Home Insurance in Putnam County, Tennessee
Homes in Putnam County carry a median value of $282,500 - close to the Tennessee median.
The typical home in Putnam County was built around 1991. Because older housing stock often has aging wiring, roofing or plumbing, it can cost more to insure or rebuild. About 11% of homes were built before 1960, about 7 points below Tennessee's 18%.
The housing stock in Putnam County is 67% single-family homes, 13% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 8% mobile or manufactured homes. The rest are 2-4 unit or other housing types. Mobile and manufactured homes typically need a manufactured-home (HO-7) policy rather than a standard homeowners policy.
About 55% of owner-occupied homes in Putnam County have a mortgage. Lenders require hazard (homeowners) insurance on any home carrying a mortgage.
The vacancy rate is 8%; vacant or unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form than an owner-occupied policy. About 61% of occupied homes in Putnam County are owner-occupied.
In Putnam County, 70% of homes are primarily heated with electricity.
The top hazards for Putnam County, per FEMA's National Risk Index, are tornado (Relatively Moderate), earthquake (Relatively Low) and winter weather (Relatively Moderate). Standard homeowners policies exclude earthquake, so separate coverage is usually needed.
Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, so flood coverage needs a separate NFIP or private flood policy. As of September 2026, Putnam County has 69 active NFIP flood policies on file.
According to the NAIC homeowners insurance report (2023 data), a standard HO-3 homeowners policy in Tennessee carries a statewide average premium of $1,649 per year.
Key figures
| Median home value | $282,500 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1991 |
| Owner-occupied share | 61% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 55% |
| Top hazards (FEMA National Risk Index) | Tornado (Relatively Moderate), Earthquake (Relatively Low), Winter Weather (Relatively Moderate) |
| Active NFIP flood policies (county) | 69 |
| Home insurance premium | $1,649 - 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)