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Home insurance & natural hazards in New Castle County, DE

Calm, plain facts for homeowners in New Castle County: what neighbors have paid for coverage, what flood insurance costs, and which weather hazards matter most here.

  • Typical premiums from U.S. Treasury insurance data
  • Flood insurance costs from 1,520 FEMA NFIP policies
  • 15 natural hazards rated by the FEMA National Risk Index
See the numbers

Historical averages, not a quote. Updated Oct 2026.

Illustration of a house on a hill in front of a large shield

New Castle at a glance

Four numbers most homeowners ask about first.

$1,188
Typical home premium

Per policy per year in 2022, median of 22 ZIP codes (inflation-adjusted).

$1,328
Avg. flood policy

Average full cost of a single-family NFIP policy that took effect in 2025.

0.83%
Nonrenewal rate

Share of policies insurers chose not to renew in 2022, median ZIP. Typical U.S. ZIP: 0.81%.

Rel. high
FEMA risk rating

Overall National Risk Index rating, higher than 95.3% of U.S. counties.

New Castle County in numbers
570,089
residents (2020 Census)
3.9%
of policies had a paid claim (2022, median ZIP)
$11,166
average paid claim (2022, median ZIP)
1,520
single-family NFIP flood policies (2025)

What homeowners here pay

Each block pairs a short explanation with the data behind it.

Homeowners insurance

U.S. Treasury FIO, HO-3/HO-5 policies, 2018–2022

Typical premiums in New Castle County were $1,188 per policy in 2022, 6% above the typical Delaware ZIP code ($1,125) and 23% below the typical U.S. ZIP code ($1,551). After adjusting for inflation, local premiums rose 8% between 2018 and 2022.

Premiums by ZIP

Typical premium per policy

Inflation-adjusted dollars, median across ZIP codes
New CastleDelawareU.S. typical ZIP

Flood insurance

FEMA NFIP single-family policies, 2022–2025

Standard home policies don't cover floods. The average single-family NFIP policy that took effect here in 2025 cost $1,328, compared with $1,070 in 2022. About 53% of local policies are for homes in high-risk A or V zones and 47% in moderate- to lower-risk zones.

Flood costs by ZIP

Average flood policy cost

Full cost incl. fees, by year the policy took effect

Policies by flood zone, 2025

1,520 policies
A zones 53%X/B/C zones 47%V zones 0%

Natural hazards

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025

Bars show how New Castle compares with every U.S. county for each hazard (100 = highest). Winter weather, inland flooding and heat wave rank highest here. A high rank doesn't mean an event is likely in any given year. It shows where preparation and the right coverage matter most.

How the ratings work

Hazard risk, national percentile

Higher than X% of U.S. counties

Compare nearby

Neighboring counties

Typical premium 2022 (Treasury FIO), nonrenewal 2022, avg. flood policy 2025 (NFIP)
CountyPremiumNonrenewalFlood
Kent County, MD$1,5820.94%$704
Delaware County, PA$1,5230.47%$1,205
Chester County, PA$1,4940.36%$1,371
Salem County, NJ$1,4580.52%$1,168
Gloucester County, NJ$1,4040.77%$1,417
Cecil County, MD$1,3181.26%$880
New Castle County$1,1880.83%$1,328
Kent County$1,0700.95%$1,088

Flood insurance by ZIP, 2025

FEMA NFIP, single-family homes, ZIPs with the most policies
ZIPPoliciesAvg. cost
19720 New Castle241$1,249
19709 Middletown146$1,264
19711 Newark135$1,664
19706 Delaware City118$1,353
19801 Wilmington102$1,551
19805 Wilmington87$1,525
19713 Newark86$1,401
19803 Wilmington83$1,045

ZIP code pages in New Castle County

Practical next steps

Simple things New Castle homeowners can do with this information.

Check your flood zone. Look up your address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center (msc.fema.gov). Standard home policies don't cover flood damage, and flood insurance usually has a 30-day waiting period, so it's worth sorting out before storm season.
Plan for heat and dry spells. Long dry periods can stress foundations and landscaping. Regular checks of your HVAC system and foundation can catch small problems before they become claims.
Compare at renewal. Premiums vary widely by ZIP code, home and insurer. Use these averages as a reference point, not a price, and compare a few quotes at renewal.
Keep records. A roof certificate, receipts for upgrades and photos of your home's condition can help when you shop for coverage or file a claim.

Historical averages, not a quote. Homeowners figures are inflation-adjusted averages from the U.S. Treasury Federal Insurance Office "Supporting Underlying Metrics" (2018–2022, published January 2025). They cover HO-3/HO-5 policies from participating private insurers and exclude state residual-market plans (such as FAIR plans and Citizens), surplus-lines and flood coverage. Treasury notes that individual ZIP codes can contain data anomalies. Your price depends on your home, coverage and insurer.

Sources: U.S. Treasury FIO; FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Policies v3 (data as of Sep 8, 2026); FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA-to-county relationship file (2020) and county adjacency file; GeoNames place names. How we calculate these numbers.

This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API and National Risk Index data, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). SafeHomeFacts is independent and not affiliated with the U.S. Treasury, FEMA or any insurer.