Premiums for homeowners insurance are rising fast – and many Americans have noticed, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
Most U.S. homeowners (71%) say the cost of their homeowners insurance has gone up over the last few years, including 42% who say it has gone up a lot.
The two reasons people cite most often for these price increases are insurance companies wanting to make more money and the costs of repairing and rebuilding. A sizable share of homeowners also point to extreme weather events as a reason.
These findings are based on a survey conducted March 16-22, 2026, among 3,524 U.S. adults. We asked a random half of all respondents about rising home insurance costs and asked the other half about rising home energy costs.
Some groups more likely to say their home insurance costs are rising
Many homeowners across the country say they are paying more for homeowners insurance, but experiences vary somewhat by income and party.
| group | A lot | A little | NET | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homeowners | total | 42 | 29 | 71 |
| Upper income | income | 47 | 33 | 80 |
| Middle income | income | 44 | 31 | 75 |
| Lower income | income | 34 | 20 | 54 |
| Northeast | region | 39 | 30 | 69 |
| Midwest | region | 44 | 29 | 73 |
| South | region | 40 | 31 | 72 |
| West | region | 47 | 24 | 70 |
| Rep/Lean Rep | party | 45 | 30 | 76 |
| Dem/Lean Dem | party | 39 | 29 | 68 |
Income: Homeowners with upper incomes are more likely than those with lower incomes to say their homeowners insurance costs have gone up over the last few years (80% vs. 54%).
Lower-income homeowners are much more likely than their upper-income counterparts to report having no homeowners insurance at all (17% vs. 2%). This pattern is also reflected in U.S. Census Bureau data.
Homeowners with lower incomes are also slightly more likely than those with upper incomes to say their home insurance costs have stayed about the same or that they’re not sure. Across all income levels, very few homeowners say their home insurance costs have gone down in the last few years. Refer to the appendix for more.
Party: Homeowners who are Republican or lean Republican are slightly more likely than those who are Democratic or lean Democratic to say their home insurance costs have gone up.
Region: In all four census-designated regions of the country, similarly large shares of homeowners say their home insurance costs have increased in recent years.
Why homeowners think their home insurance costs are rising
Homeowners who say their home insurance costs have gone up over the last few years perceive two primary reasons for those increases.
| Major reason | Minor reason | Not a reason | Not sure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insurance companies wanting to make more money | 65 | 23 | 4 | 8 |
| Costs of repairing or rebuilding | 61 | 25 | 8 | 6 |
| Extreme weather events | 46 | 31 | 15 | 8 |
| Government regulations | 28 | 29 | 20 | 22 |
- About two-thirds (65%) say insurance companies wanting to make more money is a major reason. An additional 23% say this is a minor reason.
- 61% say repair and rebuilding costs are a major reason, while 25% call this a minor reason. Higher costs for labor and building materials make it more expensive to repair and rebuild homes after damage.
Fewer homeowners cite extreme weather as a contributing factor in their rising home insurance costs. Still, around half of homeowners (46%) say this is a major reason, and an additional 31% say it’s a minor reason. Many home insurance companies say more frequent and severe weather is driving up home insurance costs and leading them to reduce or stop coverage in higher‑risk areas.
Related: Americans’ Views on How to Address the Impacts of Extreme Weather
Homeowners are less likely to blame government regulations for rising insurance costs: 28% say this is a major reason, while 29% say it’s a minor reason. Around one-in-five (22%) say they aren’t sure if government regulations play a role.
Republicans and Democrats differ over how much they think extreme weather events and government regulations affect their rising premiums:
- Democrats are much more likely than Republicans to say extreme weather events are a major reason their homeowners insurance has gone up (62% vs. 34%).
- Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say government regulations are a major reason (35% vs. 20%).
Partisans largely agree on the other reasons we asked about.
Note: Here are the survey questions used for this analysis, the detailed responses and the survey methodology.
