Ohio Homeowners Pay Some of the Lowest Insurance Costs In The Country

Ohio homeowners benefit from some of the lowest insurance costs in the U.S., even as premiums rise in climate-vulnerable states.

While Gulf Coast and Western markets are experiencing sharp affordability challenges, new data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Realtor.com® 2025 Climate Risk Report show that Ohio remains one of the more affordable states for homeowners coverage.

And with several states landing on the top ZIP codes list of 2025, it's clear to see why Ohio has become a hot market in recent years.

Ohio’s Insurance Costs Stay Affordable

According to the American Community Survey (ACS) data from the U.S. Census Bureau , Ohio homeowners with a mortgage typically pay $1,000–$1,499 annually for homeowners insurance, while those without a mortgage average roughly $800 to $999. Overall statewide costs also fall into the $1,000–$1,499 range.

Ohio has 3,331,033 insured homeowner households in total—2,000,980 with a mortgage and 1,352,443 without. Among mortgaged owners, 176,698 pay less than $100 annually and 58,566 pay $4,000 or more. Among those without a mortgage, 247,765 pay less than $100 and 27,903 pay $4,000 or more.

Given these lower costs and with median home prices in top ZIP codes ranging from $253K to $510K, Ohio has become a booming market.

"Insurance costs are increasingly shaping affordability, especially in this high-rate, high-priced environment," says Realtor.com senior economist Jake Krimmel. "It’s just another added, and quite necessary, cost for owning today and moving forward."

Climate Risks Across the Region

The Realtor.com 2025 Climate Risk Report emphasizes how the steepest insurance burdens are concentrated in Southern and coastal states. Miami, FL leads the nation, with homeowners paying an average of $22,718 annually, equal to 3.7% of median home value. Cape Coral, Sarasota, and Tampa also rank among the costliest markets.

Ohio does not appear in the report’s rankings of metros with the steepest insurance burdens, nor is it highlighted for flood, hurricane, or wildfire exposure.

Still, the state faces its share of severe weather, including flooding along river systems and tornadoes in the western part of the state. These risks have not yet pushed premiums into higher tiers, keeping statewide averages relatively low compared with other regions.

A National Affordability Challenge

Even though Ohio homeowners pay relatively modest premiums, affordability is a growing concern nationwide. The Realtor.com 2025 Insurance Affordability Report found that 75% of Americans believe homeowners insurance could soon become unaffordable, while nearly half said they had already faced difficulties renewing or obtaining coverage.

These pressures are reshaping how buyers approach the housing market. Nearly 30% of homebuyers said they had completely changed the areas they were searching in due to insurance concerns, while another quarter said they had overhauled their strategies altogether. Even more concerning, 58% of homeowners nationwide said they would consider dropping insurance if premiums rose too high, with younger generations the most likely to do so.

For Ohio households, low statewide premiums provide a degree of protection compared with national hot spots. But as severe weather events increase, insurance affordability may come under pressure in the years ahead.

This article was produced with editorial input from Dina Sartore-Bodo, Gabriella Iannetta, and Allaire Conte.