Flood insurance cost · Wilson County, NC

Flood insurance cost in Wilson County, North Carolina

What homeowners with a National Flood Insurance Program policy actually pay, from FEMA's records of 419 home policies in force on August 31, 2026.

Wilson County, North CarolinaPolicies in force on Aug 31, 2026

Median annual cost of NFIP flood insurance for a home

$976a year

Half of insured homes paid between $682 and $1,321. That is 5% less than the North Carolina median ($1,025). Most insured homes here are rated in zone AE (65%).

$0$682 · $976 · $1,321$1,651
+6.1% vs Aug 31, 2025 (median $920)
419home policies in force
$1,089average cost (mean)
65%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 Wilson 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 zoneMedianMiddle half (25th–75th percentile)AveragePoliciesvs last year
Zone AE
High risk
$1,112$796–$1,480$1,243271 (65%)+9.2%
Zone X
Moderate to low risk
$750$538–$1,004$806148 (35%)±0.0%

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

Type of buildingPoliciesMedianAverage
Single-family home407$988$1,093
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.
10$2,622$2,724
Non-residential building or unit
Businesses, churches, farm buildings and other non-residential property.
65$2,028$2,714

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

494NFIP policies in force, any building
494insured units (condo association policies count every unit)
73%of home policies also cover contents
$100,000median contents coverage, when bought

One year on: Wilson 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, 2025Aug 31, 2026Change
Home policies in force442419−5.2%
Median annual cost$920$976+6.1%
Average annual cost$1,001$1,089+8.8%
All policies in force (any building)521494−5.2%

How many homes have flood insurance?

1.3%of all homes in Wilson County have an NFIP policy
50.8%of homes in high-risk zones (special flood hazard area) have one
32,458residential buildings counted by FEMA
553of 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 Wilson County, North Carolina have filed 499 flood claims. 417 received a payment, for a total of $12.6 million (an average of $30,271 per paid claim). The year with the most claims was 1999 (182 claims). Amounts are in dollars of the time, not adjusted for inflation.

05010015020019801982: 13 claims19901999: 182 claims, 170 paid, $5,089,688 in total199920002002: 39 claims, 32 paid, $514,991 in total20022004: 19 claims, 16 paid, $232,068 in total20102014: 22 claims, 18 paid, $269,578 in total2016: 94 claims, 83 paid, $3,724,205 in total20162017: 13 claims, 13 paid, $283,978 in total2018: 10 claims2020: 27 claims, 23 paid, $1,123,380 in total20202024: 13 claims, 10 paid, $730,107 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 (10)

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.

Year of lossClaimsPaid claimsTotal paidAverage per paid claim
20241310$730,107$73,011
20202723$1,123,380$48,843
201810<10––
20171313$283,978$21,844
20169483$3,724,205$44,870
20142218$269,578$14,977
20041916$232,068$14,504
20023932$514,991$16,093
1999182170$5,089,688$29,939
198213<10––

From 2016 to 2026: 157 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

Wilson (339 home policies) · Unincorporated Wilson County (55 home policies) · Elm City (10 home policies)