Best Homeowners Insurance in Arkansas

Shelter is the best home insurance company in Arkansas if a low premium is important to you. State Farm is a good option if service is important.

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Key Takeaways

  • Shelter has the cheapest insurance premiums in Arkansas for most homeowners.
  • State Farm is also a good option if you want great customer service.
  • The average cost of home insurance in Arkansas is higher than the national average.

In this article

The cheapest home insurance companies in Arkansas

Shelter is the cheapest homeowners insurance company in Arkansas, charging an average rate of $1,948 a year.

Farmers and State Farm also offer cheap home insurance to Arkansas homeowners. Their average premiums are higher than Shelter’s, but lower than the state average.

Insurance company Annual premium
Shelter $1,948
Farmers $2,319
State Farm $2,761
Allstate $2,856
USAA* $2,898
State Auto $3,815
Nationwide $3,996
Average $2,942
Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. *Only available to current/former military and their families.

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How much is home insurance in Arkansas?

The average cost of homeowners insurance in Arkansas is $2,942 a year. Paid monthly, that comes out to $245.

This is 55% higher than the nationwide average cost of home insurance, which is $1,903 a year, or $159 a month.

What you pay for home insurance in Arkansas depends on several factors, including:

  • Your ZIP code
  • The age of your home
  • The materials used to build your home
  • Your insurance claim history

Another factor that plays a key role in how much you pay for home insurance is the deductible you choose for your policy. The lower your deductible, the higher your premium – as the following table makes clear.

Deductible amount Annual premium
$500 $3,086
$1,000 $2,942
$1,500 $2,771
$2,000 $2,628
Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary.

What you choose for your home insurance policy’s dwelling coverage amount also affects your premium. In this case, a lower dwelling coverage amount often means a lower premium, too.

Dwelling coverage amount Annual premium
$200,000 $2,431
$275,000 $2,942
$350,000 $3,542
$425,000 $4,157
$500,000 $4,786
Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary.

The best way to find a policy that offers the cheapest premium for the amount of coverage you need given all the above? Compare home insurance quotes from multiple companies.

Arkansas' best home insurance companies

Arkansas homeowners looking for the best home insurance company in their state should start by getting a quote from Shelter. Shelter’s average annual premium is nearly $400 lower than that of its next-cheapest competitor, Farmers.

State Farm and State Auto are worth considering, too, thanks to their stellar customer satisfaction ratings. The same is true for USAA, if you qualify.

Best overall: Shelter

Shelter gets our vote for best home insurance company in Arkansas due to it having the most affordable premiums as well as a low customer complaint rating.

Shelter’s average annual premium of $1,948 is the lowest of the home insurance companies we surveyed in Arkansas, and by a good margin.

Along with affordable premiums, Shelter has a low complaint rating from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). The company’s 0.19 complaint rating is among the lowest of the home insurers we researched. This means it receives far fewer complaints from customers than are expected for its size.

Best for customer service and satisfaction: State Farm and State Auto

State Farm and State Auto may be the best home insurance companies in Arkansas for you if customer satisfaction and service are as important to you as price.

State Farm received the highest customer satisfaction score – 829 out of a possible 1,000 – from J.D. Power of the mainstream home insurance companies included in our survey. (USAA’s score is even higher, but only those with military ties can buy insurance from USAA.)

J.D. Power’s customer service index rankings are based on customer surveys that rate home insurers on interaction, policy offerings, price, billing process, policy information and claims.

Home insurance company satisfaction scores
Insurance company Overall customer satisfaction score
Allstate 815
Farmers 792
State Auto Not included
Nationwide 816
Shelter Not included
State Farm 829
USAA 884
Source: J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Home Insurance Study

State Auto isn’t included in J.D. Power’s 2022 study, but it scores highly on the NAIC Complaint Index. Its 0.12 complaint rating is the lowest of the insurers we surveyed in Arkansas, which means it receives few complaints from the state’s customers.

Home insurance company complaint ratings
Insurance company Complaint Index rating
Allstate 0.33
Farmers 0.39
State Auto 0.12
Nationwide 0.14
Shelter 0.19
State Farm 0.35
USAA 0.31
Source: National Association of Insurance Commissioners (2022 data)

Best for military: USAA

USAA may be the best homeowners insurance company in Arkansas for you if you or a loved one is a current or former member of the military.

USAA’s home insurance rates are quite a bit higher than those of Shelter, but they’re still lower than the state average. Perhaps more importantly, USAA earned a top score from J.D. Power for customer satisfaction (884 out of 1,000) and has a decent NAIC complaint rating.

How much does home insurance cost in Arkansas by city?

Homeowners living in Conway pay the lowest home insurance premiums among the 10 largest cities in Arkansas, averaging $2,767 a year. Rogers is close behind, though, with an average annual premium of $2,793.

Fort Smith homeowners pay the highest home insurance premiums of the state’s largest cities. Its average annual premium is $3,098.

City Annual premium
Little Rock $2,898
Fayetteville $2,844
Fort Smith $3,098
Springdale $2,820
Jonesboro $2,825
Rogers $2,793
North Little Rock $2,884
Conway $2,767
Bentonville $2,917
Pine Bluff $2,907
Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary.

Cheapest home insurance companies in Little Rock

To get cheap homeowners insurance in Little Rock, get a quote from Shelter. It offers an average premium of $1,918 a year – the city’s lowest.

Insurance company Annual premium
Shelter $1,918
USAA* $2,461
Farmers $2,528
State Farm $2,585
Allstate $2,676
Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. *Only available to current/former military and their families.

Cheapest home insurance companies in Fayetteville

Shelter offers the cheapest home insurance rates to homeowners in Fayetteville, too, based on our data. Its average premium is $1,852 a year. This is $401 a year cheaper than runner-up Farmers’ average premium.

Insurance company Annual premium
Shelter $1,852
Farmers $2,253
USAA* $2,657
State Farm $2,817
Allstate $3,116
Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. *Only available to current/former military and their families.

Cheapest home insurance companies in Fort Smith

Shelter also has the cheapest homeowners insurance for Fort Smith residents, with an average premium of $1,996 a year.

Insurance company Annual premium
Shelter $1,996
Farmers $2,421
USAA* $2,599
State Farm $2,616
State Auto $3,801
Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. *Only available to current/former military and their families.

Arkansas' cheapest home insurance by county

Among the10 largest counties in Arkansas, Faulkner County has the cheapest average home insurance rate of $2,807 a year.

White County’s average home insurance rate of $3,082 a year is highest among the state’s biggest counties.

County Annual premium
Pulaski $2,884
Benton $2,853
Washington $2,838
Sebastian $3,004
Faulkner $2,807
Saline $2,946
Craighead $2,841
Garland $2,890
White $3,082
Lonoke $2,843
Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary.

Compare home insurance quotes from top providers in Arkansas

Does home insurance cover natural disasters in Arkansas?

Arkansas is no stranger to severe weather and natural disasters. Tornadoes, thunderstorms, hail, snow and ice storms are common, depending on the time of year. Although the state is far enough from the coast to avoid the brunt of most hurricanes, it – and its homeowners – can still be impacted by them.

Standard home insurance covers damage and destruction caused by some of these events, but not all. A standard homeowners insurance policy covers damage and destruction caused by hail, ice, snow and wind, including tornadoes, in most cases. It usually won’t cover flood damage.

Flood insurance in Arkansas

Although home insurance usually excludes flood damage in Arkansas (as it does in other states), you can buy flood insurance to protect your home and belongings from flooding.

Most lenders require flood insurance if you apply for a mortgage in a high-risk flood zone. Even if it’s not required, though, you can often still purchase it through the government-backed National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or certain private companies.

Frequently asked questions

The average cost of home insurance in Arkansas is $2,942 a year.

You may pay more or less than this due to the many factors companies consider when coming up with your rate. Some of these factors include your ZIP code, the age of your home, and the materials used to build it.

Shelter offers the cheapest home insurance rates in Arkansas at an average $162 a month. Farmers’ average rate of $193 a month is fairly low, too. Both companies’ average rates are well below the state average rate for home insurance.

Arkansas law does not require homeowners to insure their properties. If you have a mortgage on your home, though, your lender probably will require it.

Home insurance usually is a good idea even if you don’t need to buy it considering how much it can cost to repair or replace a damaged or destroyed home. Without home insurance, you’d have to cover those costs out of your own pocket.

Methodology

We collected quotes from every ZIP code in Arkansas for a standard HO-3 homeowners insurance policy using the following coverages:

  • $275,000 dwelling coverage (unless otherwise noted)
  • $27,500 other structures
  • $137,500 personal property
  • $55,000 loss of use coverage
  • $100,000 liability
  • $5,000 medical payments
  • $1,000 deductible (unless otherwise noted)

Sources:

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