average was $915. Rebuild cost, not market value, should set the dwelling limit, because land is not insured and underinsurance shows up only after a total loss.
5. Condo owners paid $628 and renters $187
South Carolina HO-6 condo policies averaged $628 in 2023, below the $658 countrywide average, and HO-4 renters policies averaged $187, above the $173 countrywide figure. Renters and condo forms made up 23.5% of the state’s insured house-years, against 75.4% for owner-occupied homeowners forms and 1.0% for dwelling fire.
- Owner-occupied homeowners 75%
- Renters and condo 24%
- Dwelling fire 1%
6. The dwelling fire form averaged $564
The NAIC’s dwelling fire series, which it collects for one-family, owner-occupied, non-seasonal buildings, averaged $564 in South Carolina in 2023, 44.7% below the $1,019 countrywide figure. About 49.0% of those house-years carried less than $150,000 of coverage. This is not a landlord average. For rental-owner cost context, see our South Carolina landlord insurance cost guide.
7. Higher dwelling fire coverage bands still cost under $1,200 on average
Even at $700,000 to $999,999 of coverage, South Carolina dwelling fire policies averaged $1,202 in 2023, and the $1 million-and-over band averaged $1,183. That pattern differs from higher-cost states where the top bands climb much faster, but it still shows rebuild limit as a primary price driver.
How big the South Carolina market is
8. Insurers wrote $2.895 billion of homeowners premium in 2024
Homeowners multiple-peril premiums written in South Carolina totaled $2,894,859,671 in 2024, according to SC DOI’s company market-share report dated August 1, 2025. The top 50 companies wrote $2.690 billion, or 92.94% of the market. That concentration means most South Carolina homeowners still buy from a relatively short list of admitted writers, even though dozens of companies appear further down the table.
9. NAIC 2025 group premium was $3.506 billion
The NAIC’s 2025 Market Share Reports for Property/Casualty Groups put South Carolina homeowners multiple-peril direct premiums written at $3,506,382,000. Direct premiums earned were $3.302 billion. The SC DOI company table and the NAIC group table are different series and years, so treat both as official benchmarks rather than a single time series.
10. The 2025 statewide homeowners loss ratio was 26.36%
In the NAIC 2025 group report, South Carolina homeowners posted a 26.36% loss ratio and a 27.24% loss-and-cost-containment ratio. Among the largest groups, Travelers reported an 11.17% loss ratio and Allstate a 40.64% loss ratio on their South Carolina homeowners books.
11. Owner-occupied forms dominate house-years
NAIC Table 1 shows South Carolina with 1,204,633.6 owner-occupied homeowners house-years (75.4%), 375,542.2 renters and condo house-years (23.5%) and 16,463.8 dwelling fire house-years (1.0%), for a total of 1,596,639.6 insured house-years in 2023.
Who writes South Carolina homeowners insurance
12. State Farm wrote 21.42% of 2024 company premium
State Farm Fire and Casualty wrote $619,996,578 of South Carolina homeowners premium in 2024, a 21.42% share in SC DOI’s company table. See our State Farm review for its ratings.
13. State Farm Group held 20.21% in the 2025 NAIC group report
At the group level, State Farm wrote $708.5 million of 2025 South Carolina homeowners premium (20.21%) with a 26.69% loss ratio. USAA Group was second at 9.25%, and Allstate Group third at 8.43%.
14. Allstate, Travelers and USAA round out the top company ranks
In SC DOI’s 2024 company table, Allstate Vehicle and Property held 5.35%, Travelers Personal 4.56% and United Services Automobile Association 4.29%. First Protective (4.23%), Homesite of the Midwest (3.61%), South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual (3.56%) and Auto-Owners (3.43%) followed.
15. The NAIC top-ten groups wrote 66.79% of 2025 premium
Combining State Farm, USAA, Allstate, Travelers, American Family, Frontline, IAT, South Carolina Farm Bureau, Auto-Owners and Liberty Mutual yields a 66.79% cumulative share of 2025 South Carolina homeowners premium. Travelers Group alone held 6.08%; Liberty Mutual Group held 3.47%.
16. Travelers posted the lowest loss ratio among the largest groups
Travelers Group’s 11.17% South Carolina homeowners loss ratio in 2025 was the lowest among the top four groups by share. That ratio is a book-level result, not a consumer claims-satisfaction score; for claims satisfaction see J.D. Power’s national study cited in our best landlord insurance companies in South Carolina listicle.
Residual markets and coastal wind
17. SCWHUA had 15,337 in-force policies at year-end 2025
SC DOI’s 2025 Coastal Property Report shows the South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association with 15,337 in-force policies, $57.1 million of in-force premium and $6.726 billion of insured limits on December 31, 2025. SCWHUA writes wind and hail only in defined coastal territories. Consumers typically keep a separate voluntary policy for fire, liability and other property perils, so a coastal homeowner or landlord may see two invoices for what feels like one property package.
18. Policy count fell 994 in 2025
SCWHUA saw a decrease of 994 policies in 2025, about 6% year over year, with a net decrease in eleven of the twelve months. SC DOI contrasts that depopulation with residual-market growth in some other states.
19. The book is down 67.6% from the 2011 peak
From the August 31, 2011 peak of 47,366 policies and $17.31 billion of insured limits, SCWHUA fell to 15,337 policies and $6.726 billion of limits by year-end 2025, a 67.6% policy-count decline and a 61.1% exposure decline.
Data
| Aug 2011 peak | 47,366 |
|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 15,337 |
20. Five counties make up the SCWHUA territory
SCWHUA operates in Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Georgetown and Horry counties. At year-end 2025, Zone 1 held 10,515 policies (69%) and Zone 2 held 4,822 (31%). Horry County carried the highest county exposure, about $2.35 billion of insured limits across both zones. Charleston and Beaufort also remain material books even after multi-year depopulation from the August 2011 peak, when county-level losses of policies ran into the thousands according to the same SC DOI report.
21. SCWHUA dwelling rates rose 7.5% effective February 1, 2026
SCWHUA filed a 7.5% increase for dwelling policies and 25% for mobile home policies. SC DOI determined the proposed rates were not inadequate, excessive or unfairly discriminatory and approved the filing, effective February 1, 2026.
22. Territory expansion runs through March 28, 2027
Director Order 2025-02, issued March 20, 2025, renewed the SCWHUA territory expansion through March 28, 2027. SC DOI and SCWHUA reported that coastal consumers were not requesting further territorial changes.
Losses, disasters and rental context
23. South Carolina had four federal disaster declarations from 2021 through 2025
The NAIC disaster-declarations table in the Homeowners Report counts South Carolina declarations as 1 in 2021, 2 in 2022, 0 in 2023, 1 in 2024 and 0 in 2025, or four declarations across those five years. Declaration counts are not the same as insured loss dollars.
24. Condo associations continue to leave SCWHUA for the admitted market
SCWHUA began 2024 covering 70 condo associations (735 buildings). By August 1, 2025, that count had fallen to seven associations (23 buildings), which SC DOI attributes to associations finding better wind coverage in the admitted marketplace.
25. Landlord cost still has no official statewide average
Neither SC DOI nor the NAIC publishes a South Carolina landlord premium average. The NAIC dwelling fire average of $564 is an owner-occupied series. For rental-owner benchmarks, coastal wind questions and quote CTAs, see South Carolina landlord insurance cost and best landlord insurance companies in South Carolina. City pages for Charleston and the landlord hub at Columbia help connect this stats page to converting geo templates. Sibling state stats for other lead markets include Texas homeowners insurance statistics, North Carolina homeowners insurance statistics, California homeowners insurance statistics and Washington homeowners insurance statistics, Arkansas homeowners insurance statistics and Colorado homeowners insurance statistics. When you are ready to compare coverage, request a quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is homeowners insurance in South Carolina?
The NAIC’s 2023 exposure-weighted HO-3 average was $1,753. That is an average across coverage amounts and insurers, not a quote for your address.
Who is the largest homeowners insurer in South Carolina?
State Farm. State Farm Fire and Casualty held 21.42% of 2024 company premium, and State Farm Group held 20.21% of 2025 group premium.
What is SCWHUA?
The South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association is the residual market for wind and hail in defined coastal territories across five counties. It is not a full homeowners policy. At year-end 2025 it had 15,337 in-force policies.
Is South Carolina more expensive than the national average?
On the NAIC 2023 HO-3 series, South Carolina was only 0.9% above the countrywide average ($1,753 vs $1,737). Coastal wind placement and coverage amount can still move an individual quote far from that average.
Where can landlords find cost context?
Start with South Carolina landlord insurance cost and best landlord insurance companies in South Carolina, then compare landlord quotes.
How we verified this page
Premium and form averages come from the NAIC Homeowners Report (2023 data). Company market share comes from SC DOI’s 2024 Homeowners Multiple Peril Premiums report. Group market share and loss ratios come from the NAIC 2025 P&C market share report. SCWHUA figures come from SC DOI’s 2025 Coastal Property Report. All primary sources were fetched October 12, 2026. See our methodology.
Important disclosures
Averages are not quotes. Official averages blend many policies, coverage amounts and locations. Your premium depends on your property and the insurer’s underwriting.
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