Flood insurance in Iowa: cost by ZIP code and county
On July 31, 2026, 5,787 Iowa homes had a single-family flood policy, at a median of $1,059 a year.
Median single-family flood bill, Iowa
$1,059
5,787 policies in force on July 31, 2026, premium and fees included.
| Median full-risk price, same policies | $1,221 |
| Policies still below their full-risk price | 45 % |
| Median paid in August 2023 | $802 |
| Increase left from the median | 1 renewal at 18 % |
| Next five bills, added up | $6,105 |
| Median claim paid, 2016 to 2025 (1,218 claims) | $12,973 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · Where the numbers come from · 200 ZIP codes and 68 counties of Iowa in FEMA's tables · not a quote
Flood insurance on an Iowa house had a median total cost of $1,059 a year on July 31, 2026, counting the premium, the Reserve Fund Assessment, the HFIAA surcharge and the Federal Policy Fee, close to the national $1,081. Coverage is sparse: 5,787 single-family policies across the whole state. The difference between zones is small. A zone homes paid a median of $1,079 and X zone homes $1,025, and paid claims from the two groups had almost the same median, $12,879 and $12,939. The full-risk median of $1,221 sits a little above today's bills, with 45 % of policies still capped. The largest claim event was March 2019 Midwest Flooding paid 226 Iowa claims, the most of any event from 2016 to 2025.
Where the policies are
Iowa's insured homes are spread over many counties rather than gathered in one region. Linn County, which includes Cedar Rapids, where the USGS gauges the Cedar River, has the most policies, 573. Polk County, which includes most of Des Moines, has 568; Scott County, which includes Davenport and its Mississippi River gauge, 537. Black Hawk County, which includes Waterloo, is smaller in policies but recorded 166 paid claims over the decade, about as many as Scott.
Scott County's median bill, $1,227 on July 31, 2026, is among the highest of the larger counties. Pottawattamie County, which includes Council Bluffs and borders Omaha's Douglas County, Nebraska, is near the bottom at $769.
The 2019 flood and Harrison County
March 2019 Midwest Flooding paid 226 claims in Iowa for $11,222,862. Harrison County, which borders Pottawattamie, has the largest median paid claim of the eight biggest counties over the decade, $52,001, against $12,973 for the state as a whole. Five years later, June Midwest Flooding in 2024 added 113 claims.
How long Iowa bills keep rising
Linn County shows a typical path. Its median bill was $1,086 with a full-risk median of $1,302; at the 18 % yearly cap for a primary residence, that median policy needs 2 more renewals of increases. Enter your own declarations page figures below.
Renewals left before an Iowa policy reaches full price
Renewals before your bill reaches the full-risk price
2 renewals
| Renewal 1 (capped) | $1,269 |
| Renewal 2 | $1,302 |
| Renewal 3 | $1,302 |
| Renewal 4 | $1,302 |
Some homes face a much longer climb. Winneshiek County, which includes Decorah, had the widest gap in FEMA's 2023 table: $874 paid against $3,701 at full risk, on 52 policies.
X zones are not dry zones
Of Iowa's 1,218 paid single-family claims, 343 were on homes rated in X, B or C zones, where no lender requires coverage. The flood zone guide explains how those zones are drawn. Those X zone claims had a median of $12,939, no smaller than the claims inside the mapped floodplain.
The Iowa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linn County | 573 | $1,086 | $1,302 | 54 % | 2 | $761 | $5,728 |
| Polk County | 568 | $826 | $894 | 42 % | 1 | $706 | $14,913 |
| Pottawattamie County | 517 | $769 | $776 | 24 % | 1 | $729 | $13,435 |
| Scott County | 537 | $1,227 | $1,472 | 46 % | 2 | $1,052 | $8,480 |
| Black Hawk County | 428 | $888 | $955 | 38 % | 1 | $743 | $10,931 |
| Johnson County | 270 | $1,178 | $1,281 | 37 % | 1 | $885 | n/a |
| Woodbury County | 141 | $1,238 | $1,324 | 31 % | 1 | $1,024 | $13,443 |
| Harrison County | 174 | $767 | $781 | 29 % | 1 | $688 | $52,001 |
Full-risk prices of Iowa homes, band by band
| Full risk-based price a year | Policies | Share | Median rebuild value |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 to $1,000 | 2,676 | 39.6 % | $275,769 |
| $1,000 to $2,000 | 2,221 | 32.9 % | $317,080 |
| $2,000 to $3,000 | 930 | 13.8 % | $353,000 |
| $3,000 to $4,000 | 400 | 5.9 % | $369,640 |
| $4,000 to $5,000 | 230 | 3.4 % | $379,170 |
| $5,000 or more | 295 | 4.4 % |
The floods that paid the most Iowa claims since 2016
| Event (FEMA name) | Year | Paid claims | Paid in total |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2019 Midwest Flooding | 2019 | 226 | $11,222,862 |
| June Midwest Flooding | 2024 | 113 | $7,160,186 |
| Iowa Flooding | 2024 | 15 | $974,778 |