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According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), one inch of flooding can cost you $25,000 in damages. Unfortunately, flood insurance is not covered by your homeowners or renters insurance.

Flood insurance premiums are affected by your location and certain property risks, such as foundation type and ground elevation. Most counties in Iowa have had a high number of flooding events over the years.

Consider checking your county to evaluate its flood risk. If you live in a moderate or high-risk flood zone, it’s best to purchase flood insurance to protect yourself financially from the cost of damages.


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The average cost of flood insurance in Iowa is more expensive than the national average due to the flood risk in the state.

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Taylor County has the cheapest flood insurance premiums in Iowa.

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Shelby County has had the fewest flooding events in Iowa since 1996.

Average Cost of Flood Insurance in Iowa

On average, the annual cost of flood insurance in Iowa is $1,199. Flood risks and property risks contribute to the cost of flood insurance in the state.

Most flood-prone areas may have more expensive flood insurance than those that don’t regularly experience floods. Therefore, prices may vary based on the state and county you live in.

Average Cost of Flood Insurance by County in Iowa

Compared to the national average, flood insurance is more expensive in Iowa. This difference in cost may be attributed to the high number of flood-prone areas in Iowa.

Taylor County has the cheapest rate in the state at approximately $312 per year. On the other hand, Kossuth County has the most expensive rate at around $3,115 per year.

The table below shows the average cost of flood insurance in every county in Iowa.

Iowa Flood Insurance Cost Per County
County
Average Cost

ADAMS COUNTY

$2,133

ALLAMAKEE COUNTY

$860

APPANOOSE COUNTY

$626

AUDUBON COUNTY

$2,622

BENTON COUNTY

$932

BLACK HAWK COUNTY

$1,464

BOONE COUNTY

$1,268

BREMER COUNTY

$846

BUCHANAN COUNTY

$901

BUTLER COUNTY

$1,075

CALHOUN COUNTY

$455

CARROLL COUNTY

$750

CASS COUNTY

$1,020

CEDAR COUNTY

$1,330

CERRO GORDO COUNTY

$817

CHEROKEE COUNTY

$792

CHICKASAW COUNTY

$2,002

CLAY COUNTY

$1,296

CLAYTON COUNTY

$1,009

CLINTON COUNTY

$1,214

CRAWFORD COUNTY

$2,441

DALLAS COUNTY

$678

DECATUR COUNTY

$745

DELAWARE COUNTY

$1,276

DES MOINES COUNTY

$1,055

DICKINSON COUNTY

$840

DUBUQUE COUNTY

$1,188

EMMET COUNTY

$1,020

FAYETTE COUNTY

$805

FLOYD COUNTY

$1,006

FRANKLIN COUNTY

$966

FREMONT COUNTY

$1,207

GREENE COUNTY

$1,228

GRUNDY COUNTY

$496

GUTHRIE COUNTY

$686

HAMILTON COUNTY

$874

HANCOCK COUNTY

$1,088

HARDIN COUNTY

$1,113

HARRISON COUNTY

$1,051

HOWARD COUNTY

$646

HUMBOLDT COUNTY

$1,109

IDA COUNTY

$1,101

IOWA COUNTY

$629

JACKSON COUNTY

$1,057

JASPER COUNTY

$773

JEFFERSON COUNTY

$561

JOHNSON COUNTY

$1,686

JONES COUNTY

$1,172

KEOKUK COUNTY

$359

KOSSUTH COUNTY

$3,115

LEE COUNTY

$1,367

LINN COUNTY

$979

LOUISA COUNTY

$935

LUCAS COUNTY

$1,097

LYON COUNTY

$843

MADISON COUNTY

$1,074

MAHASKA COUNTY

$661

MARION COUNTY

$689

MARSHALL COUNTY

$1,087

MILLS COUNTY

$749

MITCHELL COUNTY

$569

MONONA COUNTY

$953

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

$1,267

MUSCATINE COUNTY

$1,142

O'BRIEN COUNTY

$414

OSCEOLA COUNTY

$385

PAGE COUNTY

$560

PALO ALTO COUNTY

$938

PLYMOUTH COUNTY

$1,527

POCAHONTAS COUNTY

$700

POLK COUNTY

$1,248

POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY

$1,018

POWESHIEK COUNTY

$1,302

RINGGOLD COUNTY

$519

SAC COUNTY

$1,295

SCOTT COUNTY

$1,796

SHELBY COUNTY

$1,559

SIOUX COUNTY

$1,441

STORY COUNTY

$1,442

TAMA COUNTY

$785

TAYLOR COUNTY

$312

UNION COUNTY

$844

VAN BUREN COUNTY

$1,337

WAPELLO COUNTY

$1,106

WARREN COUNTY

$615

WASHINGTON COUNTY

$1,102

WEBSTER COUNTY

$983

WINNEBAGO COUNTY

$572

WINNESHIEK COUNTY

$820

WOODBURY COUNTY

$1,384

WORTH COUNTY

$621

WRIGHT COUNTY

$1,674

Companies That Offer Flood Insurance in Iowa

Flood insurance is available from NFIP and private companies. With private companies, you can get a base policy or an excess policy. Private companies are great for non-NFIP communities or when NFIP coverage is not enough.

An excess policy serves as additional coverage on top of your base policy, which is similar to NFIP coverage.

Private Flood Insurance Providers in IA and Their Contact Numbers
Company
Contact

Neptune Flood

727-202-4815

Aon Private Flood

888-281-0684

Hiscox - FloodPlus

866-283-7545

FloodSimple Insurance Services

844-803-8788

Chubb

866-324-8222

Zurich Insurance Group

800-382-2150

Swiss Re

800-241-8310

Berkshire Hathaway

800-673-2465

Private Market Flood

877-356-6348

TypTap

844-289-7968

NFIP has partnered with several insurance companies to provide more affordable flood insurance policies. The partnership between these companies and NFIP helps make flood insurance more accessible. NFIP’s partner companies in Iowa are listed in the table below.

NFIP-Participating Flood Insurance Providers in State and Their Contact Numbers
Company
Contact

Allstate Insurance Company

(800) 527-2634

American Family Mutual Ins. Co

(800) 692-6326

American Nat. Prop. & Casualty

(417) 887-4990

American Strategic Ins. Corp.

(866) 274-8765

Assurant

(800) 423-4403

Auto Owners Insurance Co.

Refer to the Agent locator

Farmers Insurance Group

(866) 865-2965

Hartford Fire Insurance Co.

(860) 547-7440

Hartford Underwriters Ins. Co.

(800) 296-7542

Homesite Insurance Company

(800) 466-3748

Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Company

(800) 283-6033

National General Insurance Co

(800) 462-2123

NFIP Direct Servicing Agent

(800) 638-6620

NGM Insurance Company

(603) 352-4000

Occidental Fire & Casualty

(800) 780-8423

Pacific Specialty Insurance Company

(800)-303-5000

Philadelphia Indemnity Ins. Co

(877) 672-7945 ext. 8295

Privilege Underwriters

(888) 813-7873

QBE Insurance Corporation

(877) 372-3996

Selective Ins. Co. Of America

(877) 348-0552

USAA General Indemnity Company

(210) 531-USAA (8722)

Westfield Insurance Company

(800) 243-0210

Wright National Flood Ins. Co.

(866) 373-5663

How to Purchase Flood Insurance and Its Coverage Requirements

There are no specific requirements for buying flood insurance, making the process simple. You can get a policy by contacting your home insurance agent, the NFIP Hotline (877-336-2627) or other providers.

NFIP has a 30-day waiting period and private companies can have a 10-day waiting period. It’s best to contact your provider for details and purchase a flood insurance policy as soon as possible.

What Does Flood Insurance Cover in Iowa?

Flood insurance protects the structure of your home and your personal property. These coverages are important because even an inch of water can cost you $25,000 in damages.

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Flood insurance covers “floods” that are caused by a natural calamity or the weather. It doesn’t refer to the water damage caused by broken pipes or appliances.

Swimming pools, decks, patios, landscaping, cash and documents, items in your basement and vehicles are not covered by flood insurance.

Flood Insurance Building Coverage

Repairs and replacement of the physical structure of your home are paid for by the building coverage aspect of flood insurance if you have a covered event. An NFIP policy can cover your structure for up to $250,000.

The following are physical structures that are usually covered by your flood insurance:

  • Foundation walls
  • Electrical systems
  • Plumbing systems
  • Furnaces, central heating and air conditioning
  • Built-in appliances
  • Permanent carpets
  • Built-in furniture

Flood Insurance Contents Coverage

Contents coverage pays for the repair or replacement of your personal belongings as long as they were lost through a covered peril. If you have flood insurance from NFIP, your contents coverage can reach up to $100,000.

These items are often included in your flood insurance policy through contents coverage:

  • Clothing
  • Furniture
  • Electronic equipment
  • Washers and dryers
  • Artwork

Factors That Affect Flood Insurance Costs in Iowa

Before October 2021, the sole factor that determined the cost of flood insurance was your general location.

The FEMA website can show you the historical flood risk of Iowa. Based on FEMA’s data, Polk County has the most flooding events (186), and flood insurance costs $1,248 per year on average in this area. Shelby County has the fewest events (eight) and has flood insurance premiums of around $1,559 per year.

While Polk County has the most flooding events, it’s not the most expensive location in Iowa due to its size allowing the flood to be spread across a wider area.

Risk Rating 2.0

Risk Rating 2.0 is a system that sets affordable premiums for flood insurance. Instead of basing your premiums on the flood map, it considers the following individual property risks:

  • Foundation type
  • Dwelling structure
  • Elevation
  • Replacement and repair costs
  • Frequency of flooding
  • Proximity to bodies of water

Your location can still be a primary influence on the cost of your flood insurance in Iowa. Below are factors that affect your premium.

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    Flood Risk

    Under Risk Rating 2.0, flood risk is now an individual factor. You and your neighbors can have different flood risks. Therefore, your premiums will vary. Nevertheless, premiums are more expensive in moderate-risk or high-risk flood zones vs. low-risk flood zones.

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    Coverage Type

    Your coverage amount affects the cost of your premium. For example, it’s more expensive to get comprehensive coverage than limited coverage. Different states and counties have different coverages as well.

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    Deductible

    It’s cheaper to get a policy with a higher deductible, but you’ll pay more if you file a claim. You can have a deductible of $1,000 up to $10,000.

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    Age of Structure

    It’s more expensive to cover older structures because of their susceptibility to damage.

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    Structure Design

    Since Risk Rating 2.0 considers individual risk factors, it takes into account the design and materials of your building. These can affect the cost of your flood insurance.

Do You Need Flood Insurance in Iowa?

Every property can be damaged by flooding, so flood insurance can be a wise investment. FEMA recommends it as additional protection for those who live in low-risk or moderate-risk flood zones. Moreover, it’s required by government-backed mortgages and lenders for those who live in high-risk flood zones.

Homeowners insurance and renters insurance don’t include flood coverage. Federal disaster assistance only gives each household a maximum of $5,000 in loans and grants. Flood insurance covers a significantly larger amount without a presidential disaster declaration. On top of that, it can give you peace of mind.

Frequently Asked Questions About Iowa Flood Insurance

It’s important to find the best flood insurance in Iowa that’s within your budget. To help you with your research, MoneyGeek answered commonly asked questions about flood insurance costs in Iowa.

About Mark Fitzpatrick


Mark Fitzpatrick headshot

Mark Fitzpatrick is a senior content director at MoneyGeek with over five years of experience analyzing the insurance market, conducting original research and creating content that can be personalized for every buyer. He has been quoted on insurance topics in several publications, including CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.

Mark earned a master’s degree in Economics and International Relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He is passionate about using his economics and insurance knowledge to bring transparency around financial topics and help others feel confident in their money moves.


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