ZIP 29203 · Richland County

Columbia, SC Homeowners Insurance

According to U.S. Treasury FIO 2022 filings, homeowners insurance in ZIP 29203, Columbia, South Carolina averages $1,363/yr.

40.9%
Loss ratio
3.94%
Nonrenewal rate
#231 of 366
South Carolina rank
242
Policies

The verdict

ZIP 29203 (Columbia, SC) is #16,353 of 25,593 for homeowners premium and #601 of 21,752 for nonrenewal, per 2022 FIO filings. The two ranks do not match.

$1,363
Avg premium (2022)
#16,353
of 25,593 on premium
#601
of 21,752 on nonrenewal
36th
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

F
PlainInsure Livability Score
35/100
29203 - Columbia, SC

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 C+
$1,363/yr
Avg premium, 64th cheapest nationally (Treasury FIO)
Market Stability F
0.04%
Nonrenewal rate -- insurers dropping coverage (Treasury FIO)
Disaster Risk F
93.1
County FEMA National Risk Index score
Community Resilience B-
65.2
County FEMA NRI community-resilience score

Where ZIP 29203's premium sits nationally

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

$1,363 Lower than most lower than 64% 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 29203. Each other dot is a deterministic sample of ZIPs in South 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 29203; crosshairs: South Carolina averages

Lower premium / higher nonrenewalHigher on bothLower on bothHigher premium / lower nonrenewal$356.4$4073.2$7790.1$11506.9$15223.70%4.2%8.3%12.5%16.6%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 29683 · Slater $1,032/yr · 1.30%
  • ZIP 29385 · Wellford $1,113/yr · 4.17%
  • ZIP 29845 · Plum Branch $1,140/yr · 1.06%
  • ZIP 29657 · Liberty $1,162/yr · 2.16%
  • ZIP 29334 · Duncan $1,198/yr · 6.47%
  • ZIP 29743 · Smyrna $1,217/yr · 1.36%
  • ZIP 29640 · Easley $1,229/yr · 2.13%
  • ZIP 29172 · West Columbia $1,241/yr · 3.14%
  • ZIP 29376 · Roebuck $1,249/yr · 4.38%
  • ZIP 29627 · Belton $1,259/yr · 2.66%
  • ZIP 29673 · Piedmont $1,269/yr · 3.39%
  • ZIP 29332 · Cross Hill $1,285/yr · 0.70%
  • ZIP 29630 · Central $1,294/yr · 1.68%
  • ZIP 29831 · Jackson $1,305/yr · 0.67%
  • ZIP 29697 · Williamston $1,311/yr · 2.81%
  • ZIP 29055 · Great Falls $1,325/yr · 3.92%
  • ZIP 29653 · Hodges $1,336/yr · 0.77%
  • ZIP 29058 · Heath Springs $1,355/yr · 1.07%
  • ZIP 29203 · Columbia (this ZIP) $1,363/yr · 3.94%
  • ZIP 29626 · Anderson $1,366/yr · 3.00%
  • ZIP 29112 · North $1,381/yr · 1.14%
  • ZIP 29052 · Gadsden $1,398/yr · 1.32%
  • ZIP 29817 · Blackville $1,416/yr · 1.43%
  • ZIP 29180 · Winnsboro $1,424/yr · 2.78%
  • ZIP 29040 · Dalzell $1,440/yr · 6.20%
  • ZIP 29154 · Sumter $1,458/yr · 4.85%
  • ZIP 29061 · Hopkins $1,470/yr · 5.99%
  • ZIP 29635 · Cleveland $1,496/yr · 0.83%
  • ZIP 29212 · Columbia $1,512/yr · 4.84%
  • ZIP 29715 · Fort Mill $1,529/yr · 7.16%
  • ZIP 29115 · Orangeburg $1,547/yr · 4.14%
  • ZIP 29036 · Chapin $1,570/yr · 4.45%
  • ZIP 29580 · Nesmith $1,592/yr · 2.44%
  • ZIP 29565 · Latta $1,620/yr · 1.57%
  • ZIP 29056 · Greeleyville $1,643/yr · 1.01%
  • ZIP 29162 · Turbeville $1,654/yr · 0.54%
  • ZIP 29554 · Hemingway $1,690/yr · 2.10%
  • ZIP 29810 · Allendale $1,697/yr · 2.21%
  • ZIP 29477 · Saint George $1,737/yr · 2.46%
  • ZIP 29929 · Islandton $1,761/yr · 0.88%
  • ZIP 29672 · Seneca $1,820/yr · 1.11%
  • ZIP 29431 · Bonneau $1,894/yr · 2.94%
  • ZIP 29588 · Myrtle Beach $1,936/yr · 11.17%
  • ZIP 29418 · North Charleston $2,047/yr · 12.62%
  • ZIP 29909 · Okatie $2,257/yr · 15.87%
  • ZIP 29940 · Seabrook $2,719/yr · 6.53%
  • ZIP 29907 · Beaufort $3,017/yr · 4.43%
  • ZIP 29403 · Charleston $3,557/yr · 7.68%
  • ZIP 29455 · Johns Island $4,347/yr · 11.27%
  • ZIP 29401 · Charleston $14,548/yr · 0.37%
Avg Premium (2022)
$1,363/yr
Near-median premium
+2.3% since 2018
Loss Ratio
40.9%
Near-median loss ratio
Claim Frequency
5.75%
Avg severity: $9,681
Nonrenewal Rate
3.94%
Above-median nonrenewal rate
+180.0% change

Data Snapshot: ZIP 29203 (Columbia, SC)

U.S. Treasury FIO ZIP-level observations put the average homeowners insurance premium in ZIP 29203 (Columbia, SC) at $1,363 per year for 2022 across approximately 242 reported policies. The U.S. average sits at $1,776 per year, so this ZIP runs 23% below that mark and lands in the 36th national percentile. The South Carolina statewide average is $1,765 per year; this ZIP sits 23% below that figure, ranking #231 of 366 tracked ZIPs in South Carolina by premium. The closest-priced peer within South Carolina is Easley (ZIP 29642) at $1,364, essentially matching this ZIP's rate.

The loss ratio for ZIP 29203 is 40.9%, meaning insurers retained a working margin after claims. Claim frequency, the share of policies with at least one claim, is 5.75%, and the average claim severity (amount paid per claim) is $9,681. Insurers decline to renew 3.94% of policies in ZIP 29203 at expiration, a rise of 180.0% over the past five years; a rising rate typically signals carriers retreating from higher-risk markets.

Across 5 years (2018–2022), premiums in ZIP 29203 have risen by 2.3%, ranging from $1,332 to $1,363 with a five-year average of $1,342, an annualized rate of +0.6% per year.

FEMA NRI places Richland County in the upper risk band at 93.1 (Relatively Moderate): national 93rd percentile, #7/46 inside South Carolina, and 32% above the 70.7 state mean. Top hazard on the map is Hurricane. Social Vulnerability Index 33.7 · Community Resilience 65.2. NRI does not price policies; it situates the county.

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 29203 Compares

vs National Average
$1,363 vs $1,776
23% below national avg
vs South Carolina Average
$1,363 vs $1,765
23% below state avg
National Percentile
36th percentile
Below median cost

Premium History

Average premium in ZIP 29203, 2018–2022

$1,330$1,340$1,350$1,360$1,370 20182019202020212022 $1,363
Average homeowners premium per year in ZIP 29203.
Year Avg Premium YoY Change
2018 $1,333 -
2019 $1,345 +0.9%
2020 $1,332 -1.0%
2021 $1,335 +0.3%
2022 $1,363 +2.1%

Filing-window snapshot: ZIP 29203, 2018-2022

5-Year Avg Premium
$1,342
Premium Range
$1,332 - $1,363
Annual Change Rate
+0.6% per year
Years of Data
5 (2018-2022)

Elevated FEMA NRI in Richland County

County National Risk Index joined to ZIP 29203 via FIPS 45079. Hazard and vulnerability context from FEMA, not a premium driver and not a quote.

County risk score
93.1
Relatively Moderate · 93rd national percentile
In-state county rank
#7
of 46 South Carolina counties · state mean 70.7
Top mapped hazard
Hurricane
Expected annual loss $18,792,669

Social Vulnerability Index 33.7 · Community Resilience 65.2

County hazard ratings

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

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

Nationwide insurance peers outside South Carolina for ZIP 29203

ZIP 29203's county NRI is 93.1 (Relatively Moderate). Peer ZIPs below are other-state only so the neighborhoods are not South Carolina containment.

Similar average premium

Nearest other-state ZIPs by average homeowners premium ($1,363/yr here).

Similar nonrenewal rate

Nearest other-state ZIPs by nonrenewal rate (3.94% 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 29203?
Homeowners insurance in ZIP 29203 (Columbia, SC) averages $1,363 per year as of 2022, close to the national median at the 36th percentile, #231 of 366 ZIPs in South Carolina. Premiums have changed +2.3% over the past 5 years.
What affects homeowners insurance costs in Columbia, SC?
Key cost drivers in ZIP 29203: a claims frequency of 5.75%, a loss ratio of 40.9%, and a nonrenewal rate of 3.94%, placing this ZIP in the 36th percentile nationally for cost.
Is homeowners insurance expensive in ZIP 29203 compared to the national average?
At $1,363/yr, ZIP 29203 runs 23% below the national average of $1,776/yr, the 36th percentile nationally.
What is the nonrenewal rate in ZIP 29203?
Insurers decline to renew 3.94% of policies in ZIP 29203 in South Carolina, a rise of 180.0% over the past 5 years.
How have premiums trended in ZIP 29203 over 5 years?
Over 5 years (2018-2022), premiums in ZIP 29203 have ranged from $1,332 to $1,363, with a 5-year average of $1,342. The annualized change rate is +0.6% per year.
How does ZIP 29203 compare to the South Carolina state average?
ZIP 29203 runs 23% below the South Carolina state average ($1,765/yr vs this ZIP's $1,363/yr), ranking #231 of 366 tracked ZIPs in South Carolina by premium.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for ZIP 29203?
Richland County scores 93.1 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Relatively Moderate), 93rd percentile nationally and #7 of 46 South Carolina counties. The index's top hazard label is Hurricane. Mapped hazard ratings include Wildfire Relatively Low, Flooding Relatively High, Earthquake Relatively Moderate, Hurricane Relatively High. NRI is county hazard context, not a homeowners premium.

What to do with ZIP 29203

This ZIP's premiums run at the 36th 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.