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Flood insurance cost · Whatcom County, WA

Flood insurance cost in Whatcom County, Washington

What homeowners with a National Flood Insurance Program policy actually pay, from FEMA's records of 1,404 home policies in force on August 31, 2026.

Whatcom County, WashingtonPolicies in force on Aug 31, 2026

Median annual cost of NFIP flood insurance for a home

$988a year

Half of insured homes paid between $645 and $1,413. That is 7% less than the Washington median ($1,058). Most insured homes here are rated in zone AE (65%).

$0$645 · $988 · $1,413$1,766
+8.6% vs Aug 31, 2025 (median $910)
1,404home policies in force
$1,151average cost (mean)
77%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: 2 FEMA declarations · individual aid. FEMA declarations and IRS tax relief in Whatcom County.

Cost by flood zone in Whatcom 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 VE / V
High risk, coastal		$640$492–$767$70489 (6%)−0.3%
Zone AE
High risk		$1,055$668–$1,596$1,235910 (65%)+8.9%
Zone A
High risk		$1,277$1,116–$1,741$1,49781 (6%)+12.8%
Zone X
Moderate to low risk		$882$585–$1,214$949324 (23%)+11.1%

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

Type of buildingPoliciesMedianAverage
Single-family home1,221$1,003$1,161
2–4 unit building56$1,333$1,549
Manufactured (mobile) home59$1,063$1,284
Condo or apartment unit68$506$529
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.		80$2,088$2,249
Non-residential building or unit
Businesses, churches, farm buildings and other non-residential property.		225$1,639$2,193
1,709NFIP policies in force, any building
2,186insured units (condo association policies count every unit)
64%of home policies also cover contents
$100,000median contents coverage, when bought

One year on: Whatcom 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 force1,3791,404+1.8%
Median annual cost$910$988+8.6%
Average annual cost$1,074$1,151+7.2%
All policies in force (any building)1,6691,709+2.4%

How many homes have flood insurance?

1.9%of all homes in Whatcom County have an NFIP policy
29.1%of homes in high-risk zones (special flood hazard area) have one
79,381residential buildings counted by FEMA
4,011of 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 Whatcom County, Washington have filed 1,214 flood claims. 1,025 received a payment, for a total of $53.2 million (an average of $51,858 per paid claim). The year with the most claims was 2021 (329 claims). Amounts are in dollars of the time, not adjusted for inflation.

01002003004001979: 14 claims, 10 paid, $96,287 in total19801982: 24 claims, 15 paid, $43,547 in total1983: 15 claims, 13 paid, $389,538 in total1984: 13 claims1989: 24 claims, 21 paid, $260,885 in total1990: 142 claims, 114 paid, $2,016,679 in total199019901995: 30 claims, 23 paid, $272,693 in total1996: 14 claims1997: 10 claims2000: 10 claims20002001: 15 claims, 14 paid, $210,206 in total2003: 26 claims, 18 paid, $121,304 in total2006: 39 claims, 39 paid, $720,033 in total2009: 56 claims, 43 paid, $1,631,923 in total2010: 12 claims20102012: 14 claims, 11 paid, $190,412 in total2020: 26 claims, 20 paid, $394,805 in total20202021: 329 claims, 298 paid, $22,545,522 in total20212022: 28 claims, 24 paid, $925,420 in total2025: 297 claims, 273 paid, $21,610,356 in total2025
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 (20)

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.

Year of lossClaimsPaid claimsTotal paidAverage per paid claim
2025297273$21,610,356$79,159
20222824$925,420$38,559
2021329298$22,545,522$75,656
20202620$394,805$19,740
20121411$190,412$17,310
201012<10––
20095643$1,631,923$37,952
20063939$720,033$18,462
20032618$121,304$6,739
20011514$210,206$15,015
200010<10––
199710<10––
199614<10––
19953023$272,693$11,856
1990142114$2,016,679$17,690
19892421$260,885$12,423
198413<10––
19831513$389,538$29,964
19822415$43,547$2,903
19791410$96,287$9,629

From 2016 to 2026: 680 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

Unincorporated Whatcom County (570 home policies) · Lummi Indian Reservation (233 home policies) · Sumas (199 home policies) · Everson (150 home policies) · Nooksack (80 home policies) · Bellingham (62 home policies)