Flood insurance in Hawaii: cost by ZIP code and county
Hawaii's 9,071 single-family flood policies had a median bill of $1,491 on July 31, 2026, the full-risk median is $3,281.
Median single-family flood bill, Hawaii
$1,491
9,071 policies in force on July 31, 2026, premium and fees included.
| Median full-risk price, same policies | $3,281 |
| Policies still below their full-risk price | 65 % |
| Median paid in August 2023 | $1,023 |
| Increase left from the median | 5 renewals at 18 % |
| Next five bills, added up | $12,302 |
| Median claim paid, 2016 to 2025 (628 claims) | $26,547 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · Where the numbers come from · 61 ZIP codes and 4 counties of Hawaii in FEMA's tables · not a quote
Of all the states, Hawaii shows the widest ratio between what flood insurance costs today and what it would cost at full risk. On July 31, 2026, the median single-family bill in the federal program was $1,491 a year, premium, Reserve Fund Assessment, HFIAA surcharge and policy fee included, across 9,071 policies. Priced at full risk, the same homes would have a median bill of $3,281, 2.2 times higher, and 65 % of them still pay less than their full-risk premium. The exposure figures stand out: FEMA's 2023 tables put 77 % of Hawaii policies within reach of a tsunami and 49 % within reach of storm surge. The gap shows even outside mapped high-risk areas, where the X-zone median bill of $1,234 faces a full-risk median of $3,180. From the state median, a main home capped at 18 % a year has about 5 renewals of increases ahead.
Tsunami exposure and X zone prices
No state has a larger share of its single-family policies rated as exposed to tsunami: 77 % in FEMA's 2023 tables, against 1 % nationally. Hawaii also shows a pattern rare elsewhere: its X zones, the areas of moderate or minimal flood hazard, carry a full-risk median of $3,180, close to the $3,285 of A zones. In this state, a house outside the mapped high-risk zone can still face a high full-risk price.
FEMA's 2023 price bands show the same thing. Only 4 % of Hawaii homes had a full-risk price under $1,000, while 37 % of homes nationwide did. The median home is also expensive to rebuild, $520,218 in replacement cost against $425,266 nationally.
Where a full-risk quote falls among Hawaii homes
Single-family homes in Hawaii with a lower full-risk price
45 %
| Full-risk price under $1,000 | 4 % |
| State median full-risk price, 2023 rates | $3,258 |
| Price entered | $3,000 |
Island by island
The City and County of Honolulu, which the state fact sheet equates with the island of Oahu, holds 5,732 policies, 63 % of the state's. Its median bill was $1,619 on July 31, 2026 and its full-risk median $3,052. Kauai, with 1,313 policies, paid $1,492 at the median, and Maui $1,392.
Hawaii County, the island of Hawaii, is the extreme. Its 880 policies had a median bill of $1,307, against a full-risk median of $5,950, and 82 % are capped. In FEMA's 2023 county table, no county in the country with 1,000 policies or more had a larger ratio between full-risk and current price ($5,541 against $872).
Yearly steps to full risk at the Hawaii County medians
Renewals before your bill reaches the full-risk price
10 renewals
| Renewal 1 (capped) | $1,529 |
| Renewal 2 (capped) | $1,792 |
| Renewal 3 (capped) | $2,101 |
| Renewal 4 (capped) | $2,466 |
Claims are few but large
The program paid 628 single-family claims in Hawaii from 2016 to 2025, with a median of $26,547. 428 of them were on A-zone homes and 44 in V zones. No storm dominates: Hurricane Lane in 2018, the largest listed event, paid only 14. On Oahu the median paid claim was $38,719. A second home pays the 25 % cap and the higher surcharge; the second home guide and the private flood insurance guide cover those cases.
The Hawaii 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, City and County of | 5,732 | $1,619 | $3,052 | 60 % | 4 | $1,129 | $38,719 |
| Maui County | 1,146 | $1,392 | $2,850 | 71 % | 5 | $917 | $13,068 |
| Kauai County | 1,313 | $1,492 | $3,575 | 67 % | 6 | $1,020 | $17,275 |
| Hawaii County | 880 | $1,307 | $5,950 | 82 % | 10 | $872 | $30,843 |
Full-risk prices of Hawaii homes, band by band
| Full risk-based price a year | Policies | Share | Median rebuild value |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 to $1,000 | 396 | 3.9 % | $507,805 |
| $1,000 to $2,000 | 2,038 | 20.3 % | $471,622 |
| $2,000 to $3,000 | 2,080 | 20.7 % | $419,792 |
| $3,000 to $4,000 | 1,833 | 18.3 % | $474,450 |
| $4,000 to $5,000 | 1,335 | 13.3 % | $562,275 |
| $5,000 or more | 2,360 | 23.5 % |
The floods that paid the most Hawaii claims since 2016
| Event (FEMA name) | Year | Paid claims | Paid in total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Lane | 2018 | 14 | $560,644 |