Home Insurance in Emmetsburg, Iowa
The median home value in Emmetsburg is $114,300, 7% lower than the Palo Alto County median.
The typical home in Emmetsburg was built around 1960. Aging wiring, roofing and plumbing in older homes can push up the cost to insure or rebuild them. About 50% of homes were built before 1960, about 3 points below Palo Alto County's 53%.
In Emmetsburg, the housing stock is 78% single-family homes, 13% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 2% mobile or manufactured homes.
50% of owner-occupied homes in Emmetsburg carry a mortgage, and mortgage lenders require hazard insurance for as long as the loan is active.
Emmetsburg has an owner-occupancy rate of 69% and a vacancy rate of 11%; unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form.
68% of homes in Emmetsburg are primarily heated with natural gas.
Palo Alto County's top FEMA-rated hazard is hail (Relatively Moderate), per FEMA's National Risk Index. Palo Alto County had 16 active NFIP flood policies as of September 2026. See the full Palo Alto 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 | $114,300 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1960 |
| Owner-occupied share | 69% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 50% |
| Top county hazard | Hail (Relatively Moderate) |
| Active NFIP policies in Palo Alto County | 16 |
| 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)