Pennsylvania homeowners insurance helps protect your home. It provides protection to your home from damage caused by fire, theft, natural disasters, and other things.
Nationwide is the cheapest Pennsylvania homeowners insurance company, among carriers surveyed. And the average cost of homeowners in PA is $1,307 a year, or $109 a month. That’s about $415 less than the state average of $1,720 and nearly half of the national average ($2,305).
Keep reading this guide to learn how home insurance components work to protect you and your home. Also, find out how much home insurance coverage you should buy.
Key takeaways
- Nationwide is the cheapest Pennsylvania homeowners insurance company with an average cost of $1,307 a year.
- By buying auto and home insurance policies from the same companies, you can save between 18 -21% in Pennsylvania.
- By installing a sprinkler system, smoke detectors and fire alarm at your home, you can save up to 15-20% on your homeowners' insurance.
- Pennsylvania homeowners should also consider a hurricane deductible while buying home insurance.
- 5 Best homeowners insurance companies in Pennsylvania
- Cheapest homeowners insurance companies in Pennsylvania
- How much is home insurance in PA: Rates by ZIP code
- Pennsylvania homeowners insurance calculator
- Homeowners insurance rates in Pennsylvania by city
- Homeowners insurance rates in Pennsylvania by company
- Homeowners insurance rates in Pennsylvania by coverage level
- Homeowners insurance discounts in Pennsylvania
- FAQs by Pennsylvania homeowners
- Homeowners insurance rates in Pennsylvania by city
5 Best homeowners insurance companies in Pennsylvania
- Nationwide: Best for price
- Erie: Best for customer service
- Safeco: Best for claims
- Allstate: Best for home-auto bundle discounts
- USAA: Best for military and their immediate families
Methodology: We used consumer survey data to identify the five best homeowners insurance companies in Pennsylvania. To further narrow the list down to four carriers, we looked at:
- A.M. Best financial ratings for an insurer's ability to meet its financial obligations
- J.D. Powers annual study for customer satisfaction ratings
- Size of carrier based on number of policies written
- Insurance.com rate analysis based on homeowners insurance quotes in Pennsylvania
- Carrier policy offerings, discounts available and special coverages
Best for price: Nationwide
Nationwide was the cheapest Pennsylvania homeowners insurance company among those surveyed, with an average rate of $1,307 a year for $300,000 dwelling and liability coverage. An extra bonus in addition to a low price? Online resources. You can get a quote, file, and track claims online.
In addition to standard coverage, Nationwide offers:
- Better Roof Replacement, an add-on that will replace your roof with a higher quality one than you had before when you file a roofing claim.
- If you need to rebuild your home, Nationwide’s “replacement cost plus” coverage pays up to an additional 20% more than your policy limit if it costs more to rebuild your house.
- Ordinance or “law insurance” coverage may help pay to rebuild your home to current building codes after a covered loss.
- Nationwide’s On Your Side Review is a free personalized insurance evaluation that helps you determine what coverage is best as life events change your coverage needs.
- Credit card and debit card fraud protection.
- It also sells earthquake and flood insurance.
Best for customer service: Erie
Erie excels in treating its Pennsylvania customers right, and as a result, has a super low complaint ratio filed with state regulators. It received a four-star rating for customer service in the 2021 Best Homeowners Insurance Companies ranking and also had the highest percentage of customers who said they’d recommend it (89%). Ninety-one percent said they’d renew their coverage with Erie. In addition, Erie was named to Newsweek’s list of America’s Best Customer Service 2021 in the Homeowners Insurance category and for years has ranked high in J.D. Power’s home insurance customer satisfaction survey. Its average rate of $1,560 is reasonable – it’s in the middle of the pack compared to other major carriers. The trade-off is you can’t apply or manage claims online, you have to do it over the phone.
In addition to standard coverage and discounts, it offers:
- Guaranteed replacement cost, which means your home will be repaired or rebuilt, without any deduction for “wear and tear,” or depreciation.
- Pets are covered up to $5,000.
- Theft or loss of your belongings.
- Locked in rates, meaning as long as you don’t move, file a claim or renovate, you can keep paying the same price indefinitely.
Endorsements, or add-on coverage you can add to your policy include:
- Coverage for hard-to-replace items, such as deeds and passports.
- Jewelry, art and high-end valuables coverage.
- Identity theft recovery.
- Water backup and sump overflow coverage.
- Coverage for underground utility lines and pipes.
Best for claims: Safeco
Safeco 4.5 out of five stars for claims handling in the Best Home Insurance Companies 2021 rankings for the Northeast, with 95% of customers saying they’d renew their coverage. Its average Pennsylvania home insurance rate is low ($1,442), compared to most major carriers surveyed. Safeco offers robust online resources, you can get a quote, manage claims, pay your bill and view or download your policy at the website. If you’d rather speak to an agent, you can find one on the website. In addition to standard coverage and discounts, it offers:
- Equipment breakdown coverage, for $2 a month, repairs or replaces household appliances after mechanical or electrical breakdowns—which are often not covered under a standard homeowners policy.
- The Safeco Package includes a single-loss deductible. That means if you have a car insurance policy and it’s damaged in the same event as your home, your auto deductible will be waived.
- Extended dwelling coverage helps in the event of a catastrophe when there’s soaring demand for building materials and labor that could cause reconstruction costs to increase, leaving policy limits inadequate. That’s where extended dwelling coverage kicks in.
- Identity theft recovery.
- The Guaranteed Repair Network program connects you with prequalified experts to create estimates and perform repairs quickly, seamlessly, and with a guaranteed material and labor warranty backed by Safeco.
- Home warranty coverage in partnership with American Home shield. For a monthly charge, it pays the cost of repairing or replacing your covered items. You can get broad coverage for appliances and components of electrical and plumbing systems or can designate just a few specific items.
Best for home and auto bundle discounts: Allstate
Homeowners in Pennsylvania who buy their auto and home coverage from Allstate earn an average discount of 21%, higher than other carriers surveyed in an Insurance.com rate analysis. Allstate’s average home insurance rate for Pennsylvania ($1,390) is lower than most other major carriers, and in addition to a generous bundle discount, Allstate also offers a host of discounts to make coverage even more affordable. While many of its discounts are standard among most major carriers, it offers a wide range of options with reasonable price breaks. It received four stars (out of five) for customer service and for claims among Northeast homeowners.
In addition to standard coverages, Allstate offers:
- Water backup coverage if your home is damaged by a sump pump or drain backups.
- Identity theft coverage.
- Special coverage for musical instruments and sports equipment.
- Green improvement reimbursement covers the additional cost of replacing damaged or destroyed covered items with more energy-efficient items.
- Extra yard and garden coverage increase the limits for the cost of items like trees, landscaping and riding lawnmowers.
- Electronic data recovery covers the cost of recovering lost personal computer data, like photos or videos.
- HostAdvantage, which covers your belonging when renting out your home.
Discounts include:
- Claim-free discount saves up to 20% when you switch to Allstate without a recent home insurance claim.
- Savings for having a good payment history like paying on time and payment type (in-full, escrow, etc.)
- Multi-policy discount saves up to 25% when you bundle home and auto policies with Allstate.
- Welcome & loyalty discount saves up to 10% on your home insurance premium when you switch to Allstate, and as long as you're a customer, you'll continue to save 10% every year after that.
- Homebuyer discount gives a price break if you bought a newly constructed home, or if you're a recent homebuyer.
- Save up to 5% when you set up automatic payments.
- Theft and fire protection discounts.
- Save up to 10% on your home insurance premium when you sign up for a new policy at least seven days before your current one expires.
USAA: Best for military
USAA has historically placed at the top, and often at No. 1, in J.D. Power customer satisfaction surveys and Insurance.com’s best insurance companies rankings for home and car insurance, as it offers industry-best customer service and pricing. It earned a 4.5 (out of five) rating for claims handling and a four-star rating for customer service from policyholders in the Northeast in Insurance.com’s 2021 rankings. Its average rate in Pennsylvania of $1,492 isn’t the cheapest, but it’s still about $300 less than the state average. In addition to standard coverage and discounts:
- USAA includes replacement cost coverage for your personal belongings as the default, which means you don’t pay extra to have your house and items replaced at today's value, with no depreciation factored in.
- USAA also offers insurance for those who rent out their home through services such as AirBnB.
- If military uniforms are damaged and you file a claim, you won’t pay a deductible to replace them if active duty or deployed.
- Another benefit is that up to $5,000 in protection for identity theft is included in your policy.
- USAA also sells earthquake insurance.
Cheapest homeowners insurance companies in Pennsylvania
Nationwide, Liberty Mutual and Allstate are the cheapest homeowners insurance companies in Pennsylvania, based on a rate analysis by Insurance.com. These rates were fielded from major companies for nearly every ZIP code in the state and averaged by company and coverage level.
It's crucial to shop around for the best home insurance rate because prices for the same coverage vary by hundreds of dollars. That means, if you don’t compare rates, you may wind up overpaying.
Each carrier uses its own method for deciding what you pay, which is why prices differ so much. Insurance.com Senior Consumer Analyst Penny Gusner suggests getting at least three price quotes when shopping for coverage and says that doing so can save you up to hundreds of dollars annually.
Below are average home insurance rates, ranked by company for a policy with $300,000 in dwelling and liability coverage with a $1,000 deductible.
| Company Name | Average rate | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | $1,307 | $109 |
| Liberty Mutual | $1,376 | $115 |
| Allstate | $1,390 | $116 |
| Safeco | $1,442 | $120 |
| USAA | $1,492 | $124 |
| Erie | $1,560 | $130 |
| Travelers | $1,666 | $139 |
| Farmers (Truck Insurance Exchange) | $2,069 | $172 |
| State Farm | $2,087 | $174 |
How much is home insurance in PA: Rates by ZIP code
The most expensive ZIP codes for home insurance in Pennsylvania are all in Philadelphia and are about twice that of the state average. These include the Philadelphia neighborhoods in ZIP codes 19141 ($2,727), 19154 ($2,666) and 19126 ($2,655) The least expensive ZIP codes are more rural areas and are about $300 less than the state average. These include Mount Joy (17552), with an average rate of $1,419, the small village of Intercourse (17534) at $1,428 and Railroad (17355) at $1,432.
Many factors affect home insurance rates. Chief among them is where you live, which is why rates vary a great deal depending on your ZIP code. In addition to location, what you pay is also influenced by the following:
- Your home's square footage
- Building costs in your area, and your own home's construction, materials and features
- Local crime rates
- The likelihood of certain types of disasters, such as hurricanes
Pennsylvania homeowners insurance calculator
By entering your ZIP code in the search box, you’ll see the average home insurance rate for that area, as well as the highest and lowest premium fielded from major insurers. This will give you an idea of how much you can save by comparing home insurance rates. The difference between the highest rate and the lowest rate is how much you can save by shopping your policy.
HOME INSURANCE CALCULATOR
Average home insurance rates in CALIFORNIA
AVERAGE RATE: $797
Most & least expensive zip codes for homeowners insurance in California
Most Expensive
| Zip Code | City | Highest Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 92325 | Crestline | $1,450 |
| 92391 | Twin Peaks | $1,426 |
| 92321 | Cedar Glen | $1,425 |
| 92352 | Lake Arrowhead | $1,423 |
Least Expensive
| Zip Code | City | Lowest Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 94086 | Sunnyvale | $742 |
| 94085 | Sunnyvale | $743 |
| 94087 | Sunnyvale | $743 |
| 95051 | Santa Clara | $743 |
Homeowners insurance rates in Pennsylvania by city
Though you can see how much coverage costs for your neighborhood by using our average rates tool above, you may want to know the cost of a policy in your city, and how it compares to others. Below we provide rates for the largest cities in the state.
| City | Average rate | Difference from state average of $1,720 |
|---|---|---|
| Lancaster | $1,857 | $137 |
| Harrisburg | $1,930 | $210 |
| Reading | $2,004 | $284 |
| Allentown | $2,008 | $288 |
| Erie | $2,017 | $297 |
| Pittsburgh | $2,052 | $332 |
| Scranton | $2,099 | $379 |
| Philadelphia | $2,946 | $1,226 |
Homeowners insurance rates in Pennsylvania by company
Below are average yearly and monthly home insurance rates, ranked by company for a policy with $300,000 in dwelling and liability coverage with a $1,000 deductible. You’ll see Nationwide is the cheapest, among carriers surveyed.
| Company Name | Average rate | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | $1,307 | $109 |
| Liberty Mutual | $1,376 | $115 |
| Allstate | $1,390 | $116 |
| Safeco | $1,442 | $120 |
| USAA | $1,492 | $124 |
| Erie | $1,560 | $130 |
| Travelers | $1,666 | $139 |
| Farmers (Truck Insurance Exchange) | $2,069 | $172 |
| State Farm | $2,087 | $174 |
Homeowners insurance rates in Pennsylvania by coverage level
Below we show the average cost of Pennsylvania homeowners insurance for 10 coverage levels, all with a $1,000 deductible, based on a rate analysis by Insurance.com. As you can see, the difference in price between low liability limits and the recommended higher amount is negligible, less than $20.
| Dwelling and liability limits with $1,000 deductible | Average rate | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| $200,000 with $100,000 | $1,300 | $108 |
| $200,000 with $300,000 | $1,319 | $110 |
| $300,000 with $100,000 | $1,708 | $142 |
| $300,000 with $300,000 | $1,720 | $143 |
| $400,000 with $100,000 | $2,091 | $174 |
| $400,000 with $300,000 | $2,112 | $176 |
| $500,000 with $100,000 | $2,511 | $209 |
| $500,000 with $300,000 | $2,538 | $212 |
| $600,000 with $100,000 | $2,884 | $240 |
| $600,000 with $300,000 | $2,907 | $242 |
Homeowners insurance discounts in Pennsylvania
There are several ways to reduce your Pennsylvania home insurance costs. Many insurers will lower your bill if you purchase more than one type of insurance policy from them. This process – known as "bundling" – can cut your costs by up to 18%, on average, according to Insurance.com’s discount data analysis, but in Pennsylvania the average savings is 21%.
You can also cut your costs by making your home more disaster-resistant. Installing hurricane glass or accordion shutters might net you a discount.
Other possible home insurance discounts include:
- Installing smoke detectors, a burglar alarm or dead-bolt locks -- 5% each
- Installing a sprinkler system, and a fire and burglar alarm -- 15% to 20%
- Loyalty discounts – about 4% on average, after three to five years, and 6% for six years or more
Home-auto discount bundle in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania homeowners who buy coverage for both home and auto from the same company can save an average of $270 a year, or 21%, based on Insurance.com’s rate analysis. But in some cases, it can be much more.
| Company | $ bundle savings | % bundle savings |
|---|---|---|
| Allstate | $600 | 36% |
| State Farm | $468 | 32% |
| Nationwide | $463 | 30% |
| Erie | $330 | 25% |
| Pennsylvania National Mutual | $203 | 23% |
| Encompass | $303 | 22% |
| Donegal Mutual | $200 | 15% |
| Travelers | $175 | 13% |
| USAA | $104 | 10% |
| Great Northern | $118 | 10% |
FAQs by Pennsylvania homeowners
Does homeowners insurance cover floods?
One common misconception about home insurance is flood coverage. The average home insurance policy does not cover you if your home is damaged by a flood.
Instead, you need to buy a separate flood insurance policy through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or a home insurer that works with the NFIP.
The federal government underwrites the majority of flood insurance policies in the U.S. under the National Flood Insurance Program. However, a handful of private insurers also offer flood policies. In 2019, the top three private companies nationally in terms of providing flood insurance were:
- Assurant Inc.
- Zurich Insurance Group
- Swiss Re Ltd
Unlike other types of insurance, flood insurance rates are standard for your property. This means that you'll pay the same premiums regardless of how you get flood insurance.
Now, you might think that you don't need flood insurance because you live a long way from the East Coast and major rivers. However, your home could still be at risk regardless of whether you live in a flood zone. In fact, 90% of all natural disasters in the U.S. involve flooding, according to NFIP.
How much you specifically pay for flood insurance depends on your property's risk, type of coverage, amount and deductible. The average flood insurance premium was $642 in 2018, according to the Insurance Information Institute. But you could pay closer to $100, depending on your situation.
As of 2019, 51,341 flood insurance policies were active in Pennsylvania, representing $11.5 billion in coverage.
That includes 7,586 direct NFIP flood insurance policies representing $1.33 billion, and 43,755 write-your-own policies representing $10.1 billion.
One word of warning: If you want flood insurance, don't wait until a hurricane or blizzard is barreling toward Pennsylvania. Flood insurance policies don't usually take effect for 30 days. So, make sure to get flood insurance at least a month before you'll need it.
The average amount of flood coverage per policy was $257,000 in 2018, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
The average flood claim in 2018 was $42, 580. That was down significantly from $91,735 in 2017, a year of several significant hurricane strikes in the U.S.
How do I avoid winter home insurance claims?
Living in Pennsylvania means suffering through long, bitter and snowy winters. Wintertime weather often leads to home insurance claims.
Here's what your home insurance protects you for:
- Water damage from burst pipes
- Roof damage and collapse
- Ice dams
- Burner blowbacks
- Damage caused by animals, such as bears and raccoons
Home insurance will likely approve claims to pay for damage caused by any of the above. That said, they won't like it if this is a continual problem. Insurance companies expect you to fix the problem.
For instance, if your basement pipes burst each winter and damage your home, your insurer may ask why you didn't insulate and protect your pipes after the first problem.
The same goes for ice dams. If an ice dam releases winter into your home, the insurer will expect you to take precautions to prevent it from happening again. That could include insulating your attic, so heat doesn't escape and help create ice dams.
Home insurance companies expect you to take care of your home and prevent potential problems. If you keep having issues and file claims, your insurer will likely raise your rates and may even drop you.
How do hurricane and windstorm deductibles work?
As a Pennsylvania homeowner, you're likely more concerned about a blizzard's power than a hurricane. But hurricanes and similar storms pose a real threat in the Keystone State.
In August 2011, Hurricane Irene inflicted damage on Pennsylvania and 13 other states. The following year, Hurricane Sandy created more misery in Pennsylvania.
In 2020, Pennsylvania also ranked 13th in the country for risk of storm surge, based on the number of houses in harm’s way and the cost of reconstructing those homes. Among major metropolitan cities, Philadelphia ranked 11th in terms of single-family homes at risk for storm surge, and sixth for multi-family homes in such danger.
Pennsylvania is one of 19 states that allow insurers to put a hurricane deductible on policies. This would happen if the insurance company felt your home is at risk during a hurricane.
Hurricane deductibles are between 1% and 5%. If a hurricane damages your home, you would have to pay the deductible before home insurance pays the claim.
It works this way: Let's say you have a $300,000 home and a 2% hurricane deductible. You would pay the $6,000 deductible before the insurance company pays for the rest of the damage.
If you find your insurer wants to include a hurricane deductible on your policy, talk to the company about whether you can install hurricane shutters or something similar to avoid having that deductible.
Your insurer will also decide if your home should have a windstorm deductible. That deductible is also between 1% and 5% depending on risk. You'd have to pay that deductible if wind from a non-hurricane damaged your home.
Home insurance companies want to prevent risk. If an insurer feels your home is at risk, you can be sure the company will want to protect itself whether that's higher premiums or special deductibles.
How do I file a homeowners insurance complaint?
In most cases, policyholders have a good relationship with their insurance company. In the rare situations where disputes arise, policyholders often can discuss them with an insurance company representative and iron out any disagreements or misunderstandings.
However, if you have a dispute that you cannot resolve, you can file a complaint with the Pennsylvania Insurance Department. You will need to register at the PID website before you can file a formal complaint.
After you file the complaint, you will receive a message telling you the complaint has been accepted. You also will receive a complaint ID number that you should keep for your records.
If you prefer, you can download a complaint form and send it in by mail to:
Pennsylvania Insurance Department
1209 Strawberry Square
Harrisburg, PA 17120
What if I can’t get insurance?
Pennsylvania law does not require you to purchase homeowners insurance. However, your mortgage lender likely will require you to purchase coverage at least up to the amount of the mortgage.
In some cases, you might find it difficult to find an insurer that will cover your home. Fortunately, Pennsylvania’s “Fair Plan” guarantees the availability of basic fire insurance coverage for your home.
To learn more, visit the Fair Plan website or call 1-800-462-4972.
The Pennsylvania government says the surplus lines market is another option for finding coverage. These companies are allowed to sell policies to Pennsylvania residents but are not licensed by the PID.
The biggest drawback to these insurers is that they are not part of the state's Guaranty Fund that protects policyholders when their insurer goes insolvent.
Is home insurance required in Pennsylvania?
Like other U.S. states, Pennsylvania does not require home insurance. However, if the home is financed through a lender, the lender will require home insurance coverage. In fact, they won't lend you the money without it and require you to maintain coverage as long as money is still owed on the home.
