Flood insurance cost · ZIP 23701 · VA

Flood insurance cost in ZIP 23701 (Portsmouth, VA)

What homeowners with a National Flood Insurance Program policy actually pay, from FEMA's records of 495 home policies in force on August 31, 2026.

ZIP code 23701 (Portsmouth, VA)Policies in force on Aug 31, 2026

Median annual cost of NFIP flood insurance for a home

$588a year

Half of insured homes paid between $487 and $722. That is 8% less than the Portsmouth (city) median ($637). Most insured homes here are rated in zone AE (69%).

$0$487 · $588 · $722$902

+3.0% vs Aug 31, 2025 (median $571)

495home policies in force

$650average cost (mean)

69%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 23701

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	$614	$514–$757	$689	344 (69%)	+2.3%
Zone X Moderate to low risk	$511	$446–$640	$561	151 (31%)	+0.2%

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 ZIP code 23701, by what they insure.

Type of building	Policies	Median	Average
Single-family home	489	$586	$648

Not shown (fewer than 10 policies): 2–4 unit building, manufactured (mobile) home, condo or apartment unit, whole residential building (5+ units or condo association), non-residential building or unit.

505NFIP policies in force, any building

515insured units (condo association policies count every unit)

78%of home policies also cover contents

$97,000median contents coverage, when bought

One year on: ZIP code 23701

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	507	495	−2.4%
Median annual cost	$571	$588	+3.0%
Average annual cost	$628	$650	+3.5%
All policies in force (any building)	517	505	−2.3%

Flood claims history

Since 1978, NFIP policyholders in ZIP 23701 have filed 223 flood claims. 175 received a payment, for a total of $1,990,623 (an average of $11,375 per paid claim). The year with the most claims was 2003 (50 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 (6)

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.

Year of loss	Claims	Paid claims	Total paid	Average per paid claim
2016	36	33	$539,977	$16,363
2011	23	20	$221,009	$11,050
2009	48	47	$590,478	$12,563
2003	50	38	$404,379	$10,642
1999	22	17	$133,199	$7,835
1998	12	<10	–	–

From 2016 to 2026: 36 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

Portsmouth (495 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.