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Flood insurance cost · AL

Flood insurance cost in Alabama

What homeowners with a National Flood Insurance Program policy actually pay, from FEMA's records of 24,356 home policies in force on August 31, 2026.

AlabamaPolicies in force on Aug 31, 2026

Median annual cost of NFIP flood insurance for a home

$1,233a year

Half of insured homes paid between $948 and $1,587. That is 14% more than the national median ($1,082). Most insured homes here are rated in zone AE (55%).

$0$948 · $1,233 · $1,587$1,984
+13.9% vs Aug 31, 2025 (median $1,083)
24,356home policies in force
$1,414average cost (mean)
71%of insured homes in high-risk zones (A, V)
$250,000median building coverage

This is what policyholders paid, not a quote. Two neighbors can pay very different prices: NFIP prices depend on the building (elevation, foundation, number of floors, replacement cost), the coverage and deductible chosen and the distance to water (FEMA FloodSmart: premium factors). For a price for your building, ask an insurance agent. Private flood insurance is not included in these figures.

Disaster declarations: see FEMA declarations and IRS tax relief in Alabama, county by county.

Cost by flood zone in Alabama

The flood zone on FEMA's map is one of the main price factors. Median and middle half of what insured homes paid, by the zone used to rate the policy.

Flood zoneMedianMiddle half (25th–75th percentile)AveragePoliciesvs last year
Zone VE / V
High risk, coastal		$1,503$1,195–$2,220$1,8782,104 (9%)+11.7%
Zone AE
High risk		$1,309$1,035–$1,764$1,52913,432 (55%)+11.5%
Zone A
High risk		$1,297$1,003–$1,772$1,5101,750 (7%)+10.3%
Zone AH
High risk, shallow		$1,289$886–$1,594$1,41160 (0%)+10.5%
Zone X
Moderate to low risk		$1,065$734–$1,259$1,0317,007 (29%)+14.5%

Not shown (fewer than 10 home policies): AO, A99/AR, D. Shares are of all insured homes; a few policies have no rated zone. "vs last year" compares medians with policies in force a year earlier.

Cost by type of building

All NFIP policies in force in Alabama, by what they insure.

Type of buildingPoliciesMedianAverage
Single-family home22,697$1,235$1,431
2–4 unit building629$1,322$1,550
Manufactured (mobile) home336$1,118$1,297
Condo or apartment unit694$674$805
Whole residential building (5+ units or condo association)
One policy covers the whole building, so the cost is much higher than for a single home.		1,074$2,794$6,654
Non-residential building or unit
Businesses, churches, farm buildings and other non-residential property.		2,949$2,797$3,878
28,379NFIP policies in force, any building
44,541insured units (condo association policies count every unit)
75%of home policies also cover contents
$100,000median contents coverage, when bought

One year on: Alabama

Policies in force on August 31, 2026 compared with a year earlier. Nationwide, practically all policies in both years carry FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0 occupancy codes, so both years use the same pricing system. The policies are not the same: some were new, some lapsed.

Aug 31, 2025Aug 31, 2026Change
Home policies in force26,34324,356−7.5%
Median annual cost$1,083$1,233+13.9%
Average annual cost$1,288$1,414+9.8%
All policies in force (any building)30,50128,379−7.0%

Flood claims history

Since 1978, NFIP policyholders in Alabama have filed 44,896 flood claims. 35,392 received a payment, for a total of $1.2 billion (an average of $33,818 per paid claim). The year with the most claims was 2004 (7,269 claims). Amounts are in dollars of the time, not adjusted for inflation.

02k4k6k8k1978: 150 claims, 114 paid, $334,505 in total1979: 3,578 claims, 3,060 paid, $40,422,325 in total1980: 900 claims, 742 paid, $6,580,978 in total19801981: 1,220 claims, 1,102 paid, $18,144,724 in total1982: 225 claims, 137 paid, $534,739 in total1983: 850 claims, 643 paid, $4,762,560 in total1984: 66 claims, 40 paid, $200,505 in total1985: 1,125 claims, 515 paid, $3,153,530 in total1986: 12 claims1987: 60 claims, 30 paid, $141,175 in total1988: 42 claims, 19 paid, $64,777 in total1989: 88 claims, 51 paid, $485,412 in total1990: 708 claims, 590 paid, $9,486,973 in total19901991: 215 claims, 164 paid, $1,000,803 in total1992: 58 claims, 30 paid, $299,218 in total1993: 40 claims, 25 paid, $192,751 in total1994: 264 claims, 232 paid, $4,432,176 in total1995: 1,896 claims, 1,349 paid, $17,802,958 in total1996: 231 claims, 185 paid, $1,765,121 in total1997: 1,217 claims, 701 paid, $11,378,733 in total1998: 5,854 claims, 4,184 paid, $95,731,070 in total19981999: 390 claims, 330 paid, $5,927,471 in total2000: 216 claims, 171 paid, $2,454,116 in total20002001: 110 claims, 77 paid, $744,873 in total2002: 1,210 claims, 908 paid, $7,624,254 in total2003: 674 claims, 526 paid, $13,150,556 in total2004: 7,269 claims, 6,218 paid, $363,330,374 in total20042005: 6,354 claims, 5,645 paid, $304,150,212 in total20052006: 58 claims, 36 paid, $794,781 in total2007: 72 claims, 45 paid, $1,229,923 in total2008: 507 claims, 424 paid, $4,767,492 in total2009: 716 claims, 569 paid, $13,888,582 in total2010: 150 claims, 95 paid, $1,263,005 in total20102011: 317 claims, 248 paid, $6,998,367 in total2012: 353 claims, 263 paid, $3,672,775 in total2013: 203 claims, 140 paid, $2,715,824 in total2014: 1,434 claims, 1,141 paid, $55,133,307 in total2015: 456 claims, 350 paid, $10,072,008 in total2016: 70 claims, 37 paid, $480,751 in total2017: 439 claims, 346 paid, $8,993,351 in total2018: 117 claims, 72 paid, $1,513,446 in total2019: 180 claims, 131 paid, $3,421,412 in total2020: 3,876 claims, 2,967 paid, $133,752,081 in total20202021: 535 claims, 460 paid, $21,585,569 in total2022: 116 claims, 82 paid, $3,421,118 in total2023: 64 claims, 38 paid, $2,556,342 in total2024: 85 claims, 55 paid, $2,105,044 in total2025: 89 claims, 68 paid, $3,194,269 in total2026: 37 claims, 29 paid, $967,631 in total
Flood claims per year of loss, 1978–2026. Years with fewer than 10 claims are left blank. Hover a bar for details.
All years with at least 10 claims (49)

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.

Year of lossClaimsPaid claimsTotal paidAverage per paid claim
20263729$967,631$33,367
20258968$3,194,269$46,975
20248555$2,105,044$38,274
20236438$2,556,342$67,272
202211682$3,421,118$41,721
2021535460$21,585,569$46,925
20203,8762,967$133,752,081$45,080
2019180131$3,421,412$26,118
201811772$1,513,446$21,020
2017439346$8,993,351$25,992
20167037$480,751$12,993
2015456350$10,072,008$28,777
20141,4341,141$55,133,307$48,320
2013203140$2,715,824$19,399
2012353263$3,672,775$13,965
2011317248$6,998,367$28,219
201015095$1,263,005$13,295
2009716569$13,888,582$24,409
2008507424$4,767,492$11,244
20077245$1,229,923$27,332
20065836$794,781$22,077
20056,3545,645$304,150,212$53,880
20047,2696,218$363,330,374$58,432
2003674526$13,150,556$25,001
20021,210908$7,624,254$8,397
200111077$744,873$9,674
2000216171$2,454,116$14,352
1999390330$5,927,471$17,962
19985,8544,184$95,731,070$22,880
19971,217701$11,378,733$16,232
1996231185$1,765,121$9,541
19951,8961,349$17,802,958$13,197
1994264232$4,432,176$19,104
19934025$192,751$7,710
19925830$299,218$9,974
1991215164$1,000,803$6,102
1990708590$9,486,973$16,080
19898851$485,412$9,518
19884219$64,777$3,409
19876030$141,175$4,706
198612<10––
19851,125515$3,153,530$6,123
19846640$200,505$5,013
1983850643$4,762,560$7,407
1982225137$534,739$3,903
19811,2201,102$18,144,724$16,465
1980900742$6,580,978$8,869
19793,5783,060$40,422,325$13,210
1978150114$334,505$2,934

From 2016 to 2026: 5,608 claims (counting only years with at least 10). 2026 is a partial year. Claims are counted where the insured property is; they include buildings and contents, homes and businesses.

Counties in Alabama

Counties with at least 100 NFIP home policies in force have their own page.

Other counties (fewer policies, no separate page)
CountyHome policiesMedian
Barbour County29$1,595
Bibb County17$1,816
Blount County23$1,302
Chambers County24$1,278
Chilton County25$1,309
Choctaw County25$1,141
Clarke County28$1,488
Colbert County80$1,020
Coosa County18$1,212
Covington County92$1,478
Cullman County78$1,360
Dale County65$826
DeKalb County51$1,101
Escambia County86$1,008
Fayette County16$1,010
Franklin County15$1,073
Geneva County55$1,038
Greene County70$956
Hale County64$1,232
Henry County28$1,118
Lamar County14$996
Lawrence County58$1,158
Lowndes County62$1,249
Macon County15$918
Marengo County65$937
Marion County19$1,400
Marshall County69$1,228
Pickens County58$1,245
Pike County12$1,220
Randolph County15$1,152
Russell County59$1,219
Sumter County34$1,092
Tallapoosa County84$1,427
Walker County69$1,546
Wilcox County37$1,331
Winston County31$1,318

ZIP codes with the most insured homes