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Flood insurance cost · Baltimore (city), MD

Flood insurance cost in Baltimore (city), Maryland

What homeowners with a National Flood Insurance Program policy actually pay, from FEMA's records of 585 home policies in force on August 31, 2026.

Baltimore (city), MarylandPolicies in force on Aug 31, 2026

Median annual cost of NFIP flood insurance for a home

$567a year

Half of insured homes paid between $427 and $778. That is 14% less than the Maryland median ($660). Most insured homes here are rated in zone X (64%).

$0$427 · $567 · $778$972
+2.7% vs Aug 31, 2025 (median $552)
585home policies in force
$656average cost (mean)
36%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 Baltimore (city)

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 AE
High risk		$676$527–$862$763172 (29%)+5.0%
Zone A
High risk		$591$505–$764$66440 (7%)+0.3%
Zone X
Moderate to low risk		$520$393–$718$606373 (64%)+1.4%

Not shown (fewer than 10 home policies): VE, AO, 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 Baltimore (city), by what they insure.

Type of buildingPoliciesMedianAverage
Single-family home525$572$666
Condo or apartment unit51$443$521
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.		92$3,084$7,951
Non-residential building or unit
Businesses, churches, farm buildings and other non-residential property.		328$3,919$5,147

Not shown (fewer than 10 policies): 2–4 unit building, manufactured (mobile) home.

1,005NFIP policies in force, any building
3,290insured units (condo association policies count every unit)
86%of home policies also cover contents
$100,000median contents coverage, when bought

One year on: Baltimore (city)

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 force624585−6.2%
Median annual cost$552$567+2.7%
Average annual cost$629$656+4.3%
All policies in force (any building)1,0631,005−5.5%

How many homes have flood insurance?

0.3%of all homes in Baltimore (city) have an NFIP policy
–of homes in high-risk zones (special flood hazard area) have one
202,958residential buildings counted by FEMA
0of 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 Baltimore (city), Maryland have filed 1,070 flood claims. 766 received a payment, for a total of $26.8 million (an average of $35,042 per paid claim). The year with the most claims was 1979 (191 claims). Amounts are in dollars of the time, not adjusted for inflation.

0501001502001978: 15 claims1979: 191 claims, 158 paid, $2,625,982 in total197919801981: 65 claims, 47 paid, $232,647 in total1983: 14 claims1984: 68 claims, 38 paid, $1,098,707 in total1985: 15 claims, 11 paid, $109,621 in total19901996: 25 claims, 16 paid, $220,924 in total1999: 44 claims, 27 paid, $1,542,842 in total20002003: 155 claims, 135 paid, $7,756,901 in total20032004: 28 claims, 24 paid, $2,828,755 in total2006: 22 claims, 14 paid, $645,584 in total2008: 13 claims20102011: 42 claims, 31 paid, $237,727 in total2012: 33 claims, 19 paid, $133,895 in total2013: 18 claims2014: 59 claims, 45 paid, $3,527,515 in total2016: 31 claims, 25 paid, $1,329,357 in total2018: 80 claims, 67 paid, $1,264,714 in total20182019: 18 claims, 12 paid, $565,854 in total20202021: 10 claims2023: 21 claims, 12 paid, $1,101,756 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 (21)

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.

Year of lossClaimsPaid claimsTotal paidAverage per paid claim
20232112$1,101,756$91,813
202110<10––
20191812$565,854$47,154
20188067$1,264,714$18,876
20163125$1,329,357$53,174
20145945$3,527,515$78,389
201318<10––
20123319$133,895$7,047
20114231$237,727$7,669
200813<10––
20062214$645,584$46,113
20042824$2,828,755$117,865
2003155135$7,756,901$57,459
19994427$1,542,842$57,142
19962516$220,924$13,808
19851511$109,621$9,966
19846838$1,098,707$28,913
198314<10––
19816547$232,647$4,950
1979191158$2,625,982$16,620
197815<10––

From 2016 to 2026: 160 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.

Main NFIP communities in the county

Baltimore (585 home policies)