Home Insurance in Chester, West Virginia
With a median home value of $112,000, Chester is 14% lower than the Hancock County median.
The typical home in Chester was built around 1950. About 67% of homes were built before 1960, about 14 points above Hancock County's 53%. Because older housing stock often has aging wiring, roofing or plumbing, it can cost more to insure or rebuild.
In Chester, the housing stock is 82% single-family homes, 10% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 2% mobile or manufactured homes.
In Chester, about 43% of owner-occupied homes have a mortgage - lenders require hazard insurance on every mortgaged home.
Chester has an owner-occupancy rate of 75% and a vacancy rate of 9%; unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form.
In Chester, 88% of homes are primarily heated with natural gas.
FEMA rates Hancock County's overall risk as Very Low, led by inland flooding (Relatively Low). Hancock County had 81 active NFIP flood policies as of September 2026. See the full Hancock County home insurance overview for all FEMA hazard ratings and flood coverage details. Flood damage is excluded from a standard homeowners policy.
The statewide average premium for a standard HO-3 homeowners policy in West Virginia is $1,179 per year, according to the NAIC homeowners insurance report (2023 data).
Key figures
| Median home value | $112,000 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1950 |
| Owner-occupied share | 75% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 43% |
| Top county hazard | Inland Flooding (Relatively Low) |
| Active NFIP policies in Hancock County | 81 |
| 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)