Home Insurance in Ruthven, Iowa
With a median home value of $105,700, Ruthven is 14% lower than the Palo Alto County median.
The typical home in Ruthven was built around 1957. About 51% of homes were built before 1960, about 2 points below Palo Alto County's 53%. Older homes can cost more to insure or rebuild because of aging wiring, roofing and plumbing.
Mobile and manufactured homes typically need a manufactured-home (HO-7) policy rather than a standard homeowners policy. The housing stock in Ruthven is 81% single-family homes, 7% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 4% mobile or manufactured homes.
About 55% of owner-occupied homes in Ruthven have a mortgage. Lenders require hazard (homeowners) insurance on any home carrying a mortgage.
About 78% of occupied homes in Ruthven are owner-occupied. The vacancy rate is 20%; vacant or unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form than an owner-occupied policy.
Most homes in Ruthven - 65% - are primarily heated with natural gas. Homes heated with propane can carry added fire risk. Fuel-tank leaks and spills are often excluded from standard homeowners policies.
Palo Alto County had 16 active NFIP flood policies as of September 2026. Its top FEMA-rated hazard is hail (Relatively Moderate). See the full Palo Alto County home insurance overview for all FEMA hazard ratings and flood coverage details.
In Iowa, the statewide average premium for a standard HO-3 homeowners policy is $1,342 per year (NAIC, 2023 data).
Key figures
| Median home value | $105,700 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1957 |
| Owner-occupied share | 78% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 55% |
| 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)