ZIP 99161 · Whitman County
Palouse, WA Homeowners Insurance
According to U.S. Treasury FIO 2022 filings, homeowners insurance in ZIP 99161, Palouse, Washington averages $1,245/yr.
- 36.1%
- Loss ratio
- #337 of 511
- Washington rank
- 7
- Policies
The verdict
Homeowners insurance in Palouse, WA (ZIP 99161) runs $1,245/yr on average: the 27th percentile nationally and 30% below the U.S. ZIP-code average.
- $1,245
- Avg premium (2022)
- -30%
- vs U.S. ZIP-code average
- +12.2%
- since 2018
- 27th
- national percentile
According to U.S. Treasury Federal Insurance Office data. How we calculate the percentile and national comparison: methodology.
Insurance Livability Score
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.
Where ZIP 99161's premium sits nationally
Average annual homeowners premium across 25,593 tracked ZIP codes, as of 2022
$1,245 Lower than most lower than 73% 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
Data Snapshot: ZIP 99161 (Palouse, WA)
ZIP 99161 (Palouse, WA) shows an average homeowners insurance premium of $1,245 per year as of 2022, based on U.S. Treasury FIO ZIP-level observations across approximately 7 reported policies. Nationally, that ranks ZIP 99161 in the 27th percentile, 30% below the U.S. average of $1,776 per year. Washington homeowners pay $1,384 per year on average; this ZIP diverges by 10% (below), ranking #337 of 511 tracked ZIPs in Washington by premium. The closest-priced peer within Washington is Point Roberts (ZIP 98281) at $1,245, essentially matching this ZIP's rate.
The loss ratio for ZIP 99161 is 36.1%, meaning insurers retained a working margin after claims. The claim frequency here, the share of policies with at least one claim, stands at 4.00%, and the average claim severity (amount paid per claim) is $11,219.
Premium data spanning 5 years shows ZIP 99161 costs have risen 12.2% since 2018, from a low of $1,109 to a high of $1,270, an annualized rate of +2.9% per year.
For ZIP 99161, county-level FEMA NRI is 39.8 in Whitman - middle of the national distribution (40th percentile) and #32 among 39 Washington counties. Top hazard on the index: Cold Wave. Social Vulnerability Index 20.8 · Community Resilience 50.6.
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 99161 Compares
Premium History
Average premium in ZIP 99161, 2018–2022
| Year | Avg Premium | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $1,109 | - |
| 2019 | $1,166 | +5.1% |
| 2020 | $1,168 | +0.2% |
| 2021 | $1,270 | +8.7% |
| 2022 | $1,245 | -2.0% |
Filing-window snapshot: ZIP 99161, 2018-2022
Similar ZIP Codes in Washington
ZIP codes with similar premium levels in Washington.
One of 510 ZIP codes with premium data in Washington, 9 are shown here.
FEMA NRI context for Whitman County
County National Risk Index joined to ZIP 99161 via FIPS 53075. Hazard and vulnerability context from FEMA, not a premium driver and not a quote.
Social Vulnerability Index 20.8 · Community Resilience 50.6
County hazard ratings
- Wildfire
- Relatively Low
- Flooding
- Relatively Low
- Earthquake
- Very Low
- Tornado
- Very Low
- Hail
- Relatively Low
- Winter weather
- Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index · state rollup: Washington NRI context · top counties by NRI score.
Other-state ZIPs matched on premium or nonrenewal to 99161
Cross-state peers for ZIP 99161: nearest FIO ZIPs by premium and by nonrenewal, drawn outside Washington. County hazard context (Whitman, NRI 39.8) is separate from these price peers.
Similar average premium
Nearest other-state ZIPs by average homeowners premium ($1,245/yr here).
How to read premiums, nonrenewals, and loss ratios
Explore more insurance data
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 99161? ▼
What affects homeowners insurance costs in Palouse, WA? ▼
Is homeowners insurance expensive in ZIP 99161 compared to the national average? ▼
What is the nonrenewal rate in ZIP 99161? ▼
How have premiums trended in ZIP 99161 over 5 years? ▼
How does ZIP 99161 compare to the Washington state average? ▼
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for ZIP 99161? ▼
What to do with ZIP 99161
This ZIP's premiums run at the 27th national percentile, but a single number is not a quote.
- See how Palouse, WA compares to every other ZIP in Washington. Washington overview
- Check the ZIPs ranked highest and lowest nationwide before assuming this one is typical. View rankings
- Look up a different ZIP code to compare rates directly. Search ZIP codes
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.