Flood insurance cost · ZIP 28461 · NC

Flood insurance cost in ZIP 28461 (St. James, NC)

What homeowners with a National Flood Insurance Program policy actually pay, from FEMA's records of 2,934 home policies in force on August 31, 2026.

ZIP code 28461 (St. James, NC)Policies in force on Aug 31, 2026

Median annual cost of NFIP flood insurance for a home

$939a year

Half of insured homes paid between $648 and $1,296. That is 3% less than the Brunswick County median ($971). Most insured homes here are rated in zone X (58%).

$0$648 · $939 · $1,296$1,620

+5.9% vs Aug 31, 2025 (median $887)

2,934home policies in force

$1,062average cost (mean)

42%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 28461

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	$1,342	$1,079–$2,123	$1,639	53 (2%)	+9.3%
Zone AE High risk	$1,306	$1,037–$1,658	$1,444	1,180 (40%)	+12.8%
Zone X Moderate to low risk	$699	$555–$938	$778	1,694 (58%)	+1.2%

Not shown (fewer than 10 home policies): 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 28461, by what they insure.

Type of building	Policies	Median	Average
Single-family home	2,837	$954	$1,077
2–4 unit building	10	$665	$930
Condo or apartment unit	81	$570	$583
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.	88	$1,412	$1,731
Non-residential building or unit Businesses, churches, farm buildings and other non-residential property.	135	$2,390	$3,594

Not shown (fewer than 10 policies): manufactured (mobile) home.

3,157NFIP policies in force, any building

3,332insured units (condo association policies count every unit)

90%of home policies also cover contents

$100,000median contents coverage, when bought

One year on: ZIP code 28461

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	3,007	2,934	−2.4%
Median annual cost	$887	$939	+5.9%
Average annual cost	$986	$1,062	+7.7%
All policies in force (any building)	3,230	3,157	−2.3%

Flood claims history

Since 1978, NFIP policyholders in ZIP 28461 have filed 1,432 flood claims. 971 received a payment, for a total of $20.8 million (an average of $21,380 per paid claim). The year with the most claims was 2018 (536 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 (17)

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.

Year of loss	Claims	Paid claims	Total paid	Average per paid claim
2024	141	125	$4,514,295	$36,114
2020	61	48	$945,865	$19,706
2018	536	380	$8,863,396	$23,325
2016	18	<10	–	–
2015	36	20	$214,264	$10,713
2010	11	<10	–	–
2005	54	38	$412,993	$10,868
2004	15	<10	–	–
1999	210	132	$1,403,014	$10,629
1998	42	11	$47,771	$4,343
1996	57	19	$308,636	$16,244
1995	22	16	$744,882	$46,555
1994	15	10	$1,074,217	$107,422
1993	33	25	$293,935	$11,757
1989	79	62	$967,634	$15,607
1987	25	20	$150,805	$7,540
1985	12	<10	–	–

From 2016 to 2026: 756 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

St. James (1,072 home policies) · Bald Head Island (710 home policies) · Southport (602 home policies) · Unincorporated Brunswick County (265 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.