Travelers and State Farm offer the cheapest homeowners insurance in Baltimore, offering rates that average $82 and $89 a month, respectively. Since home insurance rates tend to vary by customer, it’s best to compare quotes from multiple companies when you shop. Our guide to the best home insurance companies in Baltimore provides the intel you need to get the right coverage at the lowest price.
In this article
How much is homeowners insurance in Baltimore?
The average cost of homeowners insurance in Baltimore is $1,448 a year, or $121 a month, based on our analysis of quotes for a typical house in every ZIP code in the city.
The average citywide price of homeowners insurance in Baltimore is 23% higher than Maryland’s state average of $1,171 a year, or $98 a month.
However, when we expanded our review of quotes to the greater-Baltimore area, including the city and six surrounding counties, the average cost of home insurance drops to $1,139 a year, which is $32 less than the statewide average.
| Location | Annual rate | Monthly average |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Baltimore | $1,139 | $95 |
| Maryland | $1,171 | $98 |
| City of Baltimore | $1,448 | $121 |
| Note: Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | ||
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Who offers the cheapest homeowners insurance in Baltimore?
Travelers offers the cheapest homeowners insurance in Baltimore, with its citywide rates averaging $82 a month.
The next-best rates are available from State Farm, $89 a month, and USAA, $102 a month, although USAA is only available to current and former members of the military and their families.
| Company | Annual rate | Monthly average |
|---|---|---|
| Travelers | $989 | $82 |
| State Farm | $1,070 | $89 |
| USAA* | $1,229 | $102 |
| City average | $1,448 | $121 |
| Allstate | $1,574 | $131 |
| Chubb | $1,617 | $135 |
| Erie | $1,622 | $135 |
| Nationwide | $2,036 | $170 |
| Note: Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. *USAA is only available to the military community. | ||
Insurance companies evaluate several factors about you and your home to determine your rate, including:
- Your home’s age and construction style
- Risks in your area, such as severe weather and crime rates
- The estimated cost of rebuilding your home in the event of a total loss
- Your insurance history
- Any discounts you may be eligible to receive
Since each company weighs these factors differently and offers different discounts, you may qualify for a considerably lower rate with one company than you do with others. This is why it’s best to compare quotes from multiple companies when you shop for homeowners insurance.
Best insurance companies in Baltimore
USAA and Chubb have the best customer service scores among Baltimore’s insurance companies, while Travelers is best for saving money and State Farm is best for bundling.
Best customer service scores: USAA and Chubb
J.D. Power gives USAA the highest customer service scores among Baltimore’s insurance companies, while Chubb has the city’s best rating on the National Association of Insurance Commission (NAIC) Complaint Index.
J.D. Power’s overall customer satisfaction index rankings are based on customer surveys rating home insurers on interaction, policy offerings, price, billing process, policy information and claims.
USAA’s rating of 884, on a 1,000-point scale, is highest among all home insurance companies in the nation. The next-best scores among companies in our analysis belong to State Farm, 829, and Erie Insurance, 827.
| Company | Overall customer satisfaction rating |
|---|---|
| USAA* | 884 |
| State Farm | 829 |
| Erie | 827 |
| Segment average | 819 |
| Nationwide | 816 |
| Allstate | 815 |
| Chubb | 809 |
| Travelers | 794 |
| Source: J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Home Insurance Study. *USAA is only available to the military community. | |
The NAIC’s Complaint Index compares companies by confirmed complaints in relation to their size.
A confirmed complaint is one that leads to a finding of fault. A company with a 2.0 Complaint Index rating has twice as many confirmed complaints as expected for a company of its size, while a company with a 0.5 rating has half as many.
Chubb’s 0.08 Complaint Index rating is lowest, or best, in Baltimore, followed by Travelers, 0.13, and Erie, 0.19.
| Company | Complaint Index score |
|---|---|
| Chubb | 0.08 |
| Travelers | 0.13 |
| Erie | 0.19 |
| Nationwide | 0.20 |
| USAA* | 0.20 |
| State Farm | 0.32 |
| Allstate | 0.58 |
| Source: National Association of Insurance Commissioners, 2021 data. *USAA is only available to the military community. | |
Best for saving money: Travelers
With rates that are 32% less than the citywide average, Travelers is best for saving money on homeowners insurance in Baltimore. Travelers also offers several easy-to-earn discounts that can help you save more money.
For example, if you haven’t had any recent insurance claims, you may qualify for a loss-free discount. Or, if you have purchased your home within 12 months of your policy’s start date, make sure you ask about Travelers’ homebuyer discount when you request your quote.
Best for bundling: State Farm
Most insurance companies offer a multi-line discount for combining your home insurance with an auto policy, but State Farm’s low rates and high customer service scores provide a particularly ideal combination for bundlers.
The discounts State Farm offers for bundling only compounds the savings you typically get from State Farm’s already low rates for stand-alone home and auto insurance.
Meanwhile, State Farm’s high customer satisfaction scores for both home and auto insurance reflects the company’s ability to consistently meet customer expectations for both lines of insurance.
Greater Baltimore home insurance rates by county
In the six greater Baltimore counties surrounding the city, insurance rates range from $78 a month in Carroll County to $100 a month in Queen Anne’s County. This means the average price of home insurance within the city of Baltimore is higher than it is in all six of these counties.
| County | Annual rate | Monthly average |
|---|---|---|
| Anne Arundel | $1,106 | $92 |
| City of Baltimore | $1,448 | $121 |
| Baltimore County | $1,142 | $95 |
| Carroll County | $933 | $78 |
| Harford County | $1,196 | $100 |
| Howard County | $943 | $79 |
| Queen Anne's County | $1,203 | $100 |
| Note: Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | ||
How do home insurance deductibles work in Baltimore?
Since your home insurance deductible is the amount of money that comes out of your pocket before insurance funds kick in, it’s important to know how they work.
In Baltimore and elsewhere in Maryland, insurance companies often offer policies with one deductible for “all-perils” and a separate one for “wind, hurricanes or other storms.”
- The all-perils deductible typically applies to most covered causes of damage, such as fire and burst pipes. This deductible is typically expressed as a flat dollar amount, such as $1,000 or $2,000.
- Wind, hurricane or other storm deductibles are typically higher and often expressed as a percentage of your policy’s dwelling limit, typically up to 5%.
If you choose a $1,000 all-peril deductible and a fire destroys your roof, you’re responsible for the first $1,000 in roof repairs.
If you choose a 5% wind deductible and a windstorm destroys your roof, your share of repair costs depends on your policy’s dwelling limit.
For example, if you insure your home for $200,000, a 5% deductible leaves you responsible for the first $10,000 in repairs. If you insure your home at $300,000, a 5% wind deductible requires you to cover the first $15,000 in repairs.
In general, higher deductibles reduce your homeowners insurance rates, but they also increase your out-of-pocket expenses if you ever need to file a claim.
It’s also important to know that standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage resulting from hurricanes and other powerful storms.
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Home insurance for Baltimore’s flood risks
Although homeowners insurance generally excludes flood damage, you can purchase flood insurance separately for financial protection from this risk.
Most flood insurance is purchased through the government-backed National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), but several private insurance companies also offer it.
The average price of NFIP flood insurance in greater Baltimore is $635 a year, or $53 a month, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which manages the program.
For residential customers, NFIP offers up to $250,000 coverage for structures and up to $100,000 in contents coverage for your belongings.
Baltimore’s flood risks are greatest in areas near the shore and along the Patapsco and Back rivers and their tributaries.
If you apply for a mortgage for a home in a high-risk flood zone, as identified in FEMA’s mapping system, your lender is likely to require you to purchase flood insurance. You can also purchase flood insurance voluntarily if you don’t have a mortgage and/or your home is in a low- or moderate-risk area.
If you’re not sure about your home’s flood risk, or the flood risk of a home you’d like to buy, you can find it online in the Flood Map Service Center on FEMA’s website.
FEMA authorizes insurance agents in communities across the nation to sell NFIP policies on its behalf. If you need assistance locating an authorized agent in your community, you can find one near you on FEMA’s online provider directory.
Methodology
Rate comparisons are based on homeowners insurance quotes from Quadrant Information Services for a typical detached home in every Baltimore ZIP code. The rates shown in our analysis reflect the costs of coverage for a standard HO-3 policy with the following limits and deductibles:
- Dwelling coverage: $275,000
- Other structures: $27,500
- Personal property: $137,500
- Loss of use: $55,000
- Personal liability: $100,000
- Medical payments: $5,000
- Deductible (single deductible, not separated for wind): $1,000
Sources:
Home insurance by city
- Baltimore
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