Allstate offers the cheapest homeowners insurance in the District of Columbia, but other companies have higher customer service ratings. Your home is a significant investment. Our guide to the best homeowners insurance companies in Washington, D.C. helps you protect it with the right coverage.
In this article
How much is homeowners insurance in Washington, D.C.?
The average cost of homeowners insurance for a typical home in Washington, D.C. is $1,299 a year, or $108 a month. This amount is 32% less than the national average.
The actual price you pay for homeowners insurance depends on a number of factors, including:
- Your home’s age and construction features
- Your ZIP code
- The amount of coverage and deductible you choose
- Your insurance history
- Your credit
- Any discounts you are eligible to receive
Since home insurers weigh these factors differently and offer different discounts, you may qualify for a much 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.
Find D.C.'s cheapest rates on homeowners insurance
How your deductible impacts your home insurance rate
Choosing a higher deductible is an easy way to reduce your homeowners insurance rate.
Since your deductible is the amount that comes out of your pocket to repair your home or cover losses to your belongings, you don’t want your deductible to be too high.
However, in Washington, D.C., increasing your home insurance deductible from $1,000 to $2,000 reduces your premium by an average of 13%.
| Policy deductible | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| $500 | $1,435 |
| $1,000 | $1,299 |
| $1,500 | $1,246 |
| $2,000 | $1,135 |
| Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | |
How your dwelling limit impacts your home insurance rate
The amount of dwelling coverage you need also impacts your home insurance rate.
For example, a policy with a $450,000 dwelling limit costs 43% more than one with a $275,000 limit.
| Dwelling limit | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| $200,000 | $1,037 |
| $275,000 | $1,299 |
| $350,000 | $1,574 |
| $425,000 | $1,864 |
| $500,000 | $2,199 |
| Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | |
Your dwelling limit is the maximum amount your insurance company pays to repair damage to your home.
For most mortgages, lenders require you to choose a dwelling limit that matches your home’s replacement cost value, which is the estimated cost of rebuilding it.
If you don’t have a mortgage, it’s typically still best to insure your home at its replacement value. Otherwise, you may not receive enough insurance money to rebuild after a major or total loss.
Cheapest home insurance companies in Washington, D.C.
Allstate has the cheapest home insurance in Washington, D.C., charging rates that average $993 a year, or $83 a month. This is 24% less than the district average.
State Farm has the next-cheapest rate, $1,195 a year, or $100 a month.
| Company | Annual rate | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Allstate | $993 | $83 |
| State Farm | $1,195 | $100 |
| District average | $1,299 | $108 |
| Chubb | $1,356 | $113 |
| USAA* | $1,361 | $113 |
| Nationwide | $1,451 | $121 |
| Travelers | $1,733 | $144 |
| Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | ||
Best homeowners insurance companies in Washington, D.C.
Based on price, policy offerings, customer service ratings and financial strength, Allstate, State Farm and Chubb stand out as the best homeowners insurance companies in Washington, D.C.
Best for saving money: Allstate
$933 a year
J.D. Power overall satisfaction score819
AM Best Financial Strength RatingA+
Along with offering the lowest average homeowners insurance rates in Washington, D.C., Allstate entices with discounts that may help you save even more.
Bundling your homeowners policy with your car insurance can save you up to 25%.
Customers with no recent insurance claims get 20% off.
Setting up automatic electronic payments can save you another 5%.
Allstate’s customer service ratings are lower than those for most other companies in our analysis.
Best for bundling: State Farm
$1,195 a year
J.D. Power overall satisfaction score829
AM Best Financial Strength RatingA++
State Farm scores high marks for customer service, and the discounts the company offers for bundling your home and auto insurance can make it an affordable option.
Competitive rates and high customer satisfaction scores.
Customizable policy options available to meet your needs and budget.
Bundlers may still score a lower rate with Allstate.
Best for high-value homes: Chubb
$1,356 a year
J.D. Power overall satisfaction score801
AM Best Financial Strength RatingA++
Chubb caters to those with a high net worth by offering higher policy limits than most other home insurers. Although Chubb’s rates are higher than the district average, its policies typically also include more coverage than other companies provide.
Chubb Masterpiece policies include an assessment of your home’s insurance risks and advice on how to reduce them.
Coverage for water and sewer backups also included in Masterpiece policies.
Dwelling limits above $1 million and liability limits up to $100 million cater to affluent customers.
Chubb’s overall customer satisfaction score is lower than the segment average and most other companies in our analysis.
Best customer service ratings for D.C. home insurers
USAA has the best satisfaction score from J.D. Power among Washington, D.C. homeowners insurance companies. Meanwhile, Chubb has the best complaint rating from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
J.D. Power’s overall satisfaction index rankings are based on customer reviews rating insurance companies on factors such as policy offerings, price and claims.
USAA’s score of 881, on a 1,000-point scale, beats all other home insurance companies in the district. However, USAA is only available to current and former military members and their families.
| Company | Customer satisfaction score |
|---|---|
| USAA* | 881 |
| State Farm | 829 |
| Segment average | 819 |
| Nationwide | 812 |
| Allstate | 809 |
| Chubb | 801 |
| Travelers | 790 |
| Source: J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Home Insurance Study, based on a 1,000-point scale. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
The NAIC’s Complaint Index compares insurance companies based on confirmed complaints, which is a complaint 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 its size. A company with a 0.5 rating has half as many.
Chubb’s Complaint Index rating of 0.04 is lowest, or best, among D.C. home insurers.
| Company | Complaint rating |
|---|---|
| Chubb | 0.04 |
| Travelers | 0.30 |
| State Farm | 0.35 |
| USAA* | 0.37 |
| Allstate | 0.74 |
| Nationwide | 0.75 |
| Source: National Association of Insurance Commissioners, 2022 data. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
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How does flood insurance work in Washington, D.C.?
Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, but you can purchase flood insurance separately to protect your home from this risk.
Most flood insurance is bought through the government-backed National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), but a few private companies also offer it.
The average cost of NFIP flood insurance in Washington, D.C. is only $484 a year, or $40 a month.
The NFIP is managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which also maps the flood risks in communities across the nation.
If you apply for a mortgage for a home in a high-risk flood zone, your lender will require you to get flood insurance. You can also buy flood insurance on an optional basis if you don’t have a mortgage and/or live outside a high-risk area.
If you don’t know your home’s flood risk, or the flood risk of a home you want to buy, you can look it up online in the Flood Map Service Center on FEMA’s website.
Several D.C.-area insurance home insurance agents are authorized to sell NFIP flood insurance. If your current agent can’t help you, you can find one near you who can on FEMA’s online provider directory.
Frequently asked questions
The average cost of homeowners insurance in Washington, D.C. is $1,299 a year, or $108 a month, for a typical home.
Homeowners insurance is not required by law in Washington, D.C. However, lenders usually require you to get homeowners insurance for a mortgage, and homeowners associations often also require it.
Insurance companies typically require you to insure your home for at least 80% of its replacement value to receive the full cost of covered repairs, up to your dwelling limit. If you don’t meet this threshold, most providers deduct an underinsurance penalty from your payment.
Methodology
The rates shown in this article are based on an analysis of insurance quotes obtained from Quadrant Information Services for a typical home in every Washington, D.C. ZIP code. Unless otherwise noted, prices are for standard HO-3 policies with the following coverages, limits and deductible:
- Dwelling: $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
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