Flood insurance cost · ZIP 29401 · SC

Flood insurance cost in ZIP 29401 (Charleston, SC)

What homeowners with a National Flood Insurance Program policy actually pay, from FEMA's records of 1,669 home policies in force on August 31, 2026.

ZIP code 29401 (Charleston, SC)Policies in force on Aug 31, 2026

Median annual cost of NFIP flood insurance for a home

$2,120a year

Half of insured homes paid between $1,328 and $3,238. That is 107% more than the Charleston County median ($1,023). Most insured homes here are rated in zone AE (87%).

$0$1,328 · $2,120 · $3,238$4,048

+5.6% vs Aug 31, 2025 (median $2,008)

1,669home policies in force

$2,451average cost (mean)

90%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 29401

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	$4,928	$3,702–$6,384	$4,861	46 (3%)	+4.5%
Zone AE High risk	$2,261	$1,446–$3,298	$2,516	1,456 (87%)	+4.6%
Zone X Moderate to low risk	$1,259	$1,080–$1,410	$1,223	167 (10%)	+16.4%

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 29401, by what they insure.

Type of building	Policies	Median	Average
Single-family home	1,448	$2,234	$2,564
2–4 unit building	143	$1,819	$2,092
Condo or apartment unit	78	$846	$1,008
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.	177	$4,157	$7,007
Non-residential building or unit Businesses, churches, farm buildings and other non-residential property.	344	$3,650	$4,796

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

2,190NFIP policies in force, any building

3,576insured units (condo association policies count every unit)

75%of home policies also cover contents

$100,000median contents coverage, when bought

One year on: ZIP code 29401

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	1,692	1,669	−1.4%
Median annual cost	$2,008	$2,120	+5.6%
Average annual cost	$2,332	$2,451	+5.1%
All policies in force (any building)	2,213	2,190	−1.0%

Flood claims history

Since 1978, NFIP policyholders in ZIP 29401 have filed 3,216 flood claims. 2,726 received a payment, for a total of $78.6 million (an average of $28,822 per paid claim). The year with the most claims was 1989 (1,397 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 (19)

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.

Year of loss	Claims	Paid claims	Total paid	Average per paid claim
2024	11	10	$195,386	$19,539
2023	44	38	$1,111,986	$29,263
2017	544	502	$18,685,249	$37,222
2016	510	464	$15,743,163	$33,929
2015	203	161	$2,217,871	$13,776
2012	10	<10	–	–
1999	17	12	$133,554	$11,130
1997	34	23	$92,799	$4,035
1994	52	31	$136,655	$4,408
1993	19	10	$28,901	$2,890
1992	19	12	$37,809	$3,151
1990	20	12	$19,474	$1,623
1989	1,397	1,245	$39,508,313	$31,734
1988	32	23	$51,237	$2,228
1987	53	28	$52,529	$1,876
1985	16	<10	–	–
1983	12	<10	–	–
1982	48	28	$35,444	$1,266
1979	81	59	$54,381	$922

From 2016 to 2026: 1,109 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

Charleston (1,668 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.