Home Insurance in Columbia County, Wisconsin
With a median home value of $283,200, Columbia County is 6% higher than the Wisconsin median.
The typical home in Columbia County was built around 1976. Because older housing stock often has aging wiring, roofing or plumbing, it can cost more to insure or rebuild. About 35% of homes were built before 1960, about 1 point above Wisconsin's 33%.
The housing stock in Columbia County is 80% single-family homes, 10% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 3% mobile or manufactured homes.
In Columbia County, about 63% of owner-occupied homes have a mortgage - lenders require hazard insurance on every mortgaged home.
About 77% of occupied homes in Columbia County are owner-occupied. The vacancy rate is 10%; vacant or unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form than an owner-occupied policy.
Most homes in Columbia County - 57% - are primarily heated with natural gas. Homes heated with propane can carry added fire risk. Fuel-tank leaks and spills are often excluded from standard homeowners policies.
FEMA's National Risk Index lists hail (Very High), tornado (Relatively Moderate) and inland flooding (Relatively Moderate) as the leading hazards for Columbia County.
Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, so flood coverage needs a separate NFIP or private flood policy. As of September 2026, Columbia County has 161 active NFIP flood policies on file.
According to the NAIC homeowners insurance report (2023 data), a standard HO-3 homeowners policy in Wisconsin carries a statewide average premium of $923 per year.
Key figures
| Median home value | $283,200 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Owner-occupied share | 77% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 63% |
| Top hazards (FEMA National Risk Index) | Hail (Very High), Tornado (Relatively Moderate), Inland Flooding (Relatively Moderate) |
| Active NFIP flood policies (county) | 161 |
| Home insurance premium | $923 - statewide average (NAIC, 2023 data) |
Towns and cities
- Arlington
- Cambria
- Columbus
- Doylestown
- Fall River
- Friesland
- Lodi
- Pardeeville
- Portage
- Poynette
- Rio
- Wisconsin Dells
- Wyocena
Sources
- 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)