A New National Report Confirms What a Lot of Homeowners Already Felt
On August 5, 2026, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) — the standard-setting body representing state insurance regulators — released what it calls the first analysis of its kind: a national, state-level look at homeowners insurance market performance from 2018 through 2024. The report, "Examining Homeowner Property Insurance Market Dynamics: An Assessment of Countrywide State-Level Data From 2018 to 2024," draws on Market Conduct Annual Statement (MCAS) data that state insurance departments collect directly from insurers — not survey estimates or marketplace projections.
The headline numbers: inflation-adjusted homeowners premiums rose between 18.3% and 43.3% depending on region over the seven-year window (2.4% to 5.3% a year), and company-initiated non-renewal rates — insurers choosing not to renew an existing policy — jumped between 96% and 216% by region. NAIC reports these figures by its own geographic regions rather than breaking out every individual state, so a homeowner's actual experience will vary depending on where they live.
What the Data Actually Shows
A few things stand out in NAIC's own framing of the report:
- 715 companies were actively writing homeowners coverage nationwide in 2024, split across NAIC's four regions: Southeast (365 insurers), Midwest (328), Northeast (319), and West (316).
- Underwriting profit improved in every region — but at the same time, NAIC found that more than half of insurers in each region reduced their policy counts since 2018, meaning carriers stayed profitable partly by writing less business, not just by raising prices.
- Claim frequency and severity generally increased, particularly between 2021 and 2024 — the period covering the sharpest run-up in both premiums and non-renewals.
- NAIC is explicit that homeowners insurance "remains a local market influenced by factors such as weather risk, rebuilding costs, claims patterns, and insurer participation" — in other words, the report doesn't point to a single national cause, and neither should any summary of it.
- Virginia Insurance Commissioner and NAIC President Scott White described the goal as providing "authoritative and data-driven insights into market conditions across the country" — this is regulatory data collection and transparency, not a policy announcement or a rate mandate.
Because the report is regional rather than state-by-state in its public figures, treat the 18.3%-43.3% and 96%-216% ranges as bookends, not a number specific to any one ZIP code. A homeowner in a lower-risk region could be well below the low end; a homeowner in a high-wildfire or high-hurricane-exposure region could be at or beyond the high end.
Why This Is Happening
NAIC's report doesn't assign a single cause, and neither will we — but the factors it names line up with what's been building in the homeowners market for several years: rebuilding costs (materials and labor) climbing faster than general inflation, more frequent and more severe weather-related claims, and some insurers narrowing where and what they're willing to write as a result. None of that is new to homeowners in wildfire- or hurricane-exposed states, but this is the first time state regulators have put a single national dataset behind the trend using MCAS filings rather than one insurer's internal numbers or a marketplace's proprietary index.
If Your Premium Jumped — or You Got a Non-Renewal Notice
If you're on the receiving end of either trend, standard practice across state insurance departments points to the same handful of steps:
- Read the notice carefully. A non-renewal notice has to state an effective date, and insurers generally have to give advance notice — the exact window varies by state, so check your notice and your state insurance department's rules rather than assuming a number.
- Ask why, and ask for reconsideration if it's fixable. If the non-renewal is tied to something you can address — an aging roof, an overdue inspection, a lapsed alarm system credit — some carriers will reconsider after you document the fix.
- Contact your state insurance department if something looks off. Every state has a consumer division that handles homeowners insurance complaints and can tell you whether your insurer followed the required notice process.
- Shop before your current policy lapses. Pricing and appetite vary widely by carrier, especially in higher-risk regions — getting quotes from several companies is the single biggest lever most homeowners have.
- Know your last-resort option. Most states run a FAIR Plan (or similar residual-market program) for homeowners who can't find coverage in the standard market — it's typically more expensive and less comprehensive than a standard policy, but it exists specifically for this situation.
Where to Go From Here
If you're shopping because of a rate jump or a non-renewal, start with a real comparison rather than renewing on autopilot — carrier pricing and appetite for the same coverage can vary meaningfully by region and by company, which is exactly the variation NAIC's report describes. Our best home insurance companies and cheapest home insurance companies guides break down carrier-by-carrier availability and pricing patterns, and our homeowners insurance basics guide covers what to check before you switch.