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Homeowners insurance in Washington costs about $1,756 a year on average in 2026 for a $400,000 dwelling policy, according to LendingTree’s analysis of Quadrant Information Services quotes from February 2026. That is about 33 percent below the national average, which makes Washington one of the cheaper states to insure a home, even though rates there rose 58 percent from 2021 to 2025, faster than the 48 percent national rise over the same period. The datasets disagree by a few hundred dollars, as they always do, so this guide compares them side by side, breaks out rates by city and carrier, and covers the two gaps Washington buyers most often miss: wildfire in the east and earthquakes in the west.
Washington’s low average hides a split state. The wet western half, Seattle included, has modest weather risk and some of the lowest rates in the country. The dry eastern half faces wildfire, and rates there run much higher. LendingTree’s ZIP-level data shows the cheapest areas, Bangor Base and Keyport, averaging $1,545 and $1,547 a year, while Zillah and Buena, both in Yakima County, average $2,473. Same state, same coverage, nearly a thousand dollars apart. That gap is the story of Washington home insurance.
How much is homeowners insurance in Washington in 2026?
For a $400,000 dwelling with $300,000 in liability coverage and a $1,000 deductible, Washington homeowners pay about $1,756 a year, or $146 a month, per LendingTree and Quadrant. NerdWallet’s May 2026 analysis, using the same $400,000 dwelling profile, puts the Washington average a little higher, at $1,880 a year or about $157 a month, against a national average of $2,490. For a smaller $300,000 dwelling, TrueRateGuide puts the state average at $1,290 a year. Insurify’s end-of-2025 figure is $1,533, with a projected $1,600 by the end of 2026, a 4 percent rise.
| Source and method | Washington average | Profile |
|---|---|---|
| LendingTree / Quadrant, February 2026 | $1,756 a year | $400,000 dwelling, $300,000 liability, $1,000 deductible |
| NerdWallet, May 2026 | $1,880 a year | $400,000 dwelling, $300,000 liability, $1,000 deductible |
| MoneyGeek, 2026 | $1,474 a year | $250,000 dwelling, $125,000 personal property, $200,000 liability |
| Insurify, end of 2025 with 2026 projection | $1,533, projected $1,600 | HO-3 at the state’s typical dwelling coverage |
| TrueRateGuide, 2026 | $1,290 a year | $300,000 HO-3, $1,000 deductible |
| BestMoney, July 2026 | $1,346 a year | $350,000 dwelling |
The spread from $1,290 to $1,880 comes mostly from dwelling coverage. A $250,000 dwelling costs less to insure than a $400,000 one, and the studies price different home sizes. MoneyGeek’s $1,474 uses a $250,000 dwelling, while LendingTree and NerdWallet price $400,000. Once you line up the profiles, the datasets agree closely: Washington runs roughly a third below the national average on a like-for-like basis. That is the number to carry away, not any single dollar figure.
Why is Washington cheaper than most states?
Washington gets a break on the risks that punish other states. It has no hurricane season, no tornado alley, and no Gulf Coast storm surge. The rain that defines western Washington is steady rather than catastrophic, and most homes sit outside flood zones. The state’s building stock also helps. Newer construction, stricter codes in the Seattle metro, and a large share of homes with updated roofs and systems keep claim severity down. The result is a state average that sits well below the national figure in every dataset, even as rates climb.
The climb deserves attention though. Washington rates rose 58 percent from 2021 to 2025, against 48 percent nationally, per LendingTree. Two forces push them up. Wildfire risk in eastern and central Washington has tightened carrier availability and raised premiums for homes near forested and rural areas, and water damage claims tied to heavy rainfall and aging sewer systems have pushed Seattle-area premiums up moderately. Washington is cheap relative to the country, and it is getting more expensive in absolute terms. Both facts are true at once.
What do Washington homeowners pay by city?
Seattle is cheaper than the state average, which surprises people given the home prices there. MoneyGeek puts Seattle at $1,406 a year for its $250,000 dwelling profile, against a $1,474 state average on the same profile. Insurance.com puts Seattle at $1,591 a year for a $300,000 dwelling. Policygenius puts Seattle at $1,130 a year, about 3 percent below the state average and more than 30 percent below the national average of $1,754 in its data. The cheapest Seattle ZIP code in Policygenius data is 98125, at $1,069 a year.
| City or area | Average annual premium | Source and profile |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $1,406 | MoneyGeek, $250,000 dwelling |
| Seattle | $1,591 | Insurance.com, $300,000 dwelling |
| Seattle, ZIP 98125 | $1,069 | Policygenius, cheapest ZIP in the city |
| Bangor Base | $1,545 | LendingTree / Quadrant, $400,000 dwelling |
| Keyport | $1,547 | LendingTree / Quadrant, $400,000 dwelling |
| Zillah and Buena | $2,473 | LendingTree / Quadrant, highest in the state |
The cheapest and most expensive spots in the state are not in the big cities. The low end sits in Kitsap County, around Bangor Base and Keyport, and the high end sits in Yakima County, where Zillah and Buena both average $2,473. That is a $928 spread inside one state, driven by wildfire exposure and heat in the Yakima Valley. If you are buying east of the Cascades, budget for the higher end of the range. If you are buying in the Puget Sound area, the statewide average overstates what you will pay.
Which companies are cheapest in Washington?
MoneyGeek’s 2026 Washington study, priced for a home built in 2000 with $250,000 in dwelling coverage, names Foremost the cheapest at $943 a year, or $79 a month. Capital Insurance Group follows at $1,000, Allstate at $1,137, Nationwide at $1,280, and State Farm at $1,369. COUNTRY Financial is the most expensive in the study at $2,677 a year, nearly three times Foremost. Foremost also has the cheapest rates in Bellevue and Spokane, while Capital Insurance Group is cheapest in Bothell and Seattle, where it averages $845 a year.
| Company | Annual rate | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Foremost Insurance | $943 | $79 |
| Capital Insurance Group | $1,000 | $83 |
| Allstate | $1,137 | $95 |
| Nationwide | $1,280 | $107 |
| State Farm | $1,369 | $114 |
| COUNTRY Financial | $2,677 | $223 |
Seattle-specific data tells a similar story with different names on top. Insurance.com names Nationwide the cheapest in Seattle at $1,215 a year for its profile, with PEMCO at $1,296, Allstate at $1,434, and State Farm at $1,463. Insuranceopedia’s Seattle table names Allstate cheapest at $985 a year, with Chubb at $1,006 and Farmers at $1,167. The winner changes with the profile, which is the point. In Washington, the gap between the cheapest and most expensive carrier is wide enough that a single quote is never enough. Foremost, Capital Insurance Group, and Allstate are the three names to start with, and PEMCO, a Pacific Northwest regional carrier, is worth adding for Seattle-area homes.
What Washington policies do not cover: wildfire and earthquakes
Washington law requires standard homeowners policies to cover wildfire damage, which is good news for eastern Washington buyers. The catch is availability. Some carriers are withdrawing from high-risk wildfire areas, and homes there can face higher premiums or non-renewal. If your home sits near forested land in central or eastern Washington, ask carriers directly about wildfire underwriting before you buy, and keep records of any mitigation work, since defensible space and fire-resistant roofing can affect both availability and price.
Earthquakes are the other gap, and this one is a coverage gap, not an availability gap. A standard Washington homeowners policy does not cover earthquake damage. Seattle sits near the Seattle Fault and the Cascadia Subduction Zone, and carriers charge more for earthquake endorsements on homes built on soft soil or near the fault. The endorsement is worth serious consideration for Seattle-area homes, especially older ones. It is a separate add-on with its own deductible, often a percentage of the dwelling limit, so read the terms before assuming the standard policy has you covered.
How to lower your Washington homeowners premium
Take the worked example. A Seattle homeowner with a $250,000 dwelling faces a city average of $1,406 a year in MoneyGeek’s data. Capital Insurance Group’s Seattle rate for the same profile is $845, and Foremost’s statewide rate is $943. The spread between the city average and the cheapest carrier is $460 to $560 a year, for the same coverage level. That is the single biggest lever available, and it costs nothing but the time to get three quotes.
After carrier choice, the usual moves apply. Bundling home and auto with one carrier typically saves 10 to 20 percent. Raising the deductible from $1,000 to $2,500 cuts the premium, though it raises what you pay after a claim. A newer roof, updated plumbing and electrical, and a monitored alarm system each earn discounts with most carriers. And in eastern Washington, wildfire mitigation work, clearing brush, trimming trees away from the roof, and using fire-resistant materials, can help both with the premium and with keeping the policy at renewal time.
Frequently asked questions
How much is homeowners insurance in Washington per month?
About $146 a month for a $400,000 dwelling policy, based on the LendingTree and Quadrant average of $1,756 a year. For a $250,000 dwelling, MoneyGeek puts the monthly average at $123. The cheapest carriers run $79 to $83 a month for the same coverage level.
Is homeowners insurance in Washington expensive?
No, relative to the rest of the country. Washington averages about 33 percent below the national average in LendingTree’s data. Rates have still risen 58 percent from 2021 to 2025, faster than the national 48 percent, so the trend is up even though the level is low.
Who has the cheapest homeowners insurance in Washington?
Foremost, at $943 a year in MoneyGeek’s 2026 study for a $250,000 dwelling, followed by Capital Insurance Group at $1,000 and Allstate at $1,137. In Seattle specifically, Capital Insurance Group averages $845 a year, and Nationwide is cheapest in Insurance.com’s Seattle data at $1,215.
Does homeowners insurance in Washington cover wildfire?
Yes. Washington law requires standard homeowners policies to cover wildfire damage. The issue is availability and price in high-risk areas of eastern and central Washington, where some carriers are withdrawing. Mitigation work can help with both.
Does homeowners insurance in Washington cover earthquakes?
No. A standard policy excludes earthquake damage. Seattle-area homeowners need a separate earthquake endorsement, and carriers charge more for homes on soft soil or near the Seattle Fault. The endorsement usually carries its own percentage deductible.
How much is homeowners insurance in Seattle?
Seattle averages $1,406 a year in MoneyGeek’s data for a $250,000 dwelling, and $1,591 a year in Insurance.com’s data for a $300,000 dwelling. The cheapest Seattle ZIP code, 98125, averages $1,069 a year in Policygenius data.
LendingTree publishes the Washington rates used above in its Washington home insurance costs for 2026 guide, based on Quadrant Information Services quotes from February 2026. For comparison with the country’s most expensive market, see our guide to homeowners insurance costs in Florida, and for another wildfire-prone state, how much homeowners insurance costs in California. Texas homeowners face hail and hurricane risk instead, covered in how much homeowners insurance costs in Texas, and the full state ranking is in cheapest and most expensive states for homeowners insurance in 2026.
