This page states the published average, the source it comes from, and what it does and does not describe. It does not state what any homeowner will pay. No per-carrier price is published here, because no free public source publishes per-carrier homeowners premiums, and no "cheapest insurer in North Carolina" claim is made anywhere on this page.
What is the published average?
| Figure | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Average HO-3 premium, 2023 | $1,852 per year | $1,737 per year |
| Difference from the countrywide average | +6.6% | - |
| Rank, HO-3 average (of 51 jurisdictions) | 15th highest | - |
| Average HO-4 (renters) premium, 2023 | - | $173 per year |
| Average dwelling-fire premium, 2023 | - | $1,019 per year |
Source: NAIC Dwelling Fire, Homeowners Owner-Occupied, and Homeowners Tenant and Condominium/Cooperative Unit Owner's Insurance Report: Data for 2023, July 2026, Table 4 Total row per state, HO-3 standard owner-occupied form, 51 jurisdictions. Retrieved 2026-11-06. Current as of November 2026.
What is an HO-3 average?
HO-3 is the standard owner-occupied homeowners form, the policy most owner-occupied houses carry. The NAIC's Table 4 Total row gives the average premium actually paid for that form in each state. It is an average across all HO-3 policies in the state: different houses, different coverage amounts, different deductibles, different locations, all mixed together.
Two nearby figures are shown separately and never averaged in with the HO-3 number. The countrywide HO-4 (renters) average is $173 per year, a different policy for a different situation, and not comparable to an owner-occupied premium. The countrywide dwelling-fire average is $1,019 per year. Dwelling-fire cover is not directly comparable to homeowners cover, so it is shown on its own and never blended into the HO-3 figure.
The data year is 2023, published by the NAIC in July 2026. It is the newest state-by-state homeowners picture the NAIC has published. Averages move slowly in this series, but the figure is still a 2023 average, not a quote for today.
North Carolina in context: above average on homeowners, below on auto
North Carolina's HO-3 average sits 6.6% above the countrywide figure, ranking 15th of 51 jurisdictions. Its auto average sits well below the national figure, by 27.5% on average expenditure, ranking 40th. The two lines measure different risks, and a state can sit on different sides of the national figure on each. North Carolina is a clear case of it. The published data does not say why either figure is where it is, and this page does not offer an explanation the data does not support.
One North Carolina feature worth knowing about is the NC FAIR Plan and the Coastal Pool, which provide cover for homes that cannot get it in the standard market, together with the flood and wind rules that shape quotes in the coastal parts of the state. The live North Carolina home guide sets out the FAIR Plan and Coastal Pool position and the flood and wind rules in full: /home/north-carolina-homeowners-insurance/. A FAIR Plan or Coastal Pool policy is a backstop, not a price benchmark: it exists for homes the standard market will not cover, and its terms and price are set separately.
What does the average not tell you?
The average does not tell you what a house in any one part of North Carolina costs to insure. Location within the state matters, and the state average hides the spread between locations entirely. A house on the coast faces different wind and flood questions from a house inland, and the state average shows none of that. It does not tell you what your house costs to insure, the coverage amount, the deductible, the construction and age of the house, and the household's history all change the price, and the exact factors a carrier may use are set by the carrier and the state regulator. And it does not tell you what any one carrier charges: two carriers can price the same house very differently, and the NAIC average shows none of that.
What is not published here?
- No per-carrier prices. No free public source publishes what any one carrier charges for homeowners insurance in North Carolina. Any page that prints a per-carrier North Carolina price without a named source and a date is guessing.
- No "cheapest insurer in North Carolina". A cheapest-insurer claim needs per-carrier prices for a stated house and cover level. We do not hold them, so we do not make the claim.
- No quote. This page is a published average with its source beside it. A real price comes only from a carrier or a licensed agent, for a stated house and cover level.
- No rating or review score. We do not score carriers. A public-data ratings page, built from the NAIC complaint index and AM Best financial-strength ratings with its method printed on the page, is planned separately. Nothing is rated here.
How do I use this page?
- Compare the published average with a quote you have received, remembering that the average mixes all houses, all coverage amounts and all locations in the state. A smaller house with a higher deductible will sit below it; a larger house with more cover will usually sit above it.
- Read the North Carolina home guide for the NC FAIR Plan and Coastal Pool, and the flood and wind rules: /home/north-carolina-homeowners-insurance/.
- See every state's published homeowners averages side by side on the magnet page: /compare/average-insurance-costs-by-state/.
- Use the comparison tool to work through cover levels and see published averages beside quote-only carrier entries: /compare/home/.
- Read the state rules for auto, home and health cover in one place: /auto/north-carolina-auto-insurance/.
- Read how every figure on this site is sourced before it is published: /compare/methodology/.