Home Insurance in Smithers, West Virginia
With a median home value of $76,500, Smithers is 28% lower than the Fayette County median.
Aging wiring, roofing and plumbing in older homes can push up the cost to insure or rebuild them. The typical home in Smithers was built around 1948. About 70% of homes were built before 1960, about 29 points above Fayette County's 40%.
Mobile and manufactured homes typically need a manufactured-home (HO-7) policy rather than a standard homeowners policy. The housing stock in Smithers is 79% single-family homes, 12% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 8% mobile or manufactured homes.
In Smithers, about 19% of owner-occupied homes have a mortgage - lenders require hazard insurance on every mortgaged home.
The vacancy rate is 24%; vacant or unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form than an owner-occupied policy. About 76% of occupied homes in Smithers are owner-occupied.
68% of homes in Smithers are primarily heated with natural gas. Homes heated with fuel oil can carry added fire risk. Fuel-tank leaks and spills are often excluded from standard homeowners policies.
What's the biggest home insurance risk near Smithers? FEMA's National Risk Index points to inland flooding (Relatively Low) in Fayette County and Fayette County had 103 active NFIP flood policies as of September 2026. See the full Fayette County home insurance overview for all FEMA hazard ratings and flood coverage details. Flood damage is excluded from a standard homeowners policy.
In West Virginia, the statewide average premium for a standard HO-3 homeowners policy is $1,179 per year (NAIC, 2023 data).
Key figures
| Median home value | $76,500 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1948 |
| Owner-occupied share | 76% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 19% |
| Top county hazard | Inland Flooding (Relatively Low) |
| Active NFIP policies in Fayette County | 103 |
| Home insurance premium | $1,179 - 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)