Renters Insurance Cost by State (2026 Study)
We ranked all 50 states and Washington, DC by what tenants actually paid for renters insurance, using the newest state-by-state filings from insurance regulators. Mississippi renters pay more than twice what South Dakota renters do. The Gulf Coast costs 66 percent more than the Upper Midwest. The full table, the method, and a downloadable dataset are below.
Six things the data shows
Every figure is the average premium tenants actually paid in 2023, the latest year regulators have published, from the NAIC’s Homeowners Insurance Report released July 2026.
The Gulf Coast pays the most, by a wide margin
Mississippi ($263 a year), Louisiana ($250), Oklahoma ($220), Alabama ($219), and Arkansas ($208) hold the top five spots. Averaged across Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Texas, and Florida, Gulf Coast renters pay $224 a year, 30 percent above the national figure. Hurricanes, tornado exposure, and a thinner pool of carriers willing to write there all push the price up.
The Upper Midwest is the cheapest region in the country
South Dakota ($125), North Dakota ($127), Wisconsin ($133), Minnesota ($137), and Iowa ($142) are five of the six lowest-cost states. Averaged with Nebraska, the region comes in at $135 a year, 22 percent under the national average and 40 percent under the Gulf Coast.
Florida is expensive for homeowners, not for renters
Florida ranks 11th at $186 a year, only 8 percent above average. Renters do not insure the building, so the hurricane roof exposure that has driven Florida homeowners premiums to the top of the country mostly stays off the renters bill. Contents and liability are priced closer to the national norm.
Big coastal metros are near average, not at the top
New York ($176), California ($171), and Washington ($165) all sit within 5 percent of the national average. High rents do not translate into high renters premiums; what renters insure is their belongings and liability, and those cost about the same in Manhattan as in Missouri.
The spread between neighbors can be larger than the spread between coasts
Oklahoma ($220) costs 35 percent more than neighboring Kansas ($163). Mississippi ($263) costs 39 percent more than Tennessee ($189) next door. State insurance regulation, catastrophe history, and which carriers compete in a market matter more than geography alone.
Most states cluster tightly around $150 to $180
The median state is $166 a year. Twenty-nine of the 51 jurisdictions fall between $150 and $180, which is $12.50 to $15 a month. Outside the Gulf Coast and the Northern Plains, where you live moves the average by only a couple of dollars a month; how much you insure and your deductible move it more.
Average renters insurance premium by state, 2023 data
Ranked from most to least expensive. “vs U.S.” compares each state to the $173 national average. Click a state for its full guide: what leases there require, local risks, and who writes policies.
| # | State | Per year | Per month | vs U.S. | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | $263 | $22 | +52% | |
| 2 | Louisiana | $250 | $21 | +45% | |
| 3 | Oklahoma | $220 | $18 | +27% | |
| 4 | Alabama | $219 | $18 | +27% | |
| 5 | Arkansas | $208 | $17 | +20% | |
| 6 | Georgia | $206 | $17 | +19% | |
| 7 | Texas | $201 | $17 | +16% | |
| 8 | Alaska | $193 | $16 | +12% | |
| 9 | Tennessee | $189 | $16 | +9% | |
| 10 | South Carolina | $187 | $16 | +8% | |
| 11 | Florida | $186 | $16 | +8% | |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $184 | $15 | +6% | |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $180 | $15 | +4% | |
| 14 | Hawaii | $178 | $15 | +3% | |
| 15 | Michigan | $178 | $15 | +3% | |
| 16 | Connecticut | $177 | $15 | +2% | |
| 17 | New Mexico | $177 | $15 | +2% | |
| 18 | New York | $176 | $15 | +2% | |
| 19 | Nevada | $174 | $14 | +1% | |
| 20 | North Carolina | $174 | $14 | +1% | |
| 21 | Missouri | $173 | $14 | +0% | |
| 22 | West Virginia | $172 | $14 | -1% | |
| 23 | California | $171 | $14 | -1% | |
| 24 | Indiana | $167 | $14 | -3% | |
| 25 | Arizona | $166 | $14 | -4% | |
| 26 | Colorado | $166 | $14 | -4% | |
| 27 | Washington | $165 | $14 | -5% | |
| 28 | Kansas | $163 | $14 | -6% | |
| 29 | Montana | $163 | $14 | -6% | |
| 30 | Ohio | $163 | $14 | -6% | |
| 31 | Maryland | $162 | $14 | -6% | |
| 32 | Kentucky | $160 | $13 | -8% | |
| 33 | Oregon | $160 | $13 | -8% | |
| 34 | Virginia | $158 | $13 | -9% | |
| 35 | District of Columbia | $155 | $13 | -10% | |
| 36 | Illinois | $155 | $13 | -10% | |
| 37 | Vermont | $155 | $13 | -10% | |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $153 | $13 | -12% | |
| 39 | Pennsylvania | $153 | $13 | -12% | |
| 40 | Idaho | $152 | $13 | -12% | |
| 41 | New Jersey | $151 | $13 | -13% | |
| 42 | Utah | $148 | $12 | -14% | |
| 43 | Delaware | $146 | $12 | -16% | |
| 44 | Maine | $146 | $12 | -16% | |
| 45 | Nebraska | $146 | $12 | -16% | |
| 46 | Iowa | $142 | $12 | -18% | |
| 47 | Wyoming | $141 | $12 | -18% | |
| 48 | Minnesota | $137 | $11 | -21% | |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $133 | $11 | -23% | |
| 50 | North Dakota | $127 | $11 | -27% | |
| 51 | South Dakota | $125 | $10 | -28% |
Source: NAIC, “Dwelling Fire, Homeowners Owner-Occupied, and Homeowners Tenant and Condominium/Cooperative Unit Owner’s Insurance Report: Data for 2023” (published July 2026), Table 5, HO-4 tenant policy form, Total row per state: written premium divided by house-years. Rows shaded coral are 10 percent or more above the national average; rows shaded teal are 10 percent or more below.
Method
The NAIC collects premium and exposure data from every licensed insurer and publishes a state-level average for each policy form. We used the HO-4 form, which is the standard renters (tenant) policy, and the “Total” row, which pools every coverage amount. The average is written premium divided by house-years, so it reflects what renters actually bought, including the many small policies. It is not a quote for a fixed coverage level. Percent differences are computed against the published U.S. average of $173. Regional averages are simple means of the states named in each finding. Monthly figures are the annual average divided by 12, rounded to the dollar.
What this does and does not tell you
It tells you how your state’s renters market prices relative to the rest of the country, and it is the most reliable public benchmark that exists, because it is built from every policy sold rather than a sample of quotes. It does not tell you what you will pay. Your county’s hazard exposure, your building, your deductible, your coverage limits, and your claims history all move the number. For a ZIP-level estimate that layers county hazard and density on top of the state average, use the renters insurance cost calculator.
Using this data
Journalists, researchers, landlords, and housing offices are welcome to cite or republish the table with attribution to ApartmentRentalInsurance.com and a link to this page. The dataset is free to download above. If you need a state-level cut, a regional comparison, or a quote for a story, write to us through the contact page.
Suggested citation: ApartmentRentalInsurance.com, “Renters Insurance Cost by State (2026 Study),” analysis of NAIC 2023 HO-4 premium data, September 2026.
Cost by state FAQ
The questions we get about this table.
Which state has the most expensive renters insurance?
Mississippi, at an average of $263 a year (about $22 a month) in the latest NAIC data (2023). Louisiana is second at $250, followed by Oklahoma at $220 and Alabama at $219.
Which state has the cheapest renters insurance?
South Dakota, at $125 a year (about $10 a month). North Dakota ($127), Wisconsin ($133), and Minnesota ($137) are close behind. All four sit more than 20 percent below the national average.
What is the national average cost of renters insurance?
$173 a year, about $14 a month, according to the NAIC’s report on 2023 data. That is an average of what tenants actually bought, so it includes many small policies. A $30,000 contents / $100,000 liability policy typically quotes higher.
Why do comparison sites show higher averages than this table?
They quote a fixed policy (often $30,000 in contents for a 35-year-old with good credit) and average the quotes. This table averages what renters actually paid across every coverage amount. Both are valid; they measure different things.
Is 2023 the newest data available?
Yes. The NAIC publishes state-level premium data about two and a half years after the policy year. The 2023 edition was released in July 2026 and is the latest at the time of this study. We will update the table when the 2024 edition is published.
Can I use this data in an article or report?
Yes, with attribution to ApartmentRentalInsurance.com and a link to this page. The CSV download includes every figure in the table plus the number of tenant policies behind each state average.
Know your state’s number, then see your ZIP’s
The calculator layers your county’s hazard score and density on top of the state average, then compare live quotes side by side.
ApartmentRentalInsurance.com is an independent, advertising-supported comparison site. We are not an insurer or an agent and do not sell policies. Figures on this page are averages from public regulatory filings, not quotes.