USAA is consistently ranked highest across customer reviews and third-party organizations. Its low rates, top marks for customer satisfaction and large market share solidify USAA’s top spot. It swept the competition in The Zebra’s customer satisfaction survey, securing first place in every category. With nationwide availability and a decades-long history, USAA is trusted by many homeowners policyholders. Unfortunately, the only possible downside seems to come with eligibility requirements— only members of the military and their families may enroll in USAA policies.
The best homeowners companies
Protecting your home and other assets starts with getting the right homeowners policy. Luckily, we've put together a list of the best homeowners insurance companies to help you find the company that works best for you. Using information from each company’s offerings, rates, reputable third-party reviews and the results from The Zebra’s own Customer Satisfaction survey, we have provided an in-depth look at each of our top results for homeowners insurance.
Top home insurance companies
Best Overall: USAA
Pros:
- Top customer satisfaction scores
- A wide range of coverage options and benefits
- Affordable premiums
Cons:
- Limited eligibility
Why we chose USAA
USAA’s long history of success makes it an easy choice for our top spot. Affordable rates, nationwide availability, and outstanding customer and third-party satisfaction scores contribute to its continued success. If you are a member of the military or family of military personnel, USAA is an excellent choice for your homeowners policy.
Third-party ratings
Reputable third-party organizations like JD Power, NAIC, and A.M. Best report on important factors of insurance companies, like customer satisfaction, complaint ratio, and financial strength.
JD Power Property Claims Satisfaction: 905 (Excellent)
JD Power Home Customer Satisfaction: 889 (Excellent)
NAIC: Excellent
A.M. Best: A++ (Superior)
Zebra Customer Satisfaction Survey score: 4.6/5
2nd place: GEICO
While GEICO is a major player in the auto insurance space, its homeowners products are sold through partner carriers. Because of this, rates and availabilty can vary. Still, customers were relatively satisfied with GEICO homeowners insurance, citing positive scores for ease of use, customer service and likelihood of recommendation. GEICO offers all the standard homeowners coverages available to customers. Though it is not clear on their website if optional add-ons are available, its possible you may still be able to add on coverages through the partner carriers they use.
Pros:
- Multiple lines of insurance allow customers to bundle coverage.
- Positive customer and third-party reviews
Cons:
- .The use of partner carriers to write homeowners policies leave some level of ambiguity in offerings.
Why we chose GEICO
GEICO's giant insurance presence allows customers peace of mind when it comes to coverage, claims and ease of use. Their standard list of coverages is satisfactory to most homeowners, and their extensive array of other insurance products allows for easy bundling. Survey respondents consistently placed GEICO in the top five results for most categories.
Third-party ratings
JD Power Property Claims Satisfaction: Not Rated
JD Power Home Customer Satisfaction: Not Rated
NAIC: Excellent
A.M. Best: A (Superior)
Zebra Customer Satisfaction Survey score: 4.5/5
3rd place: Kemper
Kemper home insurance is unique in the way they offer coverage tiers. Each level includes all the standard homeowners coverages, as well as more endorsements and benefits like higher limits depending on the tier of coverage you select. Discounts are also available to help lower rates for customers. For homeowners with slightly more coverage needs, Kemper is a solid choice.
Pros:
- Multiple lines of insurance offerings allow customers to bundle easily
- Discounts available to lower rates
Cons:
- Poor record of customer complaints
- Limited state availability
Why we chose Kemper
Kemper's customer reviews have improved significantly since last year's survey results. Customers report satisfaction with trust, claims processing, and willingness to recommend. Kemper did particularly well with homeowners aged 26-41, and female respondents gave Kemper their overall top spot. With multiple tiers of coverage, discount opportunities, and other insurance options make it a carrier worth exploring.
Third-party ratings
JD Power Property Claims Satisfaction: Not Rated
JD Power Home Customer Satisfaction: Not Rated
NAIC: Poor
A.M. Best: A- (Excellent)
Zebra Customer Satisfaction Survey score: 4.4/5
Weigh your options and get the best value from your next insurance policy.
The Zebra's customer satisfaction survey: full results
The Zebra recently conducted a survey to gauge overall customer satisfaction among the top auto and home insurance providers. We looked at claims satisfaction, ease of interaction, the likelihood of recommendation, trust and online satisfaction.
As mentioned above, USAA swept all categories, claiming the top position for homeowners insurance. The following is a rundown of our overall results for each of the 15 companies surveyed.
Survey methodology
Findings are based on an online quantitative survey of 4,134 current U.S. auto and home insurance customers, with Census-balanced sampling by age, gender and region. Categories with n=<20 responses are considered insufficient sample size and are not reported. This survey was developed by The Zebra and executed by independent research firm Maru/Blue in 2021.
| Rank | Company | Average Customer Satisfaction Rating (out of 5) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | USAA | 4.6 |
| 2nd | GEICO | 4.5 |
| 3rd | Kemper | 4.4 |
| 4th | Erie | 4.3 |
| 5th | State Farm | 4.3 |
| 6th | American Family | 4.3 |
| 7th | Travelers | 4.3 |
| 8th | Nationwide | 4.3 |
| 9th | National General | 4.3 |
| 10th | Progressive | 4.3 |
| 11th | Allstate | 4.2 |
| 12th | Farmers | 4.2 |
| 13th | Auto Club (AAA) | 4.2 |
| 14th | Liberty Mutual | 4.1 |
| 15th | Auto-Owners | 4.1 |
Best home insurance companies for each category
After receiving the results of our survey, we.ve compiled a list of the best home insurance companies for a variety of needs. As stated, USAA topped the charts in every category included in the survey. Since eligibility requirements are rigid with USAA, the winners of the categories below are the runner-ups. Check out the results below to understand which companies were rated most highly in each category.
Best for claims satisfaction: Farmers
Respondents who made a claim with Farmers in the last five years reported overall satisfaction with the claims process.
Best for ease of interaction: GEICO
GEICO customers are pleased with the ease of interactions with the company, including paying bills, asking questions and renewing a policy.
Best for recommending: GEICO
Likely due to GEICO's ease of use, customers chose this company as the one they’re most willing to recommend to others.
Best for trust: Kemper
Kemper was rated the most trustworthy insurance carrier by our survey respondents.
Best for online satisfaction: Travelers
This company delivers the best online and mobile experience according survey results.
Best for female homeowners: Kemper
Female respondents chose Kemper as their top overall pick for home insurance.
Best for male homeowners: GEICO
Male respondents chose GEICO as their top overall pick for home insurance.
Best for homeowners aged 26-41: Travelers
Younger homeowners preferred Travelers for best home insurance.
Best for homeowners aged 42-57: Travelers
The generation known as Gen X selected Travelers policies to protect their homes.
Best for homeowners aged 58+: Travelers
Boomers chose Travelers as the best home insurance company for their age group.
Other ratings
The last thing you want to deal with after a loss to your property is your insurance company giving you a hard time when you need them most. If you expect a smooth claims process and communicative customer service from the insurer of your choice, it's imperative you do some research before binding your insurance policy.
Let's first define what "best" means in the context of insurance companies. Using some of the same metrics used for our evaluation of auto insurance companies, we gathered ratings of the top home insurance companies in the U.S. The table below compiles each company's scores for customer satisfaction, financial strength and number of customer complaints. Each of these scores is gathered by reputable third-party organizations.
TOP HOME INSURANCE COMPANIES
| Company | J.D. Power Property Claims Satisfaction Study (2021) | J.D. Power Home Customer Satisfaction Index (2020) | NAIC | AM Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 905 (Excellent) | 889 (Excellent) | Excellent | A++ (Superior) |
| Erie | 869 (Poor) | 839 (Above Average) | Above Average | A+ (Superior |
| American Family | 890 (Above Average) | 821 (Average) | Below Average | A (Excellent) |
| GEICO | Not rated | Not rated | Average | A++ (Superior) |
| State Farm | 880 (Below Average) | 829 (Above Average) | Excellent | A++ (Superior) |
| Auto-Owners | 900 (Excellent) | 843 (Excellent) | Excellent | A++ (Superior) |
| Farmers | 884 (Average) | 814 (Average) | Below Average | A- (Excellent) |
| Liberty Mutual | 881 (Average) | 805 (Below Average) | Below Average | B++ (Good) |
| Allstate | 882 (Average) | 829 (Above Average) | Excellent | A+ (Superior) |
| Nationwide | 892 (Above Average) | 808 (Below Average) | Average | A+ (Superior) |
| Travelers | 881 (Average) | 803 (Below Average) | Above Average | A+ (Superior) |
| Progressive | 879 (Below Average) | 797 (Poor) | Excellent | A (Excellent) |
| National General | Not rated | Not rated | Above Average | A (Excellent) |
| Auto Club (AAA) | 865 (Poor) | 820 (Average) | Below Average | A- (Excellent) |
| Kemper | Not rated | Not rated | Below Average | B-- (Fair) |
Homeowners insurance companies by cost
Along with customer satisfaction, cost is another important factor when looking for a homeowners policy. Below we've broken down the cost of homeowners insurance for a number of popular companies against the national average to give you an idea what you can expect to pay for a policy.
USAA — $103/month
USAA has the third-largest market share in homeowners insurance and is highly regarded with top marks for customer satisfaction and financial strength. The company's policies are also well-priced, costing an average of about $103 per month. However, USAA only provides coverage for military members and their families.
| Average Annual Premium | Cost vs. Average |
|---|---|
| $1,231 | $175 less |
Amica — $91/month
Amica earns consistently positive reviews from J.D. Power and has an average monthly rate of just $91.
| Average Annual Premium | Cost vs. Average |
|---|---|
| $1,089 | $317 less |
Country Financial — $130/month
Country Financial is a smaller, Illinois-based insurance company that offers insurance in 19 states. Though it costs a tad more ($130/month) than average, this insurer has a decent customer complaint ratio, a good financial outlook and was ranked as a top company by J.D. Power in 2020.
| Average Annual Premium | Cost vs. Average |
|---|---|
| $1,560 | $154 more |
Erie — $101/month
Erie also gets positive reviews from J.D. Power but offers coverage in just 12 states and Washington, D.C. According to our data, it also tends to have affordable premiums.
| Average Annual Premium | Cost vs. Average |
|---|---|
| $1,208 | $198 less |
State Farm — $113/month
With almost 18% market share in home insurance, State Farm is a familiar name for many as it also dominates the auto insurance space. State Farm's homeowners insurance is generally regarded positively, complete with a strong financial footing for paying out claims. With an average monthly premium of $113, State Farm sits squarely middle-of-the-road in terms of insurance costs but is slightly more expensive than USAA.
| Average Annual Premium | Cost vs. Average |
|---|---|
| $1,356 | $50 less |
Auto-Owners — $109/month
Auto-Owners' home insurance has overall favorable ratings in customer satisfaction and financial strength. It also ranked as one of the more inexpensive insurance companies, costing about $109 per month.
| Average Annual Premium | Cost vs. Average |
|---|---|
| $1,309 | $97 less |
Allstate — $133/month
Another popular name in insurance, Allstate has the second-highest market share in home insurance — a little over 8% — but is pricier than State Farm. Its customer satisfaction was reviewed favorably but the company's customer complaint ratings, however, are just average.
| Average Annual Premium | Cost vs. Average |
|---|---|
| $1,594 | $188 more |
American Family — $188/month
American Family has a better customer complaint score than Progressive but its financial strength is not as robust. Coverage costs about $188 per month, making it more expensive than other top companies.
| Average Annual Premium | Cost vs. Average |
|---|---|
| $2,261 | $855 more |
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Farmers — $121/month
Farmers comes with middling scores for customer service and financial strength though it currently holds fifth-place in market share for homeowners insurance. On average, it costs about $121 per month, making it comparable to State Farm and Allstate.
| Average Annual Premium | Cost vs. Average |
|---|---|
| $1,455 | $49 more |
CSAA Insurance — $72/month
CSAA is an AAA affiliate that primarily serves northern California, Nevada and Utah. This insurer ranked as the most affordable provider of home insurance — if you live in one of the states in which it's active — but has just-average scores for financial stability and customer service.
| Average Annual Premium | Cost vs. Average |
|---|---|
| $865 | $541 less |
Automobile Club (AAA) — $87/month
AAA is mostly known for roadside assistance programs, but it also offers a host of insurance products for its members. Homeowners insurance from AAA typically costs an average of $87 per month — making it one of the cheaper top companies.
| Average Annual Premium | Cost vs. Average |
|---|---|
| $1,049 | $357 less |
Auto Club of Southern California — $139/month
The largest regional subsidiary of AAA, the Auto Club of Southern California offers numerous lines of insurance, including homeowners insurance. You must be an AAA member to be eligible for their insurance. On average, this company's pricing is on the higher side — about $139 a month.
| Average Annual Premium | Cost vs. Average |
|---|---|
| $1,670 | $264 higher |
Nationwide — $103/month
The eighth-largest provider of home insurance by market share, Nationwide has passable scores for customer service, financial strength and customer complaint ratio. In terms of the cost of coverage, it's on the cheaper side — $103 a month.
| Average Annual Premium | Cost vs. Average |
|---|---|
| $1,236 | $170 less |
Travelers — $120/month
Travelers received top marks for financial strength, but its customer satisfaction rating is mediocre despite its standing as the sixth most popular company by market share. The cost of Travelers home insurance is close to the overall group average and comparable to Farmers and State Farm.
| Average Annual Premium | Cost vs. Average |
|---|---|
| $1,444 | $38 more |
AIG Insurance — $57/month
American International Group (AIG) specializes in insuring high-value properties and is considered a premier insurance company. These insurance providers typically offer additional benefits, like expanded coverage options and coverage limits, add-ons and other perks. Though it was given a good customer complaint rating by the NAIC, AIG's customer satisfaction score was subpar.
| Average Annual Premium | Cost vs. Average |
|---|---|
| $687 | $719 less |
Liberty Mutual — $118/month
Liberty Mutual is the fourth-largest provider of home insurance by market share and is generally well-priced compared to other top companies of similar size. It numbers among the cheaper insurance companies out of all surveyed — costing an average of $118 per month. However, it's worth noting that Liberty Mutual received inferior scores for customer service and the number of complaints.
| Average Annual Premium | Cost vs. Average |
|---|---|
| $1,414 | $8 more |
MetLife — $85/month
Home insurance policies with MetLife cost about $85 a month. Its customer service may not be stellar but coverage tends to be cheaper than many top insurers.
| Average Annual Premium | Cost vs. Average |
|---|---|
| $1,016 | $390 less |
Chubb — $86/month
Chubb is another premier insurance company that provides home insurance for high-worth properties and those with many assets. The company has a very positive financial outlook but not the best customer satisfaction rating.
| Average Annual Premium | Cost vs. Average |
|---|---|
| $1,029 | $377 less |
Progressive — $113/month
According to Progressive, bundling homeowners and car insurance can yield a savings of 12%. Its customer complaint score is poor compared to other companies of its size, but it's monthly cost is very affordable at $113 a month.
| Average Annual Premium | Cost vs. Average |
|---|---|
| $1,355 | $51 less |
UPC Insurance — $61/month
UPC's homeowners insurance is decently priced at only $61 per month, but its financial status — which impacts a company's ability to pay out insurance claims — was the shakiest of the insurers we surveyed. The company's customer complaint ratio was also substandard.
| Average Annual Premium | Cost vs. Average |
|---|---|
| $729 | $677 less |
The most popular home insurance companies in America
Nearly half of the homeowners insurance premiums written in America are generated by only 10 companies.
| Home Insurance Company | $ Premiums Written (2021) | Market Share |
|---|---|---|
| State Farm | $70,311,695 | 8.9% |
| GEICO | $51,603,818 | 6.5% |
| Progressive | $48,373,113 | 6.1% |
| Liberty Mutual | $41,473,558 | 5.3% |
| Allstate | $41,387,729 | 5.3% |
| Travelers | $30,920,023 | 3.9% |
| Chubb | $26,983,034 | 3.4% |
| USAA | $25,257,974 | 3.3% |
| Farmers | $25,009,069 | 3.2% |
| Nationwide | $19,435,641 | 2.5% |
*Insurance premiums data comes from the Insurance Information Institute.
Coverage options
All of the essential home insurance coverages should already be outlined in your home insurance policy. This comprises protection for your dwelling and other structures (at replacement cost), personal property, liability coverage, additional living expenses and medical payments to others.
The best insurance companies will offer some additional coverages — also known as endorsements — that bolster or expand your coverage in your homeowners insurance policy. A useful one to consider is upgrading to replacement cost for your personal property coverage; with a standard policy, losses to home contents are typically based on actual cash value, which deducts depreciation. This will ensure you receive the full amount required to replace your property.
Bundling
If you already have auto insurance with Company A, it would be worth looking into bundling a new homeowners policy with the same company. Bundling discounts number as one of the most common discounts found at most insurance companies — and home and auto, in particular, is a popular bundling option.
However, keep in mind that even with a bundling discount, your rate could be better elsewhere; some insurance providers are just more expensive than others, even if your risk profile remains unchanged. Shopping and comparing quotes before the end of every policy period is one of the best ways to secure the cheapest rates. Don't be afraid to switch companies — if you receive a better quote from Company B midway through your policy with Company A, paying the initial cancellation fee could be worth the future savings.
Discounts
The discounts offered by most insurance companies tend to be quite small, and the range of discounts also varies widely by company. But this doesn't mean they're not worth inquiring about.
Some discounts are automatically built into your insurance premium when you get a quote and can turn into sizable savings over time.
Popular discounts for home insurance
- Payment methods: EFT, paperless, automatic, or pay in full
- New home construction
- Senior discount
- Occupational
- Home security systems
- Fire prevention systems
- Roof upgrades
- Smoke-free
FAQs
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About The Zebra
The Zebra is not an insurance company. We publish data-backed, expert-reviewed resources to help consumers make more informed insurance decisions.
- The Zebra’s insurance content is written and reviewed for accuracy by licensed insurance agents.
- The Zebra’s insurance content is not subject to review or alteration by insurance companies or partners.
- The Zebra’s editorial team operates independently of the company’s partnerships and commercialization interests, publishing unbiased information for consumer benefit.
- The auto insurance rates published on The Zebra’s pages are based on a comprehensive analysis of car insurance pricing data, evaluating more than 83 million insurance rates from across the United States.