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Average Flood Insurance Claim Payout by State

Updated October 2026

How much does flood insurance actually pay? FEMA publishes every National Flood Insurance Program claim, without addresses. Here is what those records say for Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Texas, data as of 2026-09-08.

Since 2015: 491,942 claims, 392,940 of them paid. The median paid claim was $52,000; the average was $86,290. For single-family homes the median was $53,384 — $47,636 for the building and $17,533 for contents, where contents were paid.

These are the amounts FEMA records as paid on building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance coverage, in dollars of the year paid (not adjusted for inflation). Claims that paid nothing are left out of the median and average; 20% of claims since 2015 closed without payment.

Average flood claim by state

State	Claims since 2015	Paid claims	Median paid	Average paid
Texas	151,225	123,486	$65,765	$95,759
Florida	201,475	157,102	$59,453	$98,717
Louisiana	73,030	59,622	$56,793	$72,531
New Jersey	14,774	11,655	$17,687	$43,289
North Carolina	33,244	27,469	$17,375	$47,458
New York	12,500	9,288	$15,684	$36,511
Illinois	5,694	4,318	$9,974	$23,516

States hit by hurricanes and long-duration rain floods — where water sits inside homes for days — have the largest typical claims. States where most claims come from flash flooding and basement water have smaller ones.

By flood zone

Zone	Claims since 2015	Median paid	Average paid
High-risk A zones	335,506	$56,111	$89,106
Coastal high-risk V zones	13,648	$27,306	$108,143
Moderate / low-risk zones (B, C, X)	140,459	$46,610	$78,152

Claims from the moderate- and low-risk zones are not small: the typical paid claim there was $46,610, against $56,111 in the high-risk A zones. V-zone claims have a lower median but the highest average — many are small, a few are total losses. See flood zones explained for what each letter means.

By year

Payouts swing with the storms. The biggest claim years since 2015 were 2016, 2017, 2024; quiet years have fewer and smaller claims.

Year of loss	Claims	Median paid	Average paid
2026	2,620	$23,468	$41,110
2025	5,713	$40,706	$66,483
2024	93,344	$77,439	$107,545
2023	15,077	$42,684	$63,770
2022	53,576	$64,863	$119,696
2021	35,437	$29,605	$59,342
2020	20,345	$17,653	$39,636
2019	22,195	$38,836	$58,645
2018	27,918	$20,000	$49,402
2017	130,282	$70,000	$101,233
2016	67,637	$53,141	$70,337
2015	17,798	$21,283	$48,172

The latest year is incomplete: claims keep being filed and settled for months after a flood.

Primary homes vs second homes

Single-family primary residences had a median paid claim of $59,104 since 2015; second homes and rentals $34,930. Part of the gap is the rules: only primary residences can get replacement cost on the building; second homes and rentals are paid at depreciated value.

What drives the size of a flood claim

Depth and duration. A few inches of water ruin flooring, drywall, cabinets and anything on the floor; standing water for days means gutting the lower floor.
Coverage bought. NFIP caps a home at $250,000 for the building and $100,000 for contents, and many owners buy less — see coverage limits.
Deductible. The most common building deductible on single-family claims since 2015 was $1,250 (43% of claims), then $2,000 and $5,000.
Basements. Homes with a basement had much smaller typical claims, because most basement finishes and belongings are not covered — see basements.
Valuation. Contents are always paid at depreciated value, and buildings that do not qualify for replacement cost are too.

Look up claims where you live

Every county and ZIP code page shows its own claim count, total paid and the floods behind them.

Source: FEMA NFIP Redacted Claims. Private flood insurance claims are not included.

Common questions

What is the average flood insurance claim payout?

In the states we cover (Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Texas), flood claims from 2015 on that paid anything paid a median of $52,000 and an average of $86,290, counting building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments together.

Why is the average so much higher than the median?

A small number of very large claims — homes flooded to the rafters, commercial buildings, coastal homes destroyed by surge — pull the average up. The median is the better guide to a typical claim.

How many flood claims are paid nothing?

20% of the claims filed since 2015 in these states closed with no payment, usually because the damage was below the deductible, was not caused by a flood as the policy defines it, or was not covered (for example, items in a basement).

Does flood insurance pay replacement cost?

NFIP pays replacement cost on the building only for a single-family primary residence insured to at least 80% of its replacement cost (or the $250,000 maximum). Other buildings, and all contents, are paid at actual cash value — replacement cost minus depreciation.

More guides

General information, not insurance, legal or real-estate advice. Rules and programs change — confirm details with FEMA, your insurer, or a licensed professional.