ZIP 28604 · Watauga County

Banner Elk, NC Homeowners Insurance

According to U.S. Treasury FIO 2022 filings, homeowners insurance in ZIP 28604, Banner Elk, North Carolina averages $1,782/yr.

19.7%
Loss ratio
0.87%
Nonrenewal rate
#68 of 722
North Carolina rank
36
Policies

The verdict

ZIP 28604 (Banner Elk, NC) is #8,977 of 25,593 for homeowners premium and #11,873 of 21,752 for nonrenewal, per 2022 FIO filings. The two ranks do not match.

$1,782
Avg premium (2022)
#8,977
of 25,593 on premium
#11,873
of 21,752 on nonrenewal
65th
national percentile

Premium rank counts ZIPs with a reported average premium, highest first. Nonrenewal rank counts ZIPs with a reported nonrenewal rate, highest first. The two boards are different extracts.

According to U.S. Treasury Federal Insurance Office data. How we calculate the percentile and national comparison: methodology.

Insurance Livability Score

D
PlainInsure Livability Score
44/100
28604 - Banner Elk, NC

PlainInsure's own composite of Treasury FIO premium/market data and FEMA National Risk Index hazard data, each dimension percentile-ranked against the full national corpus. Not an official government score, and not a substitute for an actual insurance quote.

Affordability F
$1,782/yr
Avg premium, 35th cheapest nationally (Treasury FIO)
Market Stability C
0.01%
Nonrenewal rate -- insurers dropping coverage (Treasury FIO)
Disaster Risk F
71.9
County FEMA National Risk Index score
Community Resilience B-
68.4
County FEMA NRI community-resilience score

Where ZIP 28604's premium sits nationally

Average annual homeowners premium across 25,593 tracked ZIP codes, as of 2022

$1,782 Around the middle lower than 35% of 25,593 ZIP codes

tracked ZIP codes, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.25K-wide band; taller bars hold more ZIP codes. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Treasury Federal Insurance Office · 2022

The local market map

Premium and nonrenewal do not always move together

The highlighted dot is ZIP 28604. Each other dot is a deterministic sample of ZIPs in North Carolina, spread across the premium range. Crosshairs mark the published state averages, so this is a comparison of two reported measures, not a quote or a forecast.

State ZIP peer map

Highlighted: ZIP 28604; crosshairs: North Carolina averages

Lower premium / higher nonrenewalHigher on bothLower on bothHigher premium / lower nonrenewal$639.0$1403.5$2167.9$2932.4$3696.90%2.3%4.7%7.0%9.4%Average annual premiumNonrenewal rate
Source: U.S. Treasury FIO 2022 ZIP-level homeowners insurance filings. The matrix samples 50 ZIPs across the state premium distribution and retains this ZIP.
Read the plotted ZIP values
  • ZIP 28511 · Atlantic $778/yr · 1.41%
  • ZIP 28637 · Hildebran $935/yr · 3.09%
  • ZIP 27928 · Creswell $1,001/yr · 8.96%
  • ZIP 27203 · Asheboro $1,029/yr · 2.62%
  • ZIP 28040 · Ellenboro $1,048/yr · 1.81%
  • ZIP 28630 · Granite Falls $1,064/yr · 1.83%
  • ZIP 28681 · Taylorsville $1,081/yr · 1.50%
  • ZIP 28043 · Forest City $1,097/yr · 1.95%
  • ZIP 28425 · Burgaw $1,107/yr · 2.35%
  • ZIP 27107 · Winston Salem $1,123/yr · 3.66%
  • ZIP 28092 · Lincolnton $1,139/yr · 1.95%
  • ZIP 28705 · Bakersville $1,152/yr · 0.97%
  • ZIP 28033 · Crouse $1,167/yr · 1.19%
  • ZIP 27357 · Stokesdale $1,186/yr · 2.61%
  • ZIP 28023 · China Grove $1,194/yr · 2.77%
  • ZIP 28138 · Rockwell $1,209/yr · 3.90%
  • ZIP 27305 · Milton $1,220/yr · 2.17%
  • ZIP 28147 · Salisbury $1,229/yr · 3.45%
  • ZIP 27851 · Lucama $1,248/yr · 2.83%
  • ZIP 27941 · Harbinger $1,256/yr · 7.76%
  • ZIP 28347 · Hoffman $1,273/yr · 1.14%
  • ZIP 28772 · Rosman $1,284/yr · 1.02%
  • ZIP 27212 · Blanch $1,295/yr · 1.26%
  • ZIP 28469 · Ocean Isle Beach $1,307/yr · 0.65%
  • ZIP 28732 · Fletcher $1,319/yr · 1.66%
  • ZIP 28315 · Aberdeen $1,336/yr · 2.88%
  • ZIP 28435 · Currie $1,353/yr · 0.76%
  • ZIP 27006 · Advance $1,371/yr · 1.65%
  • ZIP 27910 · Ahoskie $1,384/yr · 3.02%
  • ZIP 28422 · Bolivia $1,402/yr · 0.87%
  • ZIP 28745 · Lake Junaluska $1,422/yr · 0.53%
  • ZIP 27986 · Winton $1,432/yr · 2.60%
  • ZIP 27874 · Scotland Neck $1,448/yr · 2.36%
  • ZIP 27809 · Battleboro $1,466/yr · 1.86%
  • ZIP 28334 · Dunn $1,479/yr · 2.15%
  • ZIP 27866 · Pleasant Hill $1,505/yr · 2.11%
  • ZIP 28578 · Seven Springs $1,536/yr · 1.95%
  • ZIP 28105 · Matthews $1,562/yr · 4.45%
  • ZIP 28461 · Southport $1,588/yr · 0.60%
  • ZIP 28337 · Elizabethtown $1,617/yr · 5.09%
  • ZIP 27948 · Kill Devil Hills $1,634/yr · 6.98%
  • ZIP 28387 · Southern Pines $1,655/yr · 2.03%
  • ZIP 27534 · Goldsboro $1,687/yr · 3.49%
  • ZIP 28349 · Kenansville $1,753/yr · 2.57%
  • ZIP 28604 · Banner Elk (this ZIP) $1,782/yr · 0.87%
  • ZIP 27858 · Greenville $1,812/yr · 3.74%
  • ZIP 28431 · Chadbourn $1,868/yr · 3.52%
  • ZIP 28605 · Blowing Rock $1,941/yr · 0.55%
  • ZIP 28736 · Glenville $2,174/yr · 0.34%
  • ZIP 28207 · Charlotte $3,558/yr · 0.92%
Avg Premium (2022)
$1,782/yr
Near-median premium
+12.5% since 2018
Loss Ratio
19.7%
Below-median loss ratio
Claim Frequency
2.70%
Avg severity: $13,008
Nonrenewal Rate
0.87%
Near-median nonrenewal rate
+6.5% change

Data Snapshot: ZIP 28604 (Banner Elk, NC)

For 2022, the average cost of homeowners insurance in ZIP 28604 (Banner Elk, NC) runs $1,782 per year, based on U.S. Treasury FIO's ZIP-level tracking across approximately 36 reported policies. The U.S. average sits at $1,776 per year, so this ZIP runs 0% above that mark and lands in the 65th national percentile. North Carolina homeowners pay $1,379 per year on average; this ZIP diverges by 29% (above), ranking #68 of 722 tracked ZIPs in North Carolina by premium. The closest-priced peer within North Carolina is Raleigh (ZIP 27613) at $1,783, essentially matching this ZIP's rate.

At a loss ratio of 19.7%, insurers retained a working margin after claims in this ZIP. The claim frequency here, the share of policies with at least one claim, stands at 2.70%, and the average claim severity (amount paid per claim) is $13,008. Nonrenewal, insurers declining to extend coverage at policy expiration, occurs at 0.87% in this ZIP, a rise of 6.5% over the past five years; rising nonrenewal often signals insurer retreat from high-risk markets.

Across 5 years (2018–2022), premiums in ZIP 28604 have risen by 12.5%, ranging from $1,585 to $1,782 with a five-year average of $1,698, an annualized rate of +3.0% per year.

Watauga County carries a FEMA National Risk Index score of 71.9 (Relatively Low), 72nd percentile nationally and #51 of 100 North Carolina counties - 8% above the state mean of 66.7. Dominant mapped hazard: Cold Wave. Companion scores: Social Vulnerability Index 61.5 · Community Resilience 68.4. This is hazard context from FEMA, not a premium formula.

How to read these numbers

The figures on this page come from the U.S. Treasury Federal Insurance Office, which collects homeowners insurance premium and claims data directly from the largest property insurers in the country. Because the data is aggregated at the ZIP-code level and averaged across many policies, it describes the typical cost in an area rather than a quote for any single home. Two houses on the same street can pay very different premiums depending on their age, construction type, roof condition, prior claims, and the specific coverage limits and deductibles the homeowner selects. The loss ratio shows how much of every premium dollar insurers paid back out as claims; a ratio above one means carriers lost money locally, which often precedes rate increases or carrier exits. Rising nonrenewal and claim frequency reveal how stressed the local market has become. Use these figures to gauge the direction and scale of costs in your area, then request quotes from several licensed carriers before buying or renewing a policy. FIO data aggregates voluntary reporting from the 40 largest homeowners insurers, covering roughly 80% of the U.S. market, so figures represent market averages rather than individual policy quotes; your own premium will vary with dwelling value, deductible, coverage limits, construction type, and insurer-specific underwriting. This page is educational research only and is not insurance advice, homeowners should request quotes from multiple licensed carriers or an independent agent before purchasing or renewing coverage.

How ZIP 28604 Compares

vs National Average
$1,782 vs $1,776
0% above national avg
vs North Carolina Average
$1,782 vs $1,379
29% above state avg
National Percentile
65th percentile
Above median cost

Premium History

Average premium in ZIP 28604, 2018–2022

$1,550$1,600$1,650$1,700$1,750$1,800 20182019202020212022 $1,782
Average homeowners premium per year in ZIP 28604.
Year Avg Premium YoY Change
2018 $1,585 -
2019 $1,635 +3.2%
2020 $1,724 +5.4%
2021 $1,764 +2.4%
2022 $1,782 +1.0%

Filing-window snapshot: ZIP 28604, 2018-2022

5-Year Avg Premium
$1,698
Premium Range
$1,585 - $1,782
Annual Change Rate
+3.0% per year
Years of Data
5 (2018-2022)

Elevated FEMA NRI in Watauga County

County National Risk Index joined to ZIP 28604 via FIPS 37189. Hazard and vulnerability context from FEMA, not a premium driver and not a quote.

County risk score
71.9
Relatively Low · 72nd national percentile
In-state county rank
#51
of 100 North Carolina counties · state mean 66.7
Top mapped hazard
Cold Wave
Expected annual loss $3,528,529

Social Vulnerability Index 61.5 · Community Resilience 68.4

County hazard ratings

Wildfire
Very Low
Flooding
Relatively Moderate
Earthquake
Relatively Low
Hurricane
Relatively Low
Tornado
Relatively Low
Hail
Relatively Low
Winter weather
Relatively Low

Source: FEMA National Risk Index · state rollup: North Carolina NRI context · top counties by NRI score.

Out-of-state ZIPs near ZIP 28604's premium and nonrenewal (high-NRI county)

ZIP 28604's county NRI is 71.9 (Relatively Low). Peer ZIPs below are other-state only so the neighborhoods are not North Carolina containment.

Similar average premium

Nearest other-state ZIPs by average homeowners premium ($1,782/yr here).

Similar nonrenewal rate

Nearest other-state ZIPs by nonrenewal rate (0.87% here).

Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury, Federal Insurance Office (FIO) Homeowners Insurance Data (2018-2022). Premiums are ZIP-level averages and may not reflect individual policy costs

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is homeowners insurance in ZIP 28604?
ZIP 28604 (Banner Elk, NC) tracks close to the national middle for homeowners insurance costs: $1,782 per year as of 2022 (65th percentile, #68 of 722 ZIPs in North Carolina). Premiums have changed +12.5% over the past 5 years.
What affects homeowners insurance costs in Banner Elk, NC?
Three figures shape homeowners insurance costs in ZIP 28604: claims frequency (2.70%), loss ratio (19.7%), and nonrenewal rate (0.87%), together placing this ZIP at the 65th national percentile for cost.
Is homeowners insurance expensive in ZIP 28604 compared to the national average?
ZIP 28604 premiums of $1,782/yr are 0% above the national average of $1,776/yr. This ZIP is in the 65th percentile nationally.
What is the nonrenewal rate in ZIP 28604?
ZIP 28604 shows a nonrenewal rate of 0.87% in North Carolina, a rise of 6.5% over the past 5 years.
How have premiums trended in ZIP 28604 over 5 years?
Over 5 years (2018-2022), premiums in ZIP 28604 have ranged from $1,585 to $1,782, with a 5-year average of $1,698. The annualized change rate is +3.0% per year.
How does ZIP 28604 compare to the North Carolina state average?
ZIP 28604 has an average premium of $1,782/yr compared to the North Carolina state average of $1,379/yr. This ZIP is 29% above the state average, ranking #68 of 722 tracked ZIPs in North Carolina by premium.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for ZIP 28604?
FEMA NRI for the county containing ZIP 28604 (Watauga) is 71.9 - #51/100 in North Carolina, 72nd national percentile, top hazard Cold Wave. It does not replace the FIO premium figures on this page.

What to do with ZIP 28604

This ZIP's premiums run at the 65th national percentile, but a single number is not a quote.

These figures are Treasury FIO aggregates for this ZIP, not a personal insurance quote.

Every figure on PlainInsure is rendered directly from U.S. Treasury Federal Insurance Office data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on U.S. Treasury FIO data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.