Homeowners Insurance: State’s Insurance Health Good
By Clete Campbell
As any Iowan can tell you, in the Hawkeye State, you can go from unbearable winter to sweet summertime in a matter of hours.
Iowa homes fearlessly stand up to any and all weather bullies: From January blizzards to April Super Rainstorms to June tornado threats to August dog day 100-degree heat indexes to Mother Nature’s utterly unpredictable autumn moods.
“It is said Iowa can have all four seasons within a timeframe of seven days,” Homeowners Insurance notes. “The chances of floods, fires and extreme weather conditions such as tornadoes and winter storms are high throughout the year anywhere in the state.”
In a word, Iowa’s weather, The Simple Dollar’s Ilona Abramova says, is “harsh.”
“Iowa’s harsh weather creates an increased risk of property damage due to hazards like flooding and frozen pipes,” Abramova writes.
It’s never been tougher to be an Iowa home, but never better to be an Iowa homeowner. Here is Homeowners Insurance’s 2019 Iowa Home Insurance Report:
- 1.4 Million – Number of homes in the Hawkeye State
- 71% — Iowa homes occupied by owners
- 1,251,587 – Number of Iowa households
- $56,570 – Average Iowa household income
- 57 – Tornadoes that touched down in Iowa in 2017
- 427 – Iowa wildfires in 2017 that burned through 7,216 acres
The good news? Iowa’s insurance rates have stayed low due to the smart precautions Iowa homeowners take. Installing sufficient precautions like sprinkler systems and impact-resident materials are keeping many Iowa homes safe from the state’s common weather hazards.
The result is Iowa homeowners having an average insurance rate of $945 annually ($78.75 per month). That equates to the 13th lowest average home insurance rate in the country.
Still, due your due diligence and research to find the best, most comprehensive insurance for your family and home. For as we all know, only Mother Nature can truly predict what weather hazard our homes will be weathering next.
