Flood insurance in Washington: cost by ZIP code and county
Washington State has 20,432 single-family flood policies; their median yearly cost was $1,051 on July 31, 2026.
Median single-family flood bill, Washington
$1,051
20,432 policies in force on July 31, 2026, premium and fees included.
| Median full-risk price, same policies | $1,271 |
| Policies still below their full-risk price | 45 % |
| Median paid in August 2023 | $795 |
| Increase left from the median | 2 renewals at 18 % |
| Next five bills, added up | $6,311 |
| Median claim paid, 2016 to 2025 (1,750 claims) | $25,563 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · Where the numbers come from · 353 ZIP codes and 39 counties of Washington in FEMA's tables · not a quote
In Washington State the median single-family flood policy cost $1,051 a year on July 31, 2026, a total that adds the Reserve Fund Assessment, the HFIAA surcharge and the Federal Policy Fee to the premium. King, Skagit, Pierce and Snohomish counties lead the list of the 20,432 policies. Storm surge plays no part here. FEMA's 2023 tables show no single-family policy in the state exposed to storm surge, while 15 % faced coastal erosion and 4 % tsunami risk. High-risk A zones had a median bill of $1,084, X zones $977. At full risk the state median would reach $1,271, and 45 % of policies were still paying less. Claims run large: the median paid single-family claim was $25,563 over 2016 to 2025.
An atmospheric river leads the claims
The largest event in the claim file is an atmospheric river in December 2025: 599 paid single-family claims, $36,707,241 in total, already 34 % of the ten-year count even though claims from 2025 are still being settled.
Whatcom County, where the USGS gauges the Nooksack River, recorded 490 paid claims with a median of $37,421, more claims than King County with three times the policies. Skagit County had a median claim of $29,632.
A median Washington flood claim, counted in years of bills
Median single-family claim paid in Washington, 2016 to 2025
$25,563
| Years of the bill entered that one median claim equals | 24 |
| Median claim, whole country | $42,494 |
| Average claim, whole country | $70,978 |
A coastal zone that costs less
In most coastal states, V zones are the most expensive. Washington reverses that: its 558 V-zone homes paid a median $826, below the $1,084 of A-zone homes. With no storm surge in the exposure data, the V-zone median here sits below the A-zone median. Grays Harbor County had 1,280 policies at a median of $1,092.
FEMA's 2023 tables counted 15 % of Washington single-family policies as exposed to coastal erosion, nearly twice the national 8 %, and 4 % to tsunami. Pierce County, around Tacoma, had 1,885 policies at a median of $912, close to its full-risk median.
Lewis and Cowlitz have the most to catch up
Two neighbouring counties stand out for how far their bills sit below full risk. In Cowlitz County the median bill was $1,298 against $2,353 at full risk, with 74 % of policies capped. Lewis County, along the Chehalis, showed $1,198 against $1,869. Snohomish follows with a full-risk median of $1,875. A capped premium for a primary home rises by no more than 18 % at each renewal, so owners there can expect several more years of increases; the rate increase calculator counts them for one bill. In King County, the largest market, the median was $999. Okanogan County had the widest ratio of full-risk to current cost in FEMA's 2023 data.
The Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King County | 3,860 | $999 | $1,280 | 45 % | 2 | $758 | $23,722 |
| Skagit County | 2,130 | $1,030 | $1,301 | 46 % | 2 | $804 | $29,632 |
| Pierce County | 1,885 | $912 | $1,002 | 43 % | 1 | $752 | $21,955 |
| Snohomish County | 1,570 | $1,101 | $1,875 | 50 % | 4 | $794 | $21,528 |
| Grays Harbor County | 1,280 | $1,092 | $1,203 | 38 % | 1 | $856 | $14,846 |
| Whatcom County | 1,249 | $988 | $1,071 | 30 % | 1 | $800 | $37,421 |
| Lewis County | 903 | $1,198 | $1,869 | 63 % | 3 | $801 | $18,125 |
| Cowlitz County | 737 | $1,298 | $2,353 | 74 % | 4 | $858 | $7,508 |
Full-risk prices of Washington homes, band by band
| Full risk-based price a year | Policies | Share | Median rebuild value |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 to $1,000 | 8,358 | 36.8 % | $438,980 |
| $1,000 to $2,000 | 7,236 | 31.9 % | $414,506 |
| $2,000 to $3,000 | 3,147 | 13.9 % | $420,630 |
| $3,000 to $4,000 | 1,558 | 6.9 % | $438,176 |
| $4,000 to $5,000 | 974 | 4.3 % | $429,786 |
| $5,000 or more | 1,444 | 6.4 % |
The floods that paid the most Washington claims since 2016
| Event (FEMA name) | Year | Paid claims | Paid in total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-AtmosphericRiver | 2025 | 599 | $36,707,241 |