Home Insurance in Clear Lake, Iowa
Homes in Clear Lake carry a median value of $259,500 - 56% higher than the Cerro Gordo County median.
Older homes can cost more to insure or rebuild because of aging wiring, roofing and plumbing. The typical home in Clear Lake was built around 1974. About 31% of homes were built before 1960, about 21 points below Cerro Gordo County's 52%.
In Clear Lake, the housing stock is 69% single-family homes, 18% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 8% mobile or manufactured homes. Mobile and manufactured homes typically need a manufactured-home (HO-7) policy rather than a standard homeowners policy.
In Clear Lake, about 54% of owner-occupied homes have a mortgage - lenders require hazard insurance on every mortgaged home.
The vacancy rate is 21%; vacant or unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form than an owner-occupied policy. About 76% of occupied homes in Clear Lake are owner-occupied.
70% of homes in Clear Lake are primarily heated with natural gas.
Cerro Gordo County's top FEMA-rated hazard is tornado (Relatively Moderate), per FEMA's National Risk Index. Cerro Gordo County had 93 active NFIP flood policies as of September 2026. See the full Cerro Gordo County home insurance overview for all FEMA hazard ratings and flood coverage details.
The statewide average premium for a standard HO-3 homeowners policy in Iowa is $1,342 per year, according to the NAIC homeowners insurance report (2023 data).
Key figures
| Median home value | $259,500 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Owner-occupied share | 76% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 54% |
| Top county hazard | Tornado (Relatively Moderate) |
| Active NFIP policies in Cerro Gordo County | 93 |
| Home insurance premium | $1,342 - statewide average (NAIC, 2023 data) |
Nearby towns
Sources
Data last updated: 2026-09-29
- 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)