Home Insurance in Amherst, Virginia
Homes in Amherst carry a median value of $220,700 - close to the Amherst County median.
The typical home in Amherst was built around 1974. Older homes can cost more to insure or rebuild because of aging wiring, roofing and plumbing. About 34% of homes were built before 1960, about 12 points above Amherst County's 23%.
Mobile and manufactured homes typically need a manufactured-home (HO-7) policy rather than a standard homeowners policy. The housing stock in Amherst is 76% single-family homes, 2% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 4% mobile or manufactured homes. The rest are 2-4 unit or other housing types.
About 51% of owner-occupied homes in Amherst have a mortgage. Lenders require hazard (homeowners) insurance on any home carrying a mortgage.
Amherst has an owner-occupancy rate of 70% and a vacancy rate of 9%; unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form.
84% of homes in Amherst are primarily heated with electricity. Homes heated with fuel oil can carry added fire risk. Fuel-tank leaks and spills are often excluded from standard homeowners policies.
Amherst County's top FEMA-rated hazard is hurricane (Relatively Low), per FEMA's National Risk Index. Amherst County had 46 active NFIP flood policies as of September 2026. See the full Amherst County home insurance overview for all FEMA hazard ratings and flood coverage details.
According to the NAIC homeowners insurance report (2023 data), a standard HO-3 homeowners policy in Virginia carries a statewide average premium of $1,537 per year.
Key figures
| Median home value | $220,700 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Owner-occupied share | 70% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 51% |
| Top county hazard | Hurricane (Relatively Low) |
| Active NFIP policies in Amherst County | 46 |
| Home insurance premium | $1,537 - 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)