Home Insurance in Del Norte County, California
With a median home value of $342,000, Del Norte County is 53% lower than the California median.
Because older housing stock often has aging wiring, roofing or plumbing, it can cost more to insure or rebuild. The typical home in Del Norte County was built around 1981. About 22% of homes were built before 1960, about 5 points below California's 27%.
In Del Norte County, the housing stock is 63% single-family homes, 8% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 22% mobile or manufactured homes. Mobile and manufactured homes typically need a manufactured-home (HO-7) policy rather than a standard homeowners policy.
50% of owner-occupied homes in Del Norte County carry a mortgage, and mortgage lenders require hazard insurance for as long as the loan is active.
About 70% of occupied homes in Del Norte County are owner-occupied. The vacancy rate is 15%; vacant or unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form than an owner-occupied policy.
Homes heated with fuel oil and wood can carry added fire risk. Fuel-tank leaks and spills are often excluded from standard homeowners policies. 63% of homes in Del Norte County are primarily heated with electricity.
The top hazards for Del Norte County, per FEMA's National Risk Index, are earthquake (Relatively Moderate), wildfire (Relatively Low) and inland flooding (Relatively Moderate). Standard homeowners policies exclude earthquake, so separate coverage is usually needed.
Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, so flood coverage needs a separate NFIP or private flood policy. As of September 2026, Del Norte County has 94 active NFIP flood policies on file.
According to the NAIC homeowners insurance report (2023 data), a standard HO-3 homeowners policy in California carries a statewide average premium of $1,655 per year.
Key figures
| Median home value | $342,000 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Owner-occupied share | 70% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 50% |
| Top hazards (FEMA National Risk Index) | Earthquake (Relatively Moderate), Wildfire (Relatively Low), Inland Flooding (Relatively Moderate) |
| Active NFIP flood policies (county) | 94 |
| Home insurance premium | $1,655 - statewide average (NAIC, 2023 data) |
Towns and cities
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer Files (2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates (2024)
- FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025)
- FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Policies v3 (2026)
- NAIC Dwelling Fire, Homeowners Owner-Occupied, and Homeowners Tenant and Condominium/Cooperative Unit Owners Insurance: Data for 2023 (published 2026) (2023)