Flood insurance cost · Boulder County, CO

Flood insurance cost in Boulder County, Colorado

What homeowners with a National Flood Insurance Program policy actually pay, from FEMA's records of 2,312 home policies in force on August 31, 2026.

Boulder County, ColoradoPolicies in force on Aug 31, 2026

Median annual cost of NFIP flood insurance for a home

$1,038a year

Half of insured homes paid between $733 and $1,359. That is 12% more than the Colorado median ($926). Most insured homes here are rated in zone X (51%).

$0$733 · $1,038 · $1,359$1,699

+4.1% vs Aug 31, 2025 (median $997)

2,312home policies in force

$1,157average cost (mean)

49%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.

Cost by flood zone in Boulder County

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 zone	Median	Middle half (25th–75th percentile)	Average	Policies	vs last year
Zone AE High risk	$1,123	$806–$1,508	$1,342	1,043 (45%)	+4.0%
Zone A High risk	$1,236	$951–$1,492	$1,598	30 (1%)	+3.4%
Zone AO High risk, shallow	$1,140	$948–$1,455	$1,256	65 (3%)	+5.7%
Zone X Moderate to low risk	$944	$660–$1,254	$976	1,174 (51%)	+2.7%

Not shown (fewer than 10 home policies): VE, AH, 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 Boulder County, by what they insure.

Type of building	Policies	Median	Average
Single-family home	1,974	$1,086	$1,207
2–4 unit building	97	$1,224	$1,327
Manufactured (mobile) home	36	$694	$751
Condo or apartment unit	205	$612	$663
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.	238	$2,238	$2,914
Non-residential building or unit Businesses, churches, farm buildings and other non-residential property.	387	$2,567	$3,254

2,937NFIP policies in force, any building

4,101insured units (condo association policies count every unit)

80%of home policies also cover contents

$100,000median contents coverage, when bought

One year on: Boulder County

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, 2025	Aug 31, 2026	Change
Home policies in force	2,451	2,312	−5.7%
Median annual cost	$997	$1,038	+4.1%
Average annual cost	$1,089	$1,157	+6.2%
All policies in force (any building)	3,102	2,937	−5.3%

How many homes have flood insurance?

2.3%of all homes in Boulder County have an NFIP policy

44.5%of homes in high-risk zones (special flood hazard area) have one

111,369residential buildings counted by FEMA

2,870of them in high-risk zones

FEMA NFIP Residential Penetration Rates, data as of August 3, 2026: residential contracts in force divided by residential structures.

Flood claims history

Since 1978, NFIP policyholders in Boulder County, Colorado have filed 1,786 flood claims. 1,376 received a payment, for a total of $50.1 million (an average of $36,412 per paid claim). The year with the most claims was 2013 (1,520 claims). Amounts are in dollars of the time, not adjusted for inflation.

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 (8)

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.

Year of loss	Claims	Paid claims	Total paid	Average per paid claim
2022	17	12	$112,436	$9,370
2021	15	<10	–	–
2015	15	<10	–	–
2013	1,520	1,259	$48,909,674	$38,848
1995	54	19	$49,882	$2,625
1991	10	<10	–	–
1983	10	<10	–	–
1980	11	<10	–	–

From 2016 to 2026: 32 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.

ZIP codes in Boulder County

ZIP codes with at least 300 NFIP home policies in force have their own page.

Main NFIP communities in the county

Boulder (1,438 home policies) · Unincorporated Boulder County (494 home policies) · Longmont (186 home policies) · Lafayette (51 home policies) · Lyons (43 home policies) · Louisville (40 home policies)