Home Insurance in Portsmouth, Iowa
The median home value in Portsmouth is $125,000, 24% lower than the Shelby County median.
Older homes can cost more to insure or rebuild because of aging wiring, roofing and plumbing. The typical home in Portsmouth was built around 1956. About 54% of homes were built before 1960, about 5 points below Shelby County's 59%.
In Portsmouth, the housing stock is 96% single-family homes, 2% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 1% mobile or manufactured homes.
About 80% of owner-occupied homes in Portsmouth have a mortgage. Lenders require hazard (homeowners) insurance on any home carrying a mortgage.
About 93% of occupied homes in Portsmouth are owner-occupied. The vacancy rate is 4%; vacant or unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form than an owner-occupied policy.
In Portsmouth, 66% of homes are primarily heated with natural gas.
Shelby County's top FEMA-rated hazard is hail (Relatively Moderate), per FEMA's National Risk Index. Shelby County had 31 active NFIP flood policies as of September 2026. See the full Shelby 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 | $125,000 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1956 |
| Owner-occupied share | 93% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 80% |
| Top county hazard | Hail (Relatively Moderate) |
| Active NFIP policies in Shelby County | 31 |
| 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)