Flood insurance in Colorado: cost by ZIP code and county
Colorado has 9,655 single-family flood policies; on July 31, 2026 the median bill was $932, and more of them sit outside the high-risk zones than inside.
Median single-family flood bill, Colorado
$932
9,655 policies in force on July 31, 2026, premium and fees included.
| Median full-risk price, same policies | $970 |
| Policies still below their full-risk price | 32 % |
| Median paid in August 2023 | $786 |
| Increase left from the median | 1 renewal at 18 % |
| Next five bills, added up | $4,850 |
| Median claim paid, 2016 to 2025 (175 claims) | $5,405 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · Where the numbers come from · 251 ZIP codes and 48 counties of Colorado in FEMA's tables · not a quote
A federal flood policy on a Colorado house cost a median $932 a year on July 31, 2026, fees and assessment included, under the national $1,081. Colorado is a low-volume market: 9,655 single-family policies statewide, with the largest counts in Boulder, El Paso, Jefferson and Larimer counties. Unusually, homes rated X, B or C outnumber A zone homes, 5,094 to 4,533, and they paid a median of only $719. Prices are close to their final level: the full-risk median is $970 and 32 % of policies still pay below it. Paid claims are rare and small. From 2016 to 2025, the federal program paid 175 single-family claims in the state, at a median of $5,405. One exposure stands apart, the flash flood that follows a wildfire, and the program has a specific timing rule for it.
Most insured homes are outside the floodplain
Lenders require coverage only in mapped high-risk zones, yet 53 % of the state's single-family policies are in X zones, a sign that many owners buy it by choice. That is cheap coverage: the X zone median bill was $719, with a full-risk median of $727. In A zones the median was $1,164.
Boulder County has the most policies, 2,013, and one of the higher medians among the large counties, $1,082. Denver paid $720 and Arapahoe County $609, among the lowest county medians in the data. El Paso County, which includes Colorado Springs, had 1,102 policies at $773, and Larimer County 665 at $731, both with full-risk medians close to what owners pay.
After a fire, the rules on timing change
In Colorado's claims records, Colorado Burn Scar Flash Flooding in 2022 is the only event large enough to be named, with 3 paid claims. The usual rule is a 30-day wait between purchase and coverage. The statute carves out one case: a privately owned home flooded from federal land, where post-wildfire conditions caused or worsened the flood, is covered after 1 day if the policy was bought by the containment date or within 60 days after it. Whether a given flood qualifies is FEMA's determination, not the owner's.
Would a Colorado policy be in force on the day of the flood?
Would the policy pay for that flood?
No
| Rule applied | Standard 30-day wait |
| Waiting period | 30 days |
The calculator covers the standard, loan and map-change cases; the wildfire rule is narrower and its conditions are listed in the waiting period guide.
La Plata and Archuleta counties
La Plata County, which includes Durango, breaks the statewide pattern. Its 315 policies had a median of $1,427 on July 31, 2026, and a full-risk median of $2,593; 68 % are still capped. Next door, Archuleta County shows the widest gap of the state in FEMA's 2023 table, $959 paid against $5,072 at full risk, on 81 policies.
The Colorado 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder County | 2,013 | $1,082 | $1,145 | 34 % | 1 | $863 | $3,265 |
| El Paso County | 1,102 | $773 | $785 | 28 % | 1 | $727 | $3,943 |
| Jefferson County | 1,148 | $741 | $752 | 20 % | 1 | $689 | $8,153 |
| Larimer County | 665 | $731 | $741 | 30 % | 1 | $747 | $9,382 |
| Denver, City and County of | 650 | $720 | $736 | 22 % | 1 | $684 | $2,516 |
| Arapahoe County | 580 | $609 | $611 | 11 % | 1 | $585 | $3,627 |
| La Plata County | 315 | $1,427 | $2,593 | 68 % | 4 | $940 | $12,501 |
| Weld County | 302 | $1,086 | $1,129 | 30 % | 1 | $861 | n/a |
Full-risk prices of Colorado homes, band by band
| Full risk-based price a year | Policies | Share | Median rebuild value |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 to $1,000 | 5,803 | 51.0 % | $497,235 |
| $1,000 to $2,000 | 2,872 | 25.2 % | $458,565 |
| $2,000 to $3,000 | 903 | 7.9 % | $435,020 |
| $3,000 to $4,000 | 543 | 4.8 % | $441,048 |
| $4,000 to $5,000 | 375 | 3.3 % | $416,964 |
| $5,000 or more | 890 | 7.8 % |
The floods that paid the most Colorado claims since 2016
| Event (FEMA name) | Year | Paid claims | Paid in total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Burn Scar Flash Flooding | 2022 | 3 | $269,616 |