St. Louis has a low cost of living, making it a desirable place to live. However, tornadoes hit the city with some regularity, which affects homeowners insurance rates. QuoteWizard compiled rates for some of the biggest insurance companies to show you the cheapest and best home insurance companies in St. Louis.
In this article
Cheapest home insurance companies in St. Louis
USAA and American Family offer the cheapest average rates for homeowners insurance in St. Louis, at $1,524 and $2,110 a year, respectively. Both companies have lower rates than the city average.
| Company | Average annual premium |
|---|---|
| American Family | $2,110 |
| Nationwide | $2,755 |
| Shelter Mutual | $2,602 |
| State Farm | $2,284 |
| Travelers | $2,329 |
| USAA | $1,524 |
| Allstate | $4,549 |
| Note: Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | |
What is the cost of home insurance in St. Louis?
The average cost of home insurance in St. Louis is $2,593 a year. However, home insurance is unique to each person, their home and their insurance needs. Insurance companies look at many different factors to determine your premium. Some factors include:
- Location and construction features of your home
- Extreme weather risks and crime rates in your area
- Your insurance history
- Marital status
Your home insurance deductible amount also affects your home insurance premium. If you choose a high deductible, your premium will decrease. However, if you choose a high deductible, you should also make sure you have the deductible amount readily available when filing a claim.
| Deductible | Average annual premium |
|---|---|
| $500 | $2,702 |
| $1,000 | $2,593 |
| $1,500 | $2,478 |
| $2,000 | $2,371 |
| Note: Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | |
Best home insurance companies in St. Louis, MO
We reviewed home insurance companies' rates, customer satisfaction scores and coverages. The following insurance companies are at the top of our list:
- Best overall: American Family
- Best for military: USAA
- Best for discounts: State Farm
American Family: best value
American Family has the second-cheapest rate in St. Louis at $2,110 a year. American Family also has great customer service. It has a rating in J.D. Power's 2021 U.S. Home Insurance Study of 831 out of 1,000 for overall customer satisfaction, which is six points higher than the average score in the study. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Complaint Index ranks American Family at 0.37, which is much lower than the National Complaint Index of 1.0. The NAIC Complaint Index looks at the number of complaints an insurance company receives relative to its size. A low number means that a company received few complaints.
USAA: best for military
USAA has the cheapest average home insurance rate in St. Louis at $1,524 a year, which is $586 cheaper than the city's second-cheapest home insurer. USAA policies are only offered to veterans and military personnel as well as their families. If you are eligible for USAA, then we recommend it due to its affordable rates and great customer service. It has a rating in J.D. Power's 2021 U.S. Home Insurance Study of 882 out of 1,000 for overall customer satisfaction, which is the highest score in the study.
USAA also covers your items at replacement cost, which means that payouts are based on the cost to replace or repair your item without depreciation being included. If you are currently in the military, USAA will also cover uniforms and military equipment.
State Farm: best for discounts
State Farm offers a great bundling discount of up to $1,127 per year on auto and home insurance if you get both policies with it. You can also save if you have a monitoring system or fire, smoke or burglar alarms. You can get a roofing discount if you have impact-resistant roofing products. Along with great discounts, State Farm has the third-cheapest average rate of $2,284 a year.
How to save on home insurance in St. Louis
Although home insurance is expensive in St. Louis, you can take certain steps to lower your premium.
- Raise your deductible: This is one of the easiest and fastest ways to shave numbers off your monthly premium. Your deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket when you file a claim. If you can afford a $1,500 or $2,000 deductible, you are guaranteed to decrease your home insurance rates.
- Take advantage of discounts: Insurers can offer a variety of discounts. Many insurance companies offer bundling, protective devices, claims free and loyalty discounts.
- Shop around: Shopping around annually can help you decide whether you are truly getting the best insurance rates to fit your needs. If you don't compare companies, you don't know what savings you may be missing.
- Boost your credit score: If you have a bad credit score, you're going to pay more for home insurance. Work on improving your credit score and you will reap the benefits in many aspects of your life. That includes home insurance, where people with bad credit can pay as much as 90% more than people with good credit.
- Safe neighborhood: Certain neighborhoods have lower home insurance rates than others. There are many factors that can cause this, with the most common being crime rates. If you can afford to buy a house in an area with low crime rates and no flood risks, your home insurance rates will reflect it.
- Renovate: Old homes can be costly to repair. One way to get around costly repairs is to renovate or update an old home with new appliances, wiring, plumbing and more. Renovating may cost you money up front, but it can save you money in the end.
Common home insurance perils in St. Louis
St. Louis has an average home insurance rate that is higher than the national average. This could be due to the number of tornadoes in the area and the crime rate.
Missouri is a part of Tornado Alley, which is an area that sees many tornadoes. The good news is that tornadoes are usually covered in home insurance policies. To decrease the amount of damage to your home from tornadoes, we recommend installing storm shutters and tying down objects on your property.
According to the Telegraph, St. Louis is also the fourth most dangerous place to live in America.
Crime rates can affect home insurance rates. We recommend installing new technology and security systems to make your home safer and to lower your chances of needing to file a claim. Because of this, security enhancements can earn you an insurance discount.
Methodology
We obtained quotes for a standard HO-3 homeowners insurance policy on a typical home in St. Louis. Unless otherwise noted, standard policies included the following limits and deductibles.
- Dwelling coverage: $275,000
- Other structures: $27,500
- Personal property: $137,500
- Loss of use: $55,000
- Liability: $100,000
- Medical payments: $5,000
- Deductible: $1,000
Sources:
Home insurance by city
- St Louis
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