Home Insurance in Essex, Iowa
Homes in Essex carry a median value of $89,900 - 28% lower than the Page County median.
Because older housing stock often has aging wiring, roofing or plumbing, it can cost more to insure or rebuild. The typical home in Essex was built around 1950. About 57% of homes were built before 1960, about 2 points above Page County's 56%.
In Essex, the housing stock is 87% single-family homes, 2% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 1% mobile or manufactured homes. The rest are 2-4 unit or other housing types.
58% of owner-occupied homes in Essex carry a mortgage, and mortgage lenders require hazard insurance for as long as the loan is active.
Essex has an owner-occupancy rate of 79% and a vacancy rate of 5%; unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form.
In Essex, 70% of homes are primarily heated with natural gas.
Page County's top FEMA-rated hazard is hail (Relatively Moderate), per FEMA's National Risk Index. Page County had 7 active NFIP flood policies as of September 2026. See the full Page County home insurance overview for all FEMA hazard ratings and flood coverage details.
According to the NAIC homeowners insurance report (2023 data), a standard HO-3 homeowners policy in Iowa carries a statewide average premium of $1,342 per year.
Key figures
| Median home value | $89,900 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1950 |
| Owner-occupied share | 79% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 58% |
| Top county hazard | Hail (Relatively Moderate) |
| Active NFIP policies in Page County | 7 |
| 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)