Flood insurance in South Dakota: cost by ZIP code and county
Only 1,846 South Dakota homes carry a federal single-family flood policy; their median bill was $1,186 on July 31, 2026.
Median single-family flood bill, South Dakota
$1,186
1,846 policies in force on July 31, 2026, premium and fees included.
| Median full-risk price, same policies | $1,328 |
| Policies still below their full-risk price | 46 % |
| Median paid in August 2023 | $883 |
| Increase left from the median | 1 renewal at 18 % |
| Next five bills, added up | $6,640 |
| Median claim paid, 2016 to 2025 (457 claims) | $17,805 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · Where the numbers come from · 57 ZIP codes and 32 counties of South Dakota in FEMA's tables · not a quote
South Dakota is one of the smallest flood insurance markets in the country: 1,846 single-family policies were in force with the federal program on July 31, 2026, and their median total bill was $1,186 a year, counting the premium, the Reserve Fund Assessment, the HFIAA surcharge and the Federal Policy Fee. That is above the national median of $1,081, even though the state has no coast. Priced at full risk, the same homes would have a median bill of $1,328, and 46 % of them still pay less than their full-risk premium. The averages hide one county. In Union County, which borders both Iowa and Nebraska, the median policy pays $1,404 while its median full-risk bill is $3,333, and 73 % of its policies are on the capped path. Paid claims from 2016 to 2025 had a median of $17,805.
A few thousand policies, spread thin
FEMA counted 2,106 single-family policies in South Dakota in its August 2023 table, spread over 32 counties and 57 ZIP codes. The OpenFEMA file for July 31, 2026 lists 1,846. The two sources are built differently, so the comparison is rough, but it points to roughly 12 % fewer insured homes in three years. With numbers this small, a county median can rest on fewer than a hundred houses: read the county rows below as a direction, not a quote.
No county dominates. Codington County, around Watertown, leads with 238 policies at a median of $1,162. Minnehaha County, home of Sioux Falls, follows with 201 policies and a median of $1,014.
Union County is the outlier
Most South Dakota counties have a median bill within a few dozen dollars of their full-risk median. Union County does not: $1,929 separates the two at the median, the widest gap among the counties with the most policies, and FEMA's 2023 figures already named it the county with the largest distance between the average price paid and the average full-risk price. Each renewal there can rise by up to 18 % on the premium for a main home, 25 % for a second home, until the full price is reached.
Where a full-risk quote sits among South Dakota homes
Single-family homes in South Dakota with a lower full-risk price
51 %
| Full-risk price under $1,000 | 34 % |
| State median full-risk price, 2023 rates | $1,317 |
| Price entered | $1,500 |
Many claims came from outside the high-risk map
Between 2016 and 2025, the program paid 457 single-family claims in the state, $17,498,123 in all. 220 of them were rated in X, B or C zones, nearly as many as the 235 in A zones. Lake County, around Madison, stands out: 124 paid claims for a county with 131 policies today. The largest single event in the file is the June Midwest Flooding of 2024, with 51 paid claims and $4,488,304.
The zone mix shows why. Of the policies in force, 1,188 were in A zones, at a median of $1,185, and 654 in X zones, at $1,187. The two medians are almost equal: under Risk Rating 2.0 the price can follow each building's flood frequency, proximity to flood sources and first floor height, not only the letter on the map. The flood zone guide explains how those letters are drawn, and the Nebraska page gives the figures for a neighbouring state.
The South Dakota 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Codington County | 238 | $1,162 | $1,224 | 40 % | 1 | $994 | $12,787 |
| Minnehaha County | 201 | $1,014 | $1,165 | 40 % | 1 | $799 | $16,567 |
| Union County | 182 | $1,404 | $3,333 | 73 % | 6 | $884 | $28,983 |
| Pennington County | 199 | $1,066 | $1,165 | 37 % | 1 | $880 | $7,126 |
| Lake County | 131 | $1,077 | $1,096 | 40 % | 1 | $860 | $24,167 |
| Brown County | 113 | $1,056 | $1,098 | 37 % | 1 | $864 | n/a |
| Stanley County | 86 | $1,423 | $3,234 | 72 % | 6 | $885 | n/a |
| Lawrence County | 68 | $1,028 | $1,032 | 29 % | 1 | $886 | n/a |
Full-risk prices of South Dakota homes, band by band
| Full risk-based price a year | Policies | Share | Median rebuild value |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 to $1,000 | 720 | 34.2 % | $341,171 |
| $1,000 to $2,000 | 729 | 34.6 % | $370,602 |
| $2,000 to $3,000 | 264 | 12.5 % | $395,672 |
| $3,000 to $4,000 | 136 | 6.5 % | $438,568 |
| $4,000 to $5,000 | 80 | 3.8 % | $459,258 |
| $5,000 or more | 177 | 8.4 % |
The floods that paid the most South Dakota claims since 2016
| Event (FEMA name) | Year | Paid claims | Paid in total |
|---|---|---|---|
| June Midwest Flooding | 2024 | 51 | $4,488,304 |