What does flood Zone X mean in homeowners insurance?
If your home is located in flood Zone X, you are at low-to-moderate risk of experiencing flooding. Since flood Zone X is not a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), homeowners with federally backed mortgages are not required to buy flood insurance. However, it may be a good investment.
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UPDATED: Jun 28, 2022
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UPDATED: Jun 28, 2022
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one insurance provider and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider.
Our insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different insurance providers please enter your ZIP code above to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
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Buying a home can be stressful, but add the worry of having your home flooding in the future, and you may become a little overwhelmed. However, flood zones are mapped out across the United States to make homeowners aware of the risk and help them find ways to protect their homes if there is a flood.
Flood Zone X is one of many flood zones, but understanding what flood Zone X means for your home can be confusing. Keep reading below to learn what flood Zone X means, whether you are required to have flood insurance, and how much flood insurance may cost.
Table of Contents
What is flood Zone X?
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is responsible for designating flood zones based on the estimated flood water levels each year.
Flood Zone X is considered at low-to-moderate risk for flooding since the elevation is higher than estimated flood levels. However, some areas in flood Zone X may have characteristics that can cause some flooding, such as poor drainage.
Therefore, flood Zone X is typically divided into shaded and unshaded portions. Shaded Zone X has a 0.2%-1% chance of flooding, while unshaded Zone X has a less than 0.2% chance of flooding each year.
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Does flood Zone X require flood insurance?
Does FEMA Zone X require flood insurance? According to FEMA, flood Zone X is not designated as a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). Therefore, homeowners who have a federally backed mortgage are not required to buy flood insurance.
However, flooding can still occur in these areas, and it may be helpful for some homeowners to consider buying flood insurance for peace of mind.
According to FEMA, approximately 40% of National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims between 2014 and 2018 were filed by homeowners outside of high-risk flood areas.
If you think your homeowners insurance will cover flood damage, double-check. In most cases, homeowners insurance will not cover flood damage. However, you may be able to add a flood endorsement to your policy for a higher rate.
How much is flood insurance?
Because flood Zone X is not a high-risk area for flooding, flood Zone X insurance rates are likely lower than insurance for other flood zones.
Below are some average annual rates for NFIP flood insurance by state:
Average Annual NFIP Rates by State
State | Average Annual NFIP Rates by State |
---|---|
Alabama | $699 |
Alaska | $913 |
Arizona | $720 |
Arkansas | $933 |
California | $865 |
Colorado | $944 |
Connecticut | $1,472 |
Delaware | $752 |
Florida | $597 |
Georgia | $694 |
Hawaii | $684 |
Idaho | $784 |
Illinois | $1,106 |
Indiana | $1,111 |
Iowa | $1,143 |
Kansas | $987 |
Kentucky | $1,109 |
Louisiana | $715 |
Maine | $1,113 |
Maryland | $622 |
Massachusetts | $1,293 |
Michigan | $1,061 |
Minnesota | $932 |
Mississippi | $801 |
Missouri | $1,175 |
Montana | $832 |
Nebraska | $1,050 |
Nevada | $772 |
New Hampshire | $1,075 |
New Jersey | $949 |
New Mexico | $928 |
New York | $1,242 |
North Carolina | $733 |
North Dakota | $766 |
Ohio | $1,177 |
Oklahoma | $937 |
Oregon | $922 |
Pennsylvania | $1,326 |
Rhode Island | $1,416 |
South Carolina | $679 |
South Dakota | $1,034 |
Tennessee | $953 |
Texas | $624 |
Utah | $730 |
Vermont | $1,590 |
Virginia | $775 |
Washington | $945 |
Washington, D.C. | $817 |
West Virginia | $1,292 |
Wisconsin | $1,028 |
Wyoming | $1,017 |
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The average cost for an NFIP flood insurance policy is around $700 per year, while private insurance may be as low as $427 per year for low-risk areas. With that being said, residents in flood Zone X may be able to get flood insurance rates as low as $200-$400 per year.
If you choose to buy an NFIP policy, the average rate per $100 of dwelling in flood Zone X is $1.25, while the average rate per $100 of personal property in flood zone X is $1.93.
NFIP vs. Private Flood Insurance: Which is better?
The main difference between NFIP and private flood insurance is the coverage limits. NFIP insurance will cover up to $250,000 in replacement costs for your dwelling. However, a private flood insurance policy may be able to provide policies up to $1 million in dwelling coverage.
In addition, while NFIP provides replacement cost for your primary dwelling, all other structures and personal property are covered at actual cash value, which means you will be paid less if your property is damaged or destroyed. The maximum NFIP personal property coverage is $100,000.
Private flood insurance companies give the option of having replacement cost value coverage for all of your property. Plus, you may be able to add other coverage options to your policy, such as:
- Additional living expenses to cover expenses if you cannot stay in your home after a loss
- Additional coverage for secondary structures, such as sheds
- Business income coverage
Aside from coverage options, NFIP and private insurance companies also differ in waiting times. For example, except when flood insurance is needed to close on a loan, NFIP policies must wait 30 days to go into effect. On the other hand, private insurance policies have a maximum waiting period of 15 days and may go into effect immediately.
You may also consider how FEMA regulations and federal regulations affect NFIP insurance policies.
While homes in flood Zone X are not as risky as homes in other flood zones, they are still at a higher risk than homes in other areas. Therefore, flood Zone X homeowners should seriously consider buying flood insurance to protect their homes.
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Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.