Best Homeowners Insurance for Veterans in 2026


Key Takeaways
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USAA and Armed Forces Insurance (AFI) sell home insurance policies only to active and retired military members, eligible family members and employees of certain government agencies.

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For military members who want a balance between affordability and customer service, AIG has the second-highest MoneyGeek score and cheapest premium, scoring a 4.8 out of 5 with an average annual rate of $1,089.

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Active military members should look for insurers that offer deployment-specific endorsements, like vacant home coverage and personal property protection for belongings damaged in a war zone.

Compare Military Home Insurance Rates

Find the best homeowners insurance for military families and compare rates between top providers.

Our Picks for the Best Home Insurance for Military Families

USAA

USAA

Best for All Military Members & Eligible Family

MoneyGeek Rating
4.8/ 5
4.7/5Affordability
5/5Customer Experience
4.7/5Coverage Points
  • Average Annual Premium

    $2,234
AIG

AIG

Best & Cheapest for Military Members

MoneyGeek Rating
4.8/ 5
4.8/5Affordability
4.2/5Customer Experience
5/5Coverage Points
  • Average Annual Premium

    $1,089
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MONEYGEEK'S SPECIAL MENTION: ARMED FORCES INSURANCE (AFI)

Not every military-focused insurer makes MoneyGeek's ranked lists, but AFI is one worth knowing about. Active duty members, veterans, their families and employees of the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs are all eligible for membership. While AFI didn't qualify for our ratings, its competitive rates and flexible coverage options may still make it a practical fit for military homeowners.

Home Insurance Companies Offering Military Discounts

Several major insurers honor military service by offering exclusive savings and flexible coverage options. While the amount and availability of these discounts vary by company and state, the providers below are known for extending benefits to active-duty members, veterans and their families.

Provides up to 15% off for active-duty, Reserve and retired military members, along with emergency deployment discounts in select states.
Offers military savings on home and auto policies, plus flexible policy management for members stationed overseas.
Extends discounts for active and retired military personnel in participating states, with options to suspend certain coverages while deployed.
Offers savings for military members and veterans through bundling opportunities and occasional state-based discounts.

Veteran & Military Homeowners Insurance: Special Considerations

A standard homeowners policy wasn't written with military life in mind. Deployments, frequent relocations and homes left in someone else's care create coverage gaps that most civilian policyholders never encounter. Understanding which endorsements to add, which exclusions to watch for and how vacancy or rental situations affect your coverage can make a real difference when something goes wrong.

Military Home Insurance Endorsements Worth Adding

Not every insurer offers these, but military homeowners should ask about them when comparing policies.

Vacancy Protection
Standard policies limit or exclude coverage when a home sits unoccupied for an extended period. This endorsement maintains coverage during long deployments when no one is living in the property.
Home Sharing
Short-term rentals through platforms like Airbnb while you're deployed require higher personal liability and belongings limits than a standard policy provides.
War Zone Personal Property
Most policies exclude damage to personal belongings caused by war. Some military-focused insurers like USAA cover personally owned gear and uniforms for active duty and reserve members with a waived deductible.
Landlord Conversion
Long deployments with tenants in your home may require switching from a homeowners policy to a landlord insurance policy. Some insurers handle this transition directly.
Earthquake and Flood
Standard homeowners policies exclude both. Military families stationed in high-risk areas or owning property in disaster-prone states need these as separate add-ons.

Standard Exclusions That Hit Military Homeowners Harder

Every homeowners policy has exclusions, but a few of them carry more weight for military families than for the average policyholder.

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    War Damage

    The war exclusion is standard across the industry. Damage to your home or personal belongings caused by armed conflict isn't covered under a typical policy. USAA is an exception for personally owned military gear and uniforms, covering them for active duty and reserve members with no deductible. If this matters to you, check with your insurer before assuming it's included.

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    Flood Damage

    Flooding is excluded from every standard homeowners policy. Military families stationed in or owning property in flood-prone areas need a separate flood policy. The National Flood Insurance Program is the most common option, but private flood coverage is also available and worth comparing.

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    Vacancy Clauses

    Most policies include language that limits coverage after a home sits empty for 30 to 60 days. A six-month or year-long deployment puts most military homeowners well past that threshold. Without a vacancy endorsement, perils like vandalism, water damage and theft may not be covered while you're away.

What to Do With Your Home During Deployment

Two situations come up repeatedly for military homeowners facing deployment: leaving the home empty or putting tenants in it. Both require action before you leave.

An empty home needs a vacancy endorsement to stay fully covered. Standard policies weren't written for extended absences, and the vacancy clause in most contracts will limit what your insurer pays after a set number of days. Adding vacancy protection before you deploy keeps your coverage from lapsing quietly while you're gone.

A rented home is a different policy situation entirely. Short-term rentals through platforms like Airbnb sit in a coverage gray area that a home-sharing endorsement addresses by raising your liability and personal property limits during the rental period. Long-term tenants trigger a bigger change: most insurers require a full conversion from a homeowners policy to a landlord insurance policy when the rental arrangement is ongoing. 

USAA handles this switch directly for members. Other insurers may require you to purchase a separate policy altogether, so confirm the process with your provider well before your tenants move in.

Compare Home Insurance Rates

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Veteran Home Insurance: FAQ

Here are answers to common questions about finding the best homeowners insurance options for veterans and military families.

Military Home Insurance Rates: Our Methodology

MoneyGeek analyzed homeowners insurance quotes from carriers across the U.S. using rate data from Quadrant Information Services, weighting factors most relevant to military families: affordability, coverage quality and flexibility during deployment or relocation. 

Quotes are based on a standard homeowner profile with good credit (769 to 792), a wood-frame home built in 2000 with a composite shingle roof, and coverage limits of $250,000 dwelling, $125,000 personal property, $200,000 personal liability and a $1,000 deductible. We also gathered data for higher-value homes using $1 million in dwelling coverage, $500,000 in personal property coverage and $1 million in liability coverage. 

Learn more about MoneyGeek's home insurance methodology.

About Mark Fitzpatrick


Mark Fitzpatrick, Licensed P&C Insurance Expert, MoneyGeek

Mark Fitzpatrick, a licensed Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Producer in Connecticut, is MoneyGeek's resident expert in insurance and economics. He has spent nearly a decade covering the market, first at LendingTree and now at MoneyGeek, where he analyzes hundreds of carriers and millions of rates across auto, home, renters, health and life insurance.

His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times and NPR. He draws on independent cost and consumer experience data, and no insurance company partnerships affect his recommendations.

Mark studied at Boston College before earning a master's in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University. Before MoneyGeek, he worked in financial risk management at State Street. He's also a five-time “Jeopardy!” champion.