Home Insurance in Wake County, North Carolina
The median home value in Wake County is $461,300, 60% higher than the North Carolina median.
The typical home in Wake County was built around 2000. About 5% of homes were built before 1960, about 9 points below North Carolina's 14%. Because older housing stock often has aging wiring, roofing or plumbing, it can cost more to insure or rebuild.
The housing stock in Wake County is 70% single-family homes, 24% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 3% mobile or manufactured homes.
In Wake County, about 74% of owner-occupied homes have a mortgage - lenders require hazard insurance on every mortgaged home.
About 64% of occupied homes in Wake County are owner-occupied. The vacancy rate is 7%; vacant or unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form than an owner-occupied policy.
55% of homes in Wake County are primarily heated with electricity.
The top hazards for Wake County, per FEMA's National Risk Index, are hail (Relatively High), inland flooding (Relatively High) and tornado (Relatively High).
Wake County had 3,267 active National Flood Insurance Program policies as of September 2026. Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, so flood coverage needs a separate NFIP or private flood policy.
According to the NAIC homeowners insurance report (2023 data), a standard HO-3 homeowners policy in North Carolina carries a statewide average premium of $1,852 per year.
Key figures
| Median home value | $461,300 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 2000 |
| Owner-occupied share | 64% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 74% |
| Top hazards (FEMA National Risk Index) | Hail (Relatively High), Inland Flooding (Relatively High), Tornado (Relatively High) |
| Active NFIP flood policies (county) | 3,267 |
| Home insurance premium | $1,852 - statewide average (NAIC, 2023 data) |
Towns and cities
- Apex
- Cary
- Fuquay-Varina
- Garner
- Holly Springs
- Knightdale
- Morrisville
- Raleigh
- Rolesville
- Wake Forest
- Wendell
- Zebulon
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)