Home Insurance in Buffalo, West Virginia
With a median home value of $132,900, Buffalo is 40% lower than the Putnam County median.
The typical home in Buffalo was built around 1985. About 24% of homes were built before 1960, about 9 points above Putnam County's 14%. Because older housing stock often has aging wiring, roofing or plumbing, it can cost more to insure or rebuild.
In Buffalo, the housing stock is 70% single-family homes, 2% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 28% mobile or manufactured homes. Mobile and manufactured homes typically need a manufactured-home (HO-7) policy rather than a standard homeowners policy.
32% of owner-occupied homes in Buffalo carry a mortgage, and mortgage lenders require hazard insurance for as long as the loan is active.
The vacancy rate is 19%; vacant or unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form than an owner-occupied policy. About 90% of occupied homes in Buffalo are owner-occupied.
In Buffalo, 69% of homes are primarily heated with electricity.
Putnam County had 255 active NFIP flood policies as of September 2026. Its top FEMA-rated hazard is inland flooding (Relatively Moderate). See the full Putnam County home insurance overview for all FEMA hazard ratings and flood coverage details. Flood damage is excluded from a standard homeowners policy.
According to the NAIC homeowners insurance report (2023 data), a standard HO-3 homeowners policy in West Virginia carries a statewide average premium of $1,179 per year.
Key figures
| Median home value | $132,900 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Owner-occupied share | 90% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 32% |
| Top county hazard | Inland Flooding (Relatively Moderate) |
| Active NFIP policies in Putnam County | 255 |
| 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)