Why insurance premiums are the new budget breakers

#28

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MARKETS

The high cost of hazard coverage

Homeowner’s insurance is becoming one of the fastest-rising costs impacting affordability and slowing home sales. According to recent data from Freddie Mac’s March market outlook report, insurance premiums have risen dramatically since 2018—particularly in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and Mississippi—alongside increasing home prices. Expensive natural disasters are partly to blame for the high premiums, but the bigger culprit is home prices. As home values grow, the cost of covering damage does too.

By the numbers:

  • Homeowners' insurance premiums rose 40.8% from 2018 to 2023, jumping from $1,081 per year to $1,522 for a single-family home with a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage.

  • In high-cost markets like Louisiana and Oklahoma, homeowners pay an average of $8 in insurance premiums for every $1,000 in home value, compared to just $2.50 in low-cost markets like Washington or Oregon. 

  • Today, homeowners insurance takes up between 1.64% and 2.5% of the average borrower’s income.

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