Flood insurance in California: cost by ZIP code and county
California counts 124,510 single-family flood policies in the federal program, and a median bill of $1,079 on July 31, 2026.
Median single-family flood bill, California
$1,079
124,510 policies in force on July 31, 2026, premium and fees included.
| Median full-risk price, same policies | $1,225 |
| Policies still below their full-risk price | 44 % |
| Median paid in August 2023 | $779 |
| Increase left from the median | 1 renewal at 18 % |
| Next five bills, added up | $6,125 |
| Median claim paid, 2016 to 2025 (3,699 claims) | $18,739 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · Where the numbers come from · 1,148 ZIP codes and 56 counties of California in FEMA's tables · not a quote
On July 31, 2026, the 124,510 single-family flood policies written by the federal program in California had a median yearly bill of $1,079, which includes the premium, the Reserve Fund Assessment, the HFIAA surcharge and the Federal Policy Fee. Priced at full risk, the same homes would have a median bill of $1,225, and 44 % of them still pay less than that full price, a larger share than the national 47 %. The state's buyers are concentrated in one county: Sacramento County alone holds 39,013 policies, about 31 % of the state, at a median of $856. Several other large counties pay more and sit further from full price; in Marin County the median full-risk bill is 72 % above the median paid. The costliest recent event, the California Atmospheric River of 2022, produced 1,059 paid single-family claims.
Sacramento holds the market
No California county comes close to Sacramento County, where 39,013 single-family policies were in force on July 31, 2026, about 31 % of the state total. Their median bill, $856, sits almost on top of the median full-risk bill of $863: only 31 % of those policies are still on a capped path. For a Sacramento homeowner, the yearly increases driven by the 18 % limit are mostly behind them.
That stability pulls the state median down. Remove Sacramento and the typical California policy is both pricier and further from its full cost.
Southern California and the Bay Area
Los Angeles County has 9,009 policies at a median of $1,198, with a full-risk median of $1,797; 53 % remain below full price. Marin County has the widest gap among the large counties, $1,643 paid against $2,819 at full risk. San Diego County sits between them at $1,141. These are the places where renewals will keep rising for several more years.
The few California homes rated in V zones, 1,045 policies, had a median bill of $2,035 and a full-risk median of $3,005. A and X zones show the same median, $1,079 and $1,079, so in this state the zone letter on its own says little about what a given house pays.
California median bill by zone type
Median yearly cost, V zones, California
$2,035
| Same zone type, whole country | $1,796 |
| A zones in California | $1,079 |
| X, B, C zones in California | $1,079 |
The atmospheric river claims
No hurricane appears among California's large claim events. The California Atmospheric River of 2022 accounts for 1,059 of the 3,699 single-family claims paid for losses from 2016 to 2025, $51,073,771 in all. The median paid claim in the state was $18,739, well under the national $42,494. Claims in X zones, outside the mapped high-risk areas, numbered 1,312.
FEMA's 2023 table also records 15 % of California policies as exposed to tsunami and 3 % to coastal erosion. The highest ratio of full-risk to current cost among counties was in Trinity County, a reminder that a cheap bill today can hide a large future price. The flood zone guide explains what each letter means for a lender.
The California counties with the most policies
| County | Policies | Median bill | Full-risk median | Still below full risk | Renewals left at 18 % | Median bill, August 2023 | Median claim 2016-2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento County | 39,013 | $856 | $863 | 31 % | 1 | $689 | $13,602 |
| Los Angeles County | 9,009 | $1,198 | $1,797 | 53 % | 3 | $795 | $17,355 |
| Santa Clara County | 6,924 | $1,332 | $1,864 | 48 % | 3 | $1,087 | $17,655 |
| Orange County | 6,672 | $1,088 | $1,483 | 45 % | 2 | $795 | $9,766 |
| San Joaquin County | 3,873 | $1,086 | $1,195 | 41 % | 1 | $857 | $14,605 |
| San Diego County | 4,490 | $1,141 | $1,502 | 46 % | 2 | $798 | $19,892 |
| Tulare County | 3,780 | $1,005 | $1,084 | 37 % | 1 | $894 | $25,135 |
| Marin County | 3,850 | $1,643 | $2,819 | 65 % | 4 | $1,132 | $13,533 |
Full-risk prices of California homes, band by band
| Full risk-based price a year | Policies | Share | Median rebuild value |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 to $1,000 | 60,967 | 40.2 % | $535,714 |
| $1,000 to $2,000 | 51,222 | 33.7 % | $539,826 |
| $2,000 to $3,000 | 18,328 | 12.1 % | $577,795 |
| $3,000 to $4,000 | 8,816 | 5.8 % | $591,733 |
| $4,000 to $5,000 | 5,073 | 3.3 % | $592,414 |
| $5,000 or more | 7,410 | 4.9 % |
The floods that paid the most California claims since 2016
| Event (FEMA name) | Year | Paid claims | Paid in total |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Atmospheric River | 2022 | 1,059 | $51,073,771 |
| Mid-Winter California Flooding | 2018 | 108 | $13,373,426 |
| San Diego Flooding | 2024 | 110 | $8,361,762 |