Home Insurance in Palouse, Washington
The median home value in Palouse is $286,200, 20% lower than the Whitman County median.
Older homes can cost more to insure or rebuild because of aging wiring, roofing and plumbing. The median home in Palouse was built in 1939 or earlier. About 60% of homes were built before 1960, about 33 points above Whitman County's 27%.
In Palouse, the housing stock is 83% single-family homes, 2% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 8% mobile or manufactured homes. Mobile and manufactured homes typically need a manufactured-home (HO-7) policy rather than a standard homeowners policy.
About 61% of owner-occupied homes in Palouse have a mortgage. Lenders require hazard (homeowners) insurance on any home carrying a mortgage.
About 85% of occupied homes in Palouse are owner-occupied. The vacancy rate is 8%; vacant or unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form than an owner-occupied policy.
In Palouse, 63% of homes are primarily heated with natural gas.
Whitman County's top FEMA-rated hazard is wildfire (Relatively Low), per FEMA's National Risk Index. Whitman County had 67 active NFIP flood policies as of September 2026. See the full Whitman 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 Washington carries a statewide average premium of $1,232 per year.
Key figures
| Median home value | $286,200 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1939 or earlier |
| Owner-occupied share | 85% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 61% |
| Top county hazard | Wildfire (Relatively Low) |
| Active NFIP policies in Whitman County | 67 |
| Home insurance premium | $1,232 - 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)