Homeowners insurance in South Carolina: premium by ZIP code
South Carolina's nonrenewal rate nearly tripled from 0.76% in 2018 to 2.18% in 2022, ranked 2 of 51.
Independent site, not an insurer or a broker. Treasury figures cover 2018 to 2022 only.
Premium per policy in 2022, South Carolina (median ZIP code)
$1,460
Average paid per HO-3 or HO-5 policy, inflation-adjusted as published by the Treasury. At September 2026 prices: about $1,945.
| Change from 2018 to 2022, after inflation | -0.3% |
| Premium per policy in 2018 | $1,464 |
| Premium per policy in 2022 | $1,460 |
| 2022 premium carried to September 2026 (BLS index) | $1,945 |
| Policies not renewed by the insurer, 2022 | 2.18% |
| Claims paid per 100 policies, yearly average | 4.3 |
| Average claim paid, 2018 to 2022 (adjusted) | $13,411 |
| Cancelled for nonpayment, 2022 | 5.06% |
Treasury data stop in 2022. The September 2026 figure applies the national BLS price index to the 2022 value, read as 2022 dollars: an estimate, not a quote.
Compiled by Radif Partners · Where the numbers come from · 367 ZIP codes in 46 counties of South Carolina in the Treasury file · not a quote
South Carolina's median homeowners premium per policy was $1,460 in 2022 in the Treasury file, close to the national $1,551 and ranked 31 of 51, and it barely moved after inflation, +1.0%. Renewals moved a lot: insurers declined to renew 0.76% of policies in the median ZIP code in 2018 and 2.18% in 2022, ranked 2 of 51, and in 51% of the state's ZIP codes the 2022 rate was above the national top-tenth line. Cancellations for nonpayment were the highest of any state, 5.06%. The coast is another market: Charleston County paid $3,279, more than twice the state median, and its ZIP 29401, the peninsula, $14,548. The Upstate paid less: Greenville County $1,408. The South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association writes wind coverage on the coast. The data stop in 2022.
Charleston and the Lowcountry
Charleston County had 22 ZIP codes in the file and a median of $3,279 in 2022, a fall of -7.9% after inflation from 2018. The peninsula's 29401 paid $14,548 and 29482, Sullivan's Island, $13,528. A falling median on a hurricane coast while nonrenewals rose suggests insurers writing fewer of the most exposed homes, which then turn to the South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association for wind and hail. That plan, available in two coastal zones, is outside the Treasury file, so the real cost of insuring a coastal home is higher than the figures show.
A Charleston claim with a 5 percent hurricane deductible
Example, not your result yet· change a figure to see yours
The insurer would pay
$15,000
| Full percentage deductible | $30,000 |
| Paid with the flat deductible instead | $44,000 |
| Extra you carry because of the percentage | $29,000 |
| 2% of this dwelling limit | $12,000 |
The Upstate and the Midlands
Greenville County had 21 ZIP codes and a median of $1,408, up +5.8%; its ZIP 29683 was the cheapest in the state at $1,032. Spartanburg County paid $1,225 and Aiken County $1,310. Inland claims come mostly from wind, hail and falling trees. The state's paid claims ran at 4.3 per 100 policies a year, at $13,411 on average, and the paid loss ratio stayed low, 28% to 32%.
Nonrenewals and nonpayment
The median nonrenewal rate went 0.76%, 0.87%, 0.95%, 1.71%, 2.18% from 2018 to 2022. With low loss ratios in the same years, the rise points to insurers reducing their exposure on the coast and tightening rules on older roofs, more than to a single bad storm. Cancellations for nonpayment, 5.06% of policies over the period, more than three times the national 1.47%, add to the turnover. The nonrenewal page and the escrow page cover both.
The regulator
The South Carolina Department of Insurance reviews rates and handles complaints, and runs a grant program, SC Safe Home, that helps owners strengthen roofs against wind. Fortified roofs can also earn a premium discount from insurers in the state, so a roof replacement is worth doing to that standard when the time comes.
South Carolina, year by year
| Year | South Carolina median ZIP | National median ZIP | Nonrenewal rate | Claims per 100 policies | Paid loss ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $1,464 | $1,445 | 0.76% | 4.4 | 30% |
| 2019 | $1,473 | $1,469 | 0.87% | 3.9 | 28% |
| 2020 | $1,479 | $1,491 | 0.95% | 4.6 | 32% |
| 2021 | $1,447 | $1,521 | 1.71% | 3.3 | 29% |
| 2022 | $1,460 | $1,551 | 2.18% | 4 | 29% |
The South Carolina counties with the most ZIP codes in the file
| County | ZIP codes | Median 2018 | Median 2022 | Change | Nonrenewal 2022 | Average claim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston County | 22 | $3,694 | $3,279 | -7.9% | 8.73% | $17,228 |
| Greenville County | 21 | $1,291 | $1,408 | +5.8% | 2.18% | $12,264 |
| Spartanburg County | 20 | $1,189 | $1,225 | +3.7% | 3.82% | $11,184 |
| Aiken County | 16 | $1,311 | $1,310 | -1.0% | 1.49% | $11,769 |
| Horry County | 16 | $1,949 | $1,880 | -4.1% | 10.07% | $14,328 |
| Orangeburg County | 16 | $1,528 | $1,452 | -2.7% | 2.08% | $16,980 |
| Richland County | 14 | $1,498 | $1,491 | +2.2% | 3.85% | $12,218 |
| Lexington County | 13 | $1,249 | $1,294 | +2.9% | 3.47% | $12,919 |
Highest and lowest premiums per policy, South Carolina ZIP codes, 2022
| ZIP code | County | Premium per policy | Change since 2018 | Nonrenewal 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29401 | Charleston County | $14,548 | +20.6% | 0.37% |
| 29482 | Charleston County | $13,528 | +22.2% | 0.50% |
| 29941 | Beaufort County | $11,467 | +3.8% | 1.42% |
| 29915 | Beaufort County | $9,796 | +6.6% | 7.02% |
| 29451 | Charleston County | $7,957 | +11.4% | 1.95% |
| 29683 | Greenville County | $1,032 | -0.3% | 1.30% |
| 29320 | Spartanburg County | $1,055 | +6.1% | 1.52% |
| 29333 | Spartanburg County | $1,068 | +6.2% | 1.72% |
| 29377 | Spartanburg County | $1,071 | +4.9% | 1.65% |
| 29321 | Union County | $1,076 | +0.1% | 1.23% |