Flood insurance cost · ZIP 21842 · MD

Flood insurance cost in ZIP 21842 (Ocean City, MD)

What homeowners with a National Flood Insurance Program policy actually pay, from FEMA's records of 3,189 home policies in force on August 31, 2026.

ZIP code 21842 (Ocean City, MD)Policies in force on Aug 31, 2026

Median annual cost of NFIP flood insurance for a home

$1,176a year

Half of insured homes paid between $841 and $1,437. That is 6% more than the Worcester County median ($1,110). Most insured homes here are rated in zone AE (57%).

$0$841 · $1,176 · $1,437$1,796

+11.2% vs Aug 31, 2025 (median $1,058)

3,189home policies in force

$1,185average cost (mean)

59%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 ZIP code 21842

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 VE / V High risk, coastal	$813	$624–$1,021	$884	26 (1%)	+2.1%
Zone AE High risk	$1,224	$914–$1,567	$1,289	1,807 (57%)	+11.4%
Zone AO High risk, shallow	$868	$649–$1,201	$940	39 (1%)	+6.5%
Zone X Moderate to low risk	$1,088	$729–$1,311	$1,055	1,317 (41%)	+8.2%

Not shown (fewer than 10 home policies): A, 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 ZIP code 21842, by what they insure.

Type of building	Policies	Median	Average
Single-family home	2,405	$1,250	$1,267
2–4 unit building	174	$1,382	$1,430
Manufactured (mobile) home	94	$982	$1,114
Condo or apartment unit	516	$656	$730
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.	1,611	$3,286	$4,289
Non-residential building or unit Businesses, churches, farm buildings and other non-residential property.	388	$3,168	$3,552

5,188NFIP policies in force, any building

25,841insured units (condo association policies count every unit)

82%of home policies also cover contents

$100,000median contents coverage, when bought

One year on: ZIP code 21842

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	3,394	3,189	−6.0%
Median annual cost	$1,058	$1,176	+11.2%
Average annual cost	$1,079	$1,185	+9.8%
All policies in force (any building)	5,444	5,188	−4.7%

Flood claims history

Since 1978, NFIP policyholders in ZIP 21842 have filed 1,913 flood claims. 1,246 received a payment, for a total of $14.0 million (an average of $11,275 per paid claim). The year with the most claims was 2012 (500 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 (21)

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.

Year of loss	Claims	Paid claims	Total paid	Average per paid claim
2016	11	<10	–	–
2012	500	358	$5,801,217	$16,205
2011	10	<10	–	–
2009	42	29	$265,187	$9,144
2008	11	<10	–	–
2006	10	<10	–	–
2005	16	<10	–	–
2003	13	<10	–	–
1999	12	<10	–	–
1998	337	243	$1,674,609	$6,891
1996	13	<10	–	–
1994	15	<10	–	–
1993	17	<10	–	–
1992	342	257	$2,813,479	$10,947
1991	28	17	$154,655	$9,097
1989	18	<10	–	–
1985	339	221	$2,636,591	$11,930
1984	20	<10	–	–
1983	20	<10	–	–
1982	17	<10	–	–
1978	13	10	$23,976	$2,398

From 2016 to 2026: 11 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.

NFIP communities in this ZIP code

Ocean City (2,467 home policies) · Unincorporated Worcester County (722 home policies). A ZIP code can cross city and county lines; each policy is counted once, in the ZIP code reported for the insured building.