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Many factors determine the price you will pay for homeowners insurance in North Carolina. No two homeowners have identical situations, so the best insurer for you might be different from the best insurer for your neighbor.

However, on average, State Farm offers the best deal on homeowners insurance in North Carolina. You can expect to pay $1,170 annually – if you buy a policy with State Farm.

Cheap isn’t everything, and we analyzed third-party ratings to determine the best home insurance company in North Carolina; our rankings found State Farm at the top.

Key Takeaways

  • In North Carolina, State Farm offers the cheapest homeowners insurance coverage, at $97 a month, or $1,170 annually.
  • Overall, the best home insurance company in North Carolina is State Farm based on our analysis of rates and third-party ratings.
  • Shopping around and comparing quotes is the best way to save on homeowners insurance in North Carolina.

Our take: The best homeowners insurance in North Carolina of 2024

State Farm is the best insurance company in North Carolina overall, based on rates, AM Best rating and National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaints data. All of these points show that State Farm is financially stable, has a solid reputation and offers affordable home insurance.

Affordability isn’t the only factor to keep in mind when purchasing insurance. It is also important to make sure your policy offers the coverage you need, and that the insurer you choose has a solid reputation for excellent customer service. However, the cheapest home insurance company in North Carolina overall is State Farm.

Insure.com’s choice: Compare the best homeowners insurance companies in North Carolina

When purchasing insurance in North Carolina, it’s important to compare providers. The right insurance company for someone else might be the wrong insurer for you.

Here are our picks for the top insurance companies in North Carolina.

Company groupAnnual premiumAM Best ratingNAIC ratingOverall rating (out of 5)
State Farm$1,170A++0.955.00
Nationwide$3,149A+0.873.93

A closer look at the top homeowners insurance companies

State Farm

State Farm is the No. 1 company for home insurance in North Carolina for 2024. It received a full 5 out of 5 stars in Insure.com’s ranking. State Farm’s average rate for a home insurance policy in North Carolina is $1,170 a year.

State Farm gets high marks for customer service, with 85% of its customers expressing satisfaction. The company has a 0.95 complaint ratio from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. It has earned the best possible AM Best rating of A++. 

Nationwide

Nationwide was the No. 2 company for home insurance in North Carolina. Insure.com ranked it 3.93 out of 5 stars. Homeowners can expect to pay an average of $3,149 annually for a Nationwide policy.

A full 92% of Nationwide customers plan to renew their homeowners policy with the company. Nationwide has a 0.87 complaint ratio from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. It has an AM Best rating of A+.

How we picked Insure.com’s top-rated home insurance companies

We used sample rates from Quadrant Data Services for coverage of $300,000 for both dwelling and liability coverage and a $1,000 deductible. We analyzed more than 20 million quotes from 82 companies.

We also gathered AM Best financial stability scores for each insurance company as well as each company’s NAIC complaint ratio, examining how many complaints that company receives from consumers compared to the average.

We used these data points to create a score out of five. Only companies for which all three data points are available were included in the comparison.

Home insurance rates vary from one city to another. But with Insure.com, finding the right home insurance policy is easy. Learn more about homeowners insurance costs for different cities below.

Cheapest home insurance carriers in North Carolina

While Allstate offers the cheapest insurance nationwide, the cheapest insurer can vary from state to state. Here are the cheapest insurance companies in North Carolina.

Company groupAnnual premiumMonthly premium
State Farm$1,170 $97
North Carolina Farm Bureau$2,196 $183
Nationwide$3,149 $262
Erie Insurance$3,611 $301
USAA$3,346 $279

What is the average cost of homeowners insurance in North Carolina?

The average homeowners insurance cost in North Carolina is $2,941. That’s $340 higher than the national average of $2,601. Your rates will vary based on your location within the state and personal factors, including the size and construction of your home.

Annual premiumMonthly premiumDifference compared to national avg.
$2,941$245$340 more

Estimate cost and get homeowners insurance quotes in North Carolina

Insure.com’s home insurance calculator can help you gather quotes and estimate how much a homeowners insurance policy might cost.

The estimates are based on several important factors, such as the amount of coverage you intend to purchase, the deductible you choose and where you live.

Homeowners insurance rates by state calculator

See how the average annual home insurance rates vary with the options chosen.

Average Annual Home Insurance Rates In North Carolina
$2,686 Average rate
$9,907 Highest
rate
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$397 Lowest
rate

Home insurance companies in North Carolina

Company Average annual rate
State Farm $1,162
North Carolina Farm Bureau $2,188
Nationwide $3,141
USAA $3,338
Erie Insurance $3,603

Things to consider when shopping for homeowners insurance

Your mortgage lender will require you to purchase replacement cost homeowners insurance coverage. That means you will have enough coverage to rebuild your home at today’s prices. Standard home insurance policies provide this coverage, but it’s important to make sure the replacement cost calculation is accurate.

When shopping for coverage, gathering several quotes from various insurance companies is the best way to find the policy you need at the best possible price.

It’s also important to remember that price isn’t everything; check up on the reputation of the insurance company before you buy a policy. Start with our list of the best home insurance companies.

The most common natural disasters in North Carolina

The risk of natural disasters varies from state to state. While it can seem obvious on the surface – California residents worry about wildfires, homeowners in Oklahoma face tornadoes and in Florida hurricanes wreak havoc – the biggest risk may surprise you.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the natural disaster most likely to strike in North Carolina are Ice storm and Winter weather.

Make sure you have the coverage you need in the event of a natural disaster. Risks like floods and earthquakes are not covered by standard home insurance.

Natural hazard(s)Expected annual loss
Ice storm and Winter weatherVery High

Frequently asked questions

Does home insurance cover windstorms in North Carolina?

Homeowners insurance typically covers wind damage. However, in some states – particularly those vulnerable to damage from hurricanes – your homeowners policy might have a separate deductible for storms such as hurricanes or tropical storms.

These deductibles are often much higher than the deductible that applies to the rest of your homeowners insurance coverage. North Carolina does allow separate deductibles for hurricanes and windstorms.

In some cases, windstorm coverage has to be purchased separately; make sure to ask when you buy a policy.

Do I need flood insurance in North Carolina?

If you live in a high-risk flood zone in North Carolina, you need to purchase flood insurance. A standard homeowners insurance policy does not cover damage from floods. You can check your flood zone on FEMA’s flood maps.

About 90% of all natural disasters include flooding, according to the federal government’s National Association of Insurance Commissioners, so all homeowners should consider flood insurance.

How can I save on homeowners insurance?

The best way to save on homeowners insurance is to shop around and compare quotes from a handful of insurance companies. That way, you can find the coverage you need at the best possible price.

Raising your deductible can also lower your premium costs. However, remember that if you file a claim, you will have to pay your deductible in full before the insurance company will begin to reimburse you for the claim.

Most insurance companies also offer many different types of discounts to eligible policyholders. For example, one way to save is to bundle your policies by purchasing more than one type of insurance with the same insurance company.

Another way to save money is to install smoke detectors and security systems, says Theresa Breunig-Silbernagel, head of strategy and experience at Main Street America Insurance.

“Smart home systems such as motion sensors, video doorbells and water leak sensors will send you an alert on your cell phone so you can handle the issue before it becomes a real problem,” she says. “Often, these installed devices can result in discounts.”

Methodology

Insure.com commissioned home insurance rates from Quadrant Data Services in all 50 states as well as Washington, D.C. with coverage levels of $300,000 for dwelling and liability and with a $1,000 deductible. Average rates were calculated using quotes from 82 insurance companies. To rank insurance companies, we used the average rate in the state along with NAIC complaint ratios and AM Best financial stability ratings.

Natural disaster data was drawn from FEMA’s National Risk Index.

Sources

National Association of Insurance Commissioners. “Flood Insurance/National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).” Accessed April 2024.

Best and cheapest home insurance in other states

Alabama$3,147/Year
Alaska$1,708/Year
Arizona$2,490/Year
Arkansas$3,958/Year
California$1,405/Year
Colorado$4,099/Year
Connecticut$2,231/Year
Delaware$1,384/Year
Florida$4,419/Year
Georgia$2,302/Year
Hawaii$613/Year
Idaho$1,961/Year
Illinois$3,062/Year
Indiana$2,991/Year
Iowa$2,654/Year
Kansas$4,843/Year
Kentucky$3,326/Year
Louisiana$3,594/Year
Maine$1,391/Year
Maryland$1,715/Year
Massachusetts$1,640/Year
Michigan$2,411/Year
Minnesota$2,420/Year
Mississippi$3,380/Year
Missouri$3,543/Year
Montana$3,289/Year
Nebraska$4,800/Year
Nevada$1,467/Year
New Hampshire$1,221/Year
New Jersey$1,526/Year
New Mexico$2,647/Year
New York$1,816/Year
North Dakota$3,147/Year
Ohio$2,160/Year
Oklahoma$5,858/Year
Oregon$1,755/Year
Pennsylvania$1,911/Year
Rhode Island$1,950/Year
South Carolina$2,678/Year
South Dakota$3,390/Year
Tennessee$3,060/Year
Texas$3,851/Year
Utah$1,802/Year
Vermont$1,263/Year
Virginia$2,151/Year
Washington$1,612/Year
Washington, D.C.$1,342/Year
West Virginia$1,911/Year
Wisconsin$1,662/Year
Wyoming$1,897/Year
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Chris Kissell
Contributing Researcher

 
  

Chris Kissell is a Denver-based writer and editor with work featured on U.S. News & World Report, MSN Money, Fox Business, Forbes, Yahoo Finance, Money Talks News and more.

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