Flood insurance in Tennessee: cost by ZIP code and county
Tennessee has 16,056 single-family flood policies, with a median bill of $1,083 on July 31, 2026.
Median single-family flood bill, Tennessee
$1,083
16,056 policies in force on July 31, 2026, premium and fees included.
| Median full-risk price, same policies | $1,283 |
| Policies still below their full-risk price | 43 % |
| Median paid in August 2023 | $795 |
| Increase left from the median | 2 renewals at 18 % |
| Next five bills, added up | $6,397 |
| Median claim paid, 2016 to 2025 (2,694 claims) | $17,641 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · Where the numbers come from · 323 ZIP codes and 93 counties of Tennessee in FEMA's tables · not a quote
Flood insurance in Tennessee is bought for rivers, not for the sea: none of the state's policies is exposed to storm surge in FEMA's 2023 tables, and every one is priced for inland flooding. On July 31, 2026, the 16,056 single-family policies in the federal program had a median total bill of $1,083, assessment, surcharge and fee included, close to the national $1,081. The median full-risk bill is higher, $1,283, and 43 % of policies are still on a capped path. The Nashville area drives both numbers: Davidson County and the four counties bordering it that rank in the state's top eight hold 6,703 policies, and in Davidson County the median bill of $1,191 sits well below a full-risk median of $1,705. A-zone homes pay a median $1,240, X-zone homes $903. Paid single-family claims from 2016 to 2025 totaled 2,694, median $17,641.
Nashville and its suburbs carry the market
Davidson County alone accounts for 3,327 policies and 691 paid single-family claims over the decade, far more than any other county in the state. The Cumberland River, which the USGS gauges at Nashville, runs through the county, and the neighboring counties show the same pattern: Sumner, with a median bill of $1,261, has the highest share of policies still below full risk among the large counties, 57 %.
Williamson County, south of Nashville, recorded a median paid claim of $23,299, above the state median. The claims file does not say whether that comes from deeper water or from costlier houses to repair.
Five years of bills for a Davidson County median home
Your next five flood bills, added up
$8,138
| Renewal 1 (capped) | $1,392 |
| Renewal 2 (capped) | $1,630 |
| Renewal 3 | $1,705 |
| Renewal 4 | $1,705 |
Memphis, Chattanooga, Knoxville
West and East Tennessee price differently. Shelby County, around Memphis, had a median bill of $834 and is already close to its full-risk median of $860. Its claims are fewer, 89, but their median is the largest of the big counties, $33,588. In the east, Hamilton County (Chattanooga) paid $1,087 at the median and Knox County (Knoxville) $880.
Three recent floods
The claims file for 2016 to 2025 has no single dominant storm. Hurricane Helene in 2024 paid the most, 146 claims and $10,760,281, and the National Hurricane Center report on the storm lists northeastern Tennessee among the areas where stream gauges passed their record flood levels. The 2021 event listed by FEMA as "Tennessee Flooding" paid 101 claims for $8,595,492. The April Flooding of 2025 added 118 more, and claims from that year may still be settling.
Price bands are wide for a state with no coast: 15 % of Tennessee homes had a full-risk price of $3,000 or more in 2023, against 17 % nationwide. The largest county gap was in Cheatham County, west of Nashville, where 302 policies paid $863 at the median against $2,934 at full risk. The guide on when flood insurance is required explains who must buy, and the waiting period guide why a policy bought as a river rises does not cover that flood.
The Tennessee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davidson County | 3,327 | $1,191 | $1,705 | 51 % | 3 | $800 | $17,979 |
| Shelby County | 1,906 | $834 | $860 | 33 % | 1 | $689 | $33,588 |
| Williamson County | 1,260 | $1,185 | $1,475 | 47 % | 2 | $849 | $23,299 |
| Hamilton County | 1,132 | $1,087 | $1,289 | 44 % | 2 | $828 | $14,293 |
| Rutherford County | 971 | $1,100 | $1,422 | 48 % | 2 | $800 | $13,247 |
| Knox County | 727 | $880 | $978 | 38 % | 1 | $708 | $9,739 |
| Sumner County | 569 | $1,261 | $1,730 | 57 % | 3 | $859 | $15,510 |
| Wilson County | 576 | $1,199 | $1,509 | 50 % | 2 | $800 | $14,777 |
Full-risk prices of Tennessee homes, band by band
| Full risk-based price a year | Policies | Share | Median rebuild value |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 to $1,000 | 7,404 | 38.9 % | $366,421 |
| $1,000 to $2,000 | 6,122 | 32.2 % | $354,000 |
| $2,000 to $3,000 | 2,666 | 14.0 % | $355,362 |
| $3,000 to $4,000 | 1,363 | 7.2 % | $372,089 |
| $4,000 to $5,000 | 696 | 3.7 % | $397,867 |
| $5,000 or more | 781 | 4.1 % |
The floods that paid the most Tennessee claims since 2016
| Event (FEMA name) | Year | Paid claims | Paid in total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | 2024 | 146 | $10,760,281 |
| Tennessee Flooding | 2021 | 101 | $8,595,492 |
| Central U.S. April Flooding | 2025 | 118 | $3,622,555 |