ZIP 96020 · Plumas County

Chester, CA Homeowners Insurance

According to U.S. Treasury FIO 2022 filings, homeowners insurance in ZIP 96020, Chester, California averages $2,427/yr.

148.5%
Loss ratio
3.88%
Nonrenewal rate
#280 of 1545
California rank
23
Policies

The verdict

According to U.S. Treasury FIO 2022 filings, Chester, CA (ZIP 96020) ranks #3,261 of 25,593 ZIPs by average premium ($2,427/yr) but #632 of 21,752 by nonrenewal (3.88%). Cost rank is not withdrawal rank.

$2,427
Avg premium (2022)
#3,261
of 25,593 on premium
#632
of 21,752 on nonrenewal
87th
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
23/100
96020 - Chester, CA

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
$2,427/yr
Avg premium, 13th cheapest nationally (Treasury FIO)
Market Stability F
0.04%
Nonrenewal rate -- insurers dropping coverage (Treasury FIO)
Disaster Risk F
86.4
County FEMA National Risk Index score
Community Resilience B
69.7
County FEMA NRI community-resilience score

Where ZIP 96020's premium sits nationally

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

$2,427 Higher than most more expensive than 87% 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 96020. Each other dot is a deterministic sample of ZIPs in California, 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 96020; crosshairs: California averages

Lower premium / higher nonrenewalHigher on bothLower on bothHigher premium / lower nonrenewal$285.7$3249.8$6213.9$9178.0$12142.10.1%2.3%4.5%6.7%8.8%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 92257 · Niland $825/yr · 2.67%
  • ZIP 93648 · Parlier $949/yr · 0.74%
  • ZIP 93204 · Avenal $995/yr · 0.72%
  • ZIP 92259 · Ocotillo $1,024/yr · 1.20%
  • ZIP 93033 · Oxnard $1,053/yr · 1.37%
  • ZIP 95360 · Newman $1,085/yr · 0.83%
  • ZIP 96090 · Tehama $1,101/yr · 1.79%
  • ZIP 92408 · San Bernardino $1,125/yr · 1.43%
  • ZIP 93591 · Palmdale $1,162/yr · 1.40%
  • ZIP 93906 · Salinas $1,186/yr · 1.02%
  • ZIP 93723 · Fresno $1,209/yr · 0.64%
  • ZIP 95678 · Roseville $1,223/yr · 0.90%
  • ZIP 92316 · Bloomington $1,248/yr · 2.03%
  • ZIP 92250 · Holtville $1,270/yr · 1.11%
  • ZIP 95926 · Chico $1,288/yr · 0.50%
  • ZIP 92356 · Lucerne Valley $1,310/yr · 1.55%
  • ZIP 94014 · Daly City $1,334/yr · 0.59%
  • ZIP 93704 · Fresno $1,358/yr · 0.99%
  • ZIP 95119 · San Jose $1,383/yr · 0.51%
  • ZIP 94551 · Livermore $1,419/yr · 0.67%
  • ZIP 94303 · Palo Alto $1,452/yr · 0.60%
  • ZIP 90601 · Whittier $1,492/yr · 1.30%
  • ZIP 92614 · Irvine $1,533/yr · 0.79%
  • ZIP 93449 · Pismo Beach $1,569/yr · 1.03%
  • ZIP 94531 · Antioch $1,616/yr · 0.69%
  • ZIP 93010 · Camarillo $1,648/yr · 1.47%
  • ZIP 92021 · El Cajon $1,700/yr · 2.22%
  • ZIP 92069 · San Marcos $1,739/yr · 1.58%
  • ZIP 90039 · Los Angeles $1,785/yr · 0.86%
  • ZIP 90028 · Los Angeles $1,834/yr · 1.29%
  • ZIP 91007 · Arcadia $1,887/yr · 1.07%
  • ZIP 95453 · Lakeport $1,922/yr · 0.71%
  • ZIP 93551 · Palmdale $1,982/yr · 1.72%
  • ZIP 96044 · Hornbrook $2,033/yr · 3.83%
  • ZIP 95310 · Columbia $2,090/yr · 2.15%
  • ZIP 95916 · Berry Creek $2,131/yr · 8.45%
  • ZIP 95252 · Valley Springs $2,221/yr · 2.53%
  • ZIP 96121 · Milford $2,286/yr · 1.12%
  • ZIP 92028 · Fallbrook $2,350/yr · 2.62%
  • ZIP 95722 · Meadow Vista $2,408/yr · 6.95%
  • ZIP 96020 · Chester (this ZIP) $2,427/yr · 3.88%
  • ZIP 94956 · Point Reyes Station $2,473/yr · 1.01%
  • ZIP 93601 · Ahwahnee $2,573/yr · 6.64%
  • ZIP 93921 · Carmel By The Sea $2,689/yr · 0.78%
  • ZIP 95922 · Camptonville $2,840/yr · 3.66%
  • ZIP 92061 · Pauma Valley $2,985/yr · 5.56%
  • ZIP 93924 · Carmel Valley $3,217/yr · 3.08%
  • ZIP 91316 · Encino $3,557/yr · 1.60%
  • ZIP 94133 · San Francisco $4,336/yr · 1.72%
  • ZIP 90210 · Beverly Hills $11,603/yr · 4.67%
Avg Premium (2022)
$2,427/yr
Above-median premium
+55.3% since 2018
Loss Ratio
148.5%
Above-median loss ratio
Claim Frequency
10.93%
Avg severity: $32,952
Nonrenewal Rate
3.88%
Above-median nonrenewal rate
+399.0% change

Data Snapshot: ZIP 96020 (Chester, CA)

ZIP 96020 (Chester, CA) shows an average homeowners insurance premium of $2,427 per year as of 2022, based on U.S. Treasury FIO ZIP-level observations across approximately 23 reported policies. Against a national average of $1,776 per year, ZIP 96020 comes in 37% above, the 87th percentile among all tracked ZIPs. Compared to the California state average of $1,864, this ZIP runs 30% above, ranking #280 of 1545 tracked ZIPs in California by premium. The closest-priced peer within California is Chilcoot (ZIP 96105) at $2,428, essentially matching this ZIP's rate.

ZIP 96020 shows a 148.5% loss ratio, an indication that insurers paid out more in claims than they collected, a signal that premiums may rise or carriers may exit. 10.93% of policies in ZIP 96020 file at least one claim in a given year, and the average claim severity (amount paid per claim) is $32,952. Insurers decline to renew 3.88% of policies in ZIP 96020 at expiration, a rise of 399.0% over the past five years; a rising rate typically signals carriers retreating from higher-risk markets.

Since 2018, premiums here have risen by 55.3% through 2022, ranging $1,562 to $2,427 with a 5-year average of $1,970, an annualized rate of +11.6% per year.

High-band NRI for ZIP 96020's county (Plumas): score 86.4, rating Relatively Moderate, hazard Wildfire. That is #44 of 58 California counties and the 86th national percentile (3% below the 88.7 state mean). Social Vulnerability Index 91.4 · Community Resilience 69.7. Source: FEMA National Risk Index.

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 96020 Compares

vs National Average
$2,427 vs $1,776
37% above national avg
vs California Average
$2,427 vs $1,864
30% above state avg
National Percentile
87th percentile
More expensive than most ZIPs

Premium History

Average premium in ZIP 96020, 2018–2022

$1,400$1,600$1,800$2,000$2,200$2,400$2,600 20182019202020212022 $2,427
Average homeowners premium per year in ZIP 96020.
Year Avg Premium YoY Change
2018 $1,562 -
2019 $1,726 +10.5%
2020 $1,990 +15.3%
2021 $2,143 +7.7%
2022 $2,427 +13.2%

2018-2022: premiums climbing +11.6%/yr

5-Year Avg Premium
$1,970
Premium Range
$1,562 - $2,427
Annual Change Rate
+11.6% per year
Years of Data
5 (2018-2022)

Elevated FEMA NRI in Plumas County

County National Risk Index joined to ZIP 96020 via FIPS 06063. Hazard and vulnerability context from FEMA, not a premium driver and not a quote.

County risk score
86.4
Relatively Moderate · 86th national percentile
In-state county rank
#44
of 58 California counties · state mean 88.7
Top mapped hazard
Wildfire
Expected annual loss $13,180,493

Social Vulnerability Index 91.4 · Community Resilience 69.7

County hazard ratings

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

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

Cross-state FIO peers for a higher-NRI ZIP (Plumas County)

ZIP 96020's county NRI is 86.4 (Relatively Moderate). Peer ZIPs below are other-state only so the neighborhoods are not California containment.

Similar average premium

Nearest other-state ZIPs by average homeowners premium ($2,427/yr here).

Similar nonrenewal rate

Nearest other-state ZIPs by nonrenewal rate (3.88% 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 96020?
ZIP 96020 (Chester, CA) sits in the pricier end of the national market: homeowners insurance here averages $2,427 per year as of 2022, in the 87th percentile nationally, #280 of 1545 ZIPs in California. Premiums have changed +55.3% over the past 5 years.
What affects homeowners insurance costs in Chester, CA?
Insurers in ZIP 96020 pay out more in claims than they collect, a loss ratio of 148.5%, alongside a claims frequency of 10.93% and a nonrenewal rate of 3.88%.
Is homeowners insurance expensive in ZIP 96020 compared to the national average?
Nationally, ZIP 96020 lands in the 87th percentile: its $2,427/yr average is 37% above the U.S. figure of $1,776/yr.
What is the nonrenewal rate in ZIP 96020?
The nonrenewal rate in ZIP 96020 is 3.88%, a rise of 399.0% over the past 5 years in California.
How have premiums trended in ZIP 96020 over 5 years?
ZIP 96020 premiums spanned $1,562 to $2,427 across the 2018-2022 window, a 5-year average of $1,970. The annualized change rate is +11.6% per year.
How does ZIP 96020 compare to the California state average?
ZIP 96020 has an average premium of $2,427/yr compared to the California state average of $1,864/yr. This ZIP is 30% above the state average, ranking #280 of 1545 tracked ZIPs in California by premium.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for ZIP 96020?
FEMA NRI for the county containing ZIP 96020 (Plumas) is 86.4 - #44/58 in California, 86th national percentile, top hazard Wildfire. It does not replace the FIO premium figures on this page.

What to do with ZIP 96020

This ZIP's premiums run at the 87th 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.