Flood insurance in North Carolina: cost by ZIP code and county
North Carolina has 98,413 single-family flood policies with a median yearly bill of $1,025 on July 31, 2026.
Median single-family flood bill, North Carolina
$1,025
98,413 policies in force on July 31, 2026, premium and fees included.
| Median full-risk price, same policies | $1,153 |
| Policies still below their full-risk price | 42 % |
| Median paid in August 2023 | $780 |
| Increase left from the median | 1 renewal at 18 % |
| Next five bills, added up | $5,765 |
| Median claim paid, 2016 to 2025 (22,351 claims) | $15,948 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · Where the numbers come from · 532 ZIP codes and 98 counties of North Carolina in FEMA's tables · not a quote
North Carolina is one of the cheaper coastal states for federal flood insurance. The median single-family policy cost $1,025 a year on July 31, 2026, below the national $1,081, and that total includes the premium, the Reserve Fund Assessment, the HFIAA surcharge and the Federal Policy Fee. Four shore counties, Brunswick, Dare, New Hanover and Carteret, hold 49,047 of the 98,413 policies in the state. Prices split by zone: $1,346 at the median in coastal V zones, $1,160 in A zones and $815 in X zones. At full risk the statewide median would be $1,153, and 42 % of policies were still under that level. Hurricane Florence dominates the claim record of the last ten years: 11,640 paid single-family claims in 2018, for $515,483,719.
Florence and the Neuse River
Of the 22,351 single-family claims the federal program paid in North Carolina between 2016 and 2025, 11,640 came from Hurricane Florence in 2018, for $515,483,719. Craven County, around New Bern on the Neuse River, had 2,429 paid claims with a median of $44,396, the largest claim count among the top counties and a median far above the $9,235 paid in Dare County on the Outer Banks. The National Hurricane Center report puts Florence's highest storm surge inundation, up to 11 feet above ground, along the Neuse near New Bern, and describes record river flooding across much of southeastern North Carolina.
The zone record points the same way. Homes rated V, the coastal high hazard areas, had a median paid claim of $8,471. Homes rated X, outside any mapped high-risk area, had a median of $16,658 over 5,083 claims. On these figures, the typical X-zone claim was larger than the typical V-zone claim.
Dare and Brunswick close to full price
In Dare and Brunswick counties, bills have mostly caught up with the model. Dare County policies had a median of $954 against $1,009 at full risk, and Brunswick County $976 against $1,097. Pender County, north of New Hanover County and Wilmington, is further behind: $1,202 paid, $1,750 at full risk, 53 % still capped. Carteret, with 8,285 policies, has the highest median of the big coastal counties at $1,209.
Where a full-risk quote ranks among North Carolina homes
Single-family homes in North Carolina with a lower full-risk price
62 %
| Full-risk price under $1,000 | 44 % |
| State median full-risk price, 2023 rates | $1,105 |
| Price entered | $1,500 |
X zones are close to settled
The 43,414 North Carolina homes rated X, B or C form the second largest group in the state. Their median bill, $815, is a few dollars from their full-risk median of $828, so the yearly increases in the state come mostly from A and V zones. A-zone homes are where the gap remains: $1,160 paid against $1,499.
Helene and the southern Appalachians
Hurricane Helene in 2024 brought 1,192 paid single-family claims to the state, $99,647,291 in total, an average near $83,597 per claim. The National Hurricane Center report describes historic rainfall, catastrophic flooding and widespread landslides in the southern Appalachians. In FEMA's 2023 table, Ashe County, on the Tennessee and Virginia lines, had the widest gap between full-risk and current cost. A new policy there waits 30 days before it covers a flood, as described in the waiting period guide.
The North Carolina 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick County | 17,290 | $976 | $1,097 | 41 % | 1 | $778 | $7,819 |
| Dare County | 12,038 | $954 | $1,009 | 36 % | 1 | $796 | $9,235 |
| New Hanover County | 11,434 | $1,037 | $1,198 | 45 % | 1 | $779 | $12,717 |
| Carteret County | 8,285 | $1,209 | $1,441 | 47 % | 2 | $880 | $13,401 |
| Craven County | 4,849 | $1,030 | $1,106 | 36 % | 1 | $785 | $44,396 |
| Pender County | 4,739 | $1,202 | $1,750 | 53 % | 3 | $863 | $25,236 |
| Onslow County | 4,220 | $1,009 | $1,351 | 47 % | 2 | $756 | $12,486 |
| Currituck County | 3,045 | $1,036 | $1,090 | 34 % | 1 | $878 | $10,909 |
Full-risk prices of North Carolina homes, band by band
| Full risk-based price a year | Policies | Share | Median rebuild value |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 to $1,000 | 45,499 | 43.9 % | $367,981 |
| $1,000 to $2,000 | 36,938 | 35.6 % | $375,973 |
| $2,000 to $3,000 | 12,292 | 11.9 % | $402,535 |
| $3,000 to $4,000 | 4,579 | 4.4 % | $421,167 |
| $4,000 to $5,000 | 2,211 | 2.1 % | $405,152 |
| $5,000 or more | 2,155 | 2.1 % |
The floods that paid the most North Carolina claims since 2016
| Event (FEMA name) | Year | Paid claims | Paid in total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Florence | 2018 | 11,640 | $515,483,719 |
| Hurricane Matthew | 2016 | 4,008 | $110,059,646 |
| Hurricane Helene | 2024 | 1,192 | $99,647,291 |