Home Insurance in Barnstable County, Massachusetts
With a median home value of $629,000, Barnstable County is 12% higher than the Massachusetts median.
Older homes can cost more to insure or rebuild because of aging wiring, roofing and plumbing. The typical home in Barnstable County was built around 1977. About 25% of homes were built before 1960, about 21 points below Massachusetts's 46%.
In Barnstable County, the housing stock is 87% single-family homes, 7% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 1% mobile or manufactured homes.
About 58% of owner-occupied homes in Barnstable County have a mortgage. Lenders require hazard (homeowners) insurance on any home carrying a mortgage.
The vacancy rate is 36%; vacant or unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form than an owner-occupied policy. About 81% of occupied homes in Barnstable County are owner-occupied.
Most homes in Barnstable County - 61% - are primarily heated with natural gas. Homes heated with fuel oil can carry added fire risk. Fuel-tank leaks and spills are often excluded from standard homeowners policies.
The top hazards for Barnstable County, per FEMA's National Risk Index, are coastal flooding (Very High), hurricane (Relatively High) and inland flooding (Relatively Moderate).
As of September 2026, Barnstable County has 9,668 active NFIP flood insurance policies. Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, so flood coverage needs a separate NFIP or private flood policy.
The statewide average premium for a standard HO-3 homeowners policy in Massachusetts is $2,134 per year, according to the NAIC homeowners insurance report (2023 data).
Key figures
| Median home value | $629,000 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Owner-occupied share | 81% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 58% |
| Top hazards (FEMA National Risk Index) | Coastal Flooding (Very High), Hurricane (Relatively High), Inland Flooding (Relatively Moderate) |
| Active NFIP flood policies (county) | 9,668 |
| Home insurance premium | $2,134 - statewide average (NAIC, 2023 data) |
Towns and cities
Sources
- 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)