Flood insurance in Texas: cost by ZIP code and county
Texas has 484,546 single-family flood policies, more than any state but Florida; the median bill was $1,083 on July 31, 2026.
Median single-family flood bill, Texas
$1,083
484,546 policies in force on July 31, 2026, premium and fees included.
| Median full-risk price, same policies | $1,249 |
| Policies still below their full-risk price | 46 % |
| Median paid in August 2023 | $779 |
| Increase left from the median | 1 renewal at 18 % |
| Next five bills, added up | $6,245 |
| Median claim paid, 2016 to 2025 (101,582 claims) | $71,152 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · Where the numbers come from · 1,196 ZIP codes and 194 counties of Texas in FEMA's tables · not a quote
A single-family flood policy in Texas cost a median $1,083 a year on July 31, 2026, premium, assessment and fees included, across 484,546 policies in the federal program. That is close to the national median, but the state hides two very different markets. In V zones, the coastal high hazard areas, the median bill was $1,987; in X zones, it was $1,067. Harris County alone carries 200,400 policies, about 41 % of the state, the largest county count in the data. Bills are still climbing: 46 % of Texas policies pay less than their full-risk premium, and the same policies at full risk would have a median bill of $1,249. From the state median, the 18 % cap leaves 1 more renewals of increases.
Harvey and the Texas claims file
Hurricane Harvey in 2017 is the largest flood in the records of the federal program for Texas: 69,155 paid claims on single-family homes, $7,890,488,590 in total, about 68 % of all paid single-family claims in the state from 2016 to 2025. The file also shows where losses happen beyond the high-risk map: 55,501 of the state's paid single-family claims over those years were rated in X, B or C zones, against 44,296 in A zones.
The policy count leans the same way. In Texas, 326,518 single-family policies in force on July 31, 2026 were in moderate- or low-risk zones, more than twice the 149,536 in high-risk A zones. Outside a high-risk zone a policy is cheaper, $1,067 at the median, but it is bought by choice, and it carries the same 30-day wait as any new policy: buying when a storm enters the Gulf is too late.
What a median Texas claim represents in years of premium
Median single-family claim paid in Texas, 2016 to 2025
$71,152
| Years of the bill entered that one median claim equals | 66 |
| Median claim, whole country | $42,494 |
| Average claim, whole country | $70,978 |
Galveston, Harris and storm surge
Storm surge is one of the flood types Risk Rating 2.0 assesses. In Galveston County, 51,411 single-family policies had a median bill of $1,191 on July 31, 2026, against $1,086 in Harris County next door. The county line itself does not set the price: FEMA's model can weigh each building's proximity to flood sources, its first floor height and its cost to rebuild.
FEMA's 2023 tables show how much of the state is exposed to each kind of flooding: 35 % of Texas single-family policies were exposed to storm surge, and 3 % to coastal erosion. Every policy is exposed to inland flooding.
How far Texas bills are from full price
Under the current pricing method, a policy that paid less than its full-risk premium moves up by at most 18 % a year for a main home. Texas started from a low base: in August 2023 the state median bill was $779, below the national $786. By July 31, 2026 it had reached $1,083. The share still capped, 46 %, is close to the national 47 %, so the yearly increases are not over.
The table below ranks the counties with the most policies. The renewals column counts the yearly steps from each county's median bill to its median full-risk bill; your own number depends on your own bill and full-risk premium, both printed on your declarations page. The rate increase calculator does that count for one policy.
The Texas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris County | 200,400 | $1,086 | $1,327 | 51 % | 2 | $781 | $75,940 |
| Galveston County | 51,411 | $1,191 | $1,638 | 53 % | 3 | $798 | $78,979 |
| Fort Bend County | 39,883 | $968 | $981 | 36 % | 1 | $749 | $99,433 |
| Brazoria County | 26,983 | $1,084 | $1,262 | 47 % | 1 | $779 | $75,069 |
| Montgomery County | 21,088 | $1,018 | $1,050 | 40 % | 1 | $759 | $69,307 |
| Jefferson County | 17,932 | $1,088 | $1,531 | 65 % | 3 | $775 | $85,271 |
| Nueces County | 17,369 | $1,081 | $1,128 | 28 % | 1 | $799 | $30,168 |
| Orange County | 10,377 | $1,205 | $2,028 | 70 % | 4 | $795 | $96,385 |
Full-risk prices of Texas homes, band by band
| Full risk-based price a year | Policies | Share | Median rebuild value |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 to $1,000 | 223,252 | 38.1 % | $399,884 |
| $1,000 to $2,000 | 262,011 | 44.7 % | $414,564 |
| $2,000 to $3,000 | 66,679 | 11.4 % | $430,144 |
| $3,000 to $4,000 | 19,416 | 3.3 % | $428,294 |
| $4,000 to $5,000 | 7,774 | 1.3 % | $397,854 |
| $5,000 or more | 7,548 | 1.3 % |
The floods that paid the most Texas claims since 2016
| Event (FEMA name) | Year | Paid claims | Paid in total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Harvey | 2017 | 69,155 | $7,890,488,590 |
| Tropical Storm Imelda | 2019 | 9,150 | $655,816,441 |
| Spring severe storms | 2016 | 6,747 | $394,198,428 |