Flood insurance cost · Columbia County, PA

Flood insurance cost in Columbia County, Pennsylvania

What homeowners with a National Flood Insurance Program policy actually pay, from FEMA's records of 461 home policies in force on August 31, 2026.

Columbia County, PennsylvaniaPolicies in force on Aug 31, 2026

Median annual cost of NFIP flood insurance for a home

$1,293a year

Half of insured homes paid between $966 and $1,844. That is 5% more than the Pennsylvania median ($1,232). Most insured homes here are rated in zone AE (75%).

$0$966 · $1,293 · $1,844$2,305

+10.1% vs Aug 31, 2025 (median $1,174)

461home policies in force

$1,543average cost (mean)

79%of insured homes in high-risk zones (A, V)

$136,000median 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 Columbia 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	$1,364	$1,006–$2,010	$1,614	346 (75%)	+8.9%
Zone A High risk	$1,562	$908–$2,263	$1,902	20 (4%)	+6.3%
Zone X Moderate to low risk	$1,197	$910–$1,370	$1,210	95 (21%)	+16.4%

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 Columbia County, by what they insure.

Type of building	Policies	Median	Average
Single-family home	417	$1,292	$1,540
2–4 unit building	34	$1,334	$1,680
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.	22	$1,264	$1,366
Non-residential building or unit Businesses, churches, farm buildings and other non-residential property.	59	$2,499	$3,877

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

542NFIP policies in force, any building

542insured units (condo association policies count every unit)

50%of home policies also cover contents

$42,000median contents coverage, when bought

One year on: Columbia 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	504	461	−8.5%
Median annual cost	$1,174	$1,293	+10.1%
Average annual cost	$1,445	$1,543	+6.8%
All policies in force (any building)	591	542	−8.3%

How many homes have flood insurance?

1.9%of all homes in Columbia County have an NFIP policy

22.7%of homes in high-risk zones (special flood hazard area) have one

26,145residential buildings counted by FEMA

1,676of 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 Columbia County, Pennsylvania have filed 2,202 flood claims. 1,944 received a payment, for a total of $63.2 million (an average of $32,493 per paid claim). The year with the most claims was 2011 (798 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 (14)

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.

Year of loss	Claims	Paid claims	Total paid	Average per paid claim
2018	137	132	$3,753,896	$28,439
2011	798	746	$39,206,136	$52,555
2010	26	19	$174,405	$9,179
2006	524	487	$15,517,769	$31,864
2005	69	51	$306,172	$6,003
2004	136	121	$1,925,152	$15,910
1996	261	214	$1,790,741	$8,368
1993	35	21	$45,141	$2,150
1986	12	<10	–	–
1984	13	10	$11,339	$1,134
1983	29	23	$38,300	$1,665
1981	25	21	$41,539	$1,978
1979	82	63	$120,951	$1,920
1978	14	<10	–	–

From 2016 to 2026: 137 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

Bloomsburg (129 home policies) · Scott (92 home policies) · Benton (26 home policies) · Briar Creek (26 home policies) · Berwick (20 home policies) · Fishing Creek (19 home policies)