Home Insurance in Houston: Cost, Quotes, Claims and TWIA
Home insurance in Harris County, where most of Houston sits, averaged $4,144 a year in 2025, about $345 a month, on an average of $463,000 of coverage, according to the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI). That is up 72% from $2,406 in 2019. The city also reaches into Fort Bend and Montgomery counties, whose averages were $4,231 and $3,404. These are county averages of premiums actually reported, not quotes for your address.
How much does home insurance cost in Houston?
TDI’s average annual premium for homeowners policies that include wind and hail, in the Houston area (2025 preliminary):
| County | 2019 | 2022 | 2024 | 2025 | Change since 2019 | Average coverage, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris | $2,406 | $2,833 | $3,878 | $4,144 | +72% | $463,000 |
| Fort Bend | $2,363 | $2,870 | $3,978 | $4,231 | +79% | $503,000 |
| Montgomery | $1,999 | $2,360 | $3,227 | $3,404 | +70% | $478,000 |
| Brazoria | $2,371 | $2,715 | $3,783 | $3,871 | +63% | $403,000 |
| Galveston | $2,731 | $3,440 | $4,469 | $4,464 | +63% | $431,000 |
Part of the rise is bigger coverage: in Harris County the average coverage went from $313,000 to $463,000 (+48%), so the premium per $1,000 of coverage rose from $7.69 to $8.95 (+16%, our division of TDI’s figures). Harris County is slightly cheaper than Dallas County ($4,363), and Galveston County is higher ($4,464). For the statewide picture, the cost by county and why sites disagree: home insurance in Texas, average cost by county.
What insurers paid in Harris County
TDI also publishes what insurers paid for homeowners claims, by county and cause. For Harris County:
| Year | Policies in force | Paid losses | Paid per policy | Wind and hail per policy | Water per policy | Fire per policy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 717,710 | $542 million | $755 | $395 | $172 | $137 |
| 2020 | 747,045 | $560 million | $749 | $384 | $159 | $127 |
| 2021 | 781,725 | $1,630 million | $2,085 | $356 | $1,502 | $155 |
| 2022 | 801,554 | $635 million | $792 | $265 | $302 | $163 |
| 2023 | 802,284 | $804 million | $1,002 | $487 | $289 | $157 |
| 2024 | 797,318 | $1,358 million | $1,703 | $1,223 | $213 | $179 |
| 2025 | 774,943 | $721 million | $930 | $490 | $191 | $180 |
TDI’s county table labels this peril “Wind”; its 2024 statewide total ($7.2 billion) matches the wind ($2.2 billion) plus hail ($4.9 billion) that the market overview reports, so we read it as wind and hail together.
The data doesn’t name storms, but two years stand out:
- 2021: water, $1,502 per policy. In February 2021 Texas had a prolonged freeze and power outages from February 11 to 19 that damaged property through frozen pipes, ice and fallen limbs. TDI’s report on that event counted 112,163 claims in Harris County (all lines of insurance) and $1,767.2 million in paid losses as of June 30, 2022, the most of any county.
- 2024: wind and hail, $1,223 per policy, against $265 to $490 in other years. TDI’s bulletin on Hurricane Beryl covers losses from July 7 to 9, 2024, in 67 counties including Harris. TDI’s county data does not attribute the 2024 losses to a particular storm.
Houston’s losses are well below North Texas (Plano and Dallas-Fort Worth in detail). Adding TDI’s annual paid loss per policy for 2019 to 2025 (our sum), Harris County is at $8,016, against $14,354 in Dallas County and $17,256 in Collin County:
| County | Paid loss per policy, 2019-2025 (sum of years) | of which wind and hail | of which water | Average premium, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris (Houston) | $8,016 | $3,600 | $2,828 | $4,144 |
| Fort Bend | $7,788 | $3,994 | $2,574 | $4,231 |
| Montgomery | $9,255 | $4,552 | $3,047 | $3,404 |
| Bexar (San Antonio) | $7,216 | $3,884 | $1,986 | $2,806 |
| Travis (Austin) | $9,480 | $5,372 | $2,415 | $3,245 |
| Tarrant (Fort Worth) | $13,634 | $8,580 | $3,086 | $3,939 |
| Dallas | $14,354 | $7,745 | $4,334 | $4,363 |
| Collin (Plano) | $17,256 | $10,978 | $4,481 | $4,343 |
TDI’s note: the loss data does not include wind or hail losses from the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA). So the Houston figure leaves out claims paid by TWIA on the east side of the county. Premiums and losses are also not directly comparable: a premium covers expenses and reserves as well as paid claims.
Where TWIA applies in Harris County
The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association sells wind and hail coverage in 14 coastal counties and in part of Harris County. TDI describes the Harris County part as property inside the city limits and east of Highway 146 in La Porte, Morgan’s Point, Pasadena, Seabrook and Shore Acres. Houston itself is not on TDI’s list. TDI’s 2025 data for Harris County shows 4,994 TWIA policies at an average of $2,015, and 3,600 policies without wind coverage, the kind that goes with a separate TWIA policy, at an average of $1,435.
TDI’s guidance: on the coast, or in Harris County on Galveston Bay, your home policy might not cover wind and hail damage, and TWIA won’t sell you a policy if a hurricane is on the way. How the two insurers of last resort differ: TWIA vs the Texas FAIR Plan.
Harris County and the Texas FAIR Plan
The Texas FAIR Plan is the insurer of last resort: TDI says you qualify if two insurance companies have turned you down and no company has offered you a policy or renewal. In TDI’s 2025 county data, Harris County had 28,616 FAIR Plan policies, 39% of the 73,251 in all Texas counties, far more than the next counties (Galveston with 7,001 and Brazoria with 4,617). Its average FAIR premium in Harris County was $4,136, almost the same as the $4,144 average for private policies. TDI’s data doesn’t say why Harris has so many.
How to get home insurance quotes in Houston
- Compare on HelpInsure.com first. It is run by TDI and the Office of Public Insurance Counsel and shows policies sold in your area with their rates and coverage types. It says its results are informational, not a final quote.
- Get quotes from at least three companies with the same coverage and deductibles. Ask whether wind and hail carry a separate deductible and whether it is a dollar amount or a percentage of your coverage.
- Check where your address falls: east of Highway 146 in La Porte, Morgan’s Point, Pasadena, Seabrook or Shore Acres, TWIA may be the wind coverage.
- Ask about discounts: TDI’s examples are a home security alarm, a fire sprinkler system, bundling with other policies, and no claims in the past three years.
- Check the company’s complaint record, and that it and your agent are licensed (TDI: 800-252-3439): home insurance companies in Texas.
- Add flood coverage if you need it. TDI says home insurance policies don’t cover flood damage, and if your property is in a flood zone your lender will require flood insurance.
Questions people ask
How much is home insurance in Houston? In Harris County, $4,144 a year on average in 2025 (about $345 a month). Your price depends on your ZIP code, the home’s age and roof, the rebuild cost, your claims and your insurer.
Is home insurance more expensive in Houston than in Dallas? Slightly less: Harris $4,144 against Dallas $4,363 in 2025, although insurers paid far more per policy in Dallas County over 2019 to 2025.
Does home insurance cover flooding in Houston? No. TDI says home insurance policies don’t cover flood damage. Flood is a separate policy.
Will a weather claim raise my premium? TDI says home companies can’t charge more for claims for damage from natural causes, including weather. Other claims can.
Is TWIA available in Houston? TDI lists parts of Harris County east of Highway 146 in La Porte, Morgan’s Point, Pasadena, Seabrook and Shore Acres. Houston is not on that list.
What this page can’t tell you
- Your price. A county average is not a quote for your address.
- Which part of Houston costs more. TDI publishes by county, not by ZIP code or neighborhood.
- Why losses spiked in 2021 and 2024, beyond what TDI’s reports say about those events.
- Why Harris County has so many FAIR Plan policies.
- TWIA’s current rates. We did not verify them.
This page is information, not insurance advice. Confirm coverage and eligibility with a licensed agent or TDI (800-252-3439).