Home Insurance in Clay County, South Dakota
With a median home value of $232,300, Clay County is 10% lower than the South Dakota median.
The typical home in Clay County was built around 1976. Aging wiring, roofing and plumbing in older homes can push up the cost to insure or rebuild them. About 29% of homes were built before 1960, about 1 point above South Dakota's 28%.
Mobile and manufactured homes typically need a manufactured-home (HO-7) policy rather than a standard homeowners policy. The housing stock in Clay County is 55% single-family homes, 28% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 5% mobile or manufactured homes. The rest are 2-4 unit or other housing types.
60% of owner-occupied homes in Clay County carry a mortgage, and mortgage lenders require hazard insurance for as long as the loan is active.
The vacancy rate is 11%; vacant or unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form than an owner-occupied policy. About 51% of occupied homes in Clay County are owner-occupied.
In Clay County, 48% of homes 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.
FEMA's National Risk Index lists winter weather (Relatively Moderate), hail (Relatively Low) and tornado (Relatively Low) as the leading hazards for Clay County.
Clay County had 7 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.
The statewide average premium for a standard HO-3 homeowners policy in South Dakota is $1,614 per year, according to the NAIC homeowners insurance report (2023 data).
Key figures
| Median home value | $232,300 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Owner-occupied share | 51% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 60% |
| Top hazards (FEMA National Risk Index) | Winter Weather (Relatively Moderate), Hail (Relatively Low), Tornado (Relatively Low) |
| Active NFIP flood policies (county) | 7 |
| Home insurance premium | $1,614 - 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)