After a deep dive into the world of homeowner insurance in North Dakota, a few insurers stood out — most notably Auto-Owners because of their low premiums. As part of our investigation, we also delved at customer service ratings, financial strength, and how easy it was to find information and handle claims on each company’s website. Finally, we took a close look at optional coverage opportunities and potential discounts to determine what companies were most likely to give you great service and comprehensive coverage at the best price.
The 5 Best Homeowners Insurance Companies in North Dakota
| Auto-Owners | Farmers Union | MetLife | Allstate | State Farm | |
| Our review | Our review | Our review | Our review | Our review | |
| A.M. Best Financial Strength Rating | A++ | A- | A+ | A+ | A++ |
| J.D. Power Overall Customer Satisfaction Score | 3/5 | N/A | 2/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| Online Quote Tool | X | X | X | ✓ | ✓ |
| Compare rates | Compare rates | Compare rates | Compare rates | Compare rates |
Average Cost of Homeowners Insurance in North Dakota
The average premium cost for a homeowner’s policy in North Dakota is $1,253, according to the non-profit Insurance Information Institute. That puts the state in 19th place among all the states, and is slightly more than the national average of $1,211.
Your own cost will vary. There are multiple factors that come into play in determining your policy premiums, ranging from the age of your home and its location to your credit rating and situation. It is recommended that you get multiple quotes when starting out as every company has its own algorithm for determining premiums.
Home Insurance add-ons that will further protect you
If you live in North Dakota, you know that the Rough Rider State is known for, well, rough weather. Severe winters with lots of snow are the norm, and increasingly, summer heat plays a disastrous role in encouraging forest fires and other heat-related disasters. And it doesn’t help that Tornado Alley touches the southern border of the state.
What this means is that you want a robust and comprehensive homeowner insurance policy in North Dakota; one that includes coverage for the sort of perils you might face. Most basic policies include coverage for snow, hail, and wind damage as well as fire, among the “named perils” that are covered. It’s worth checking yours, or asking your agent to do so, to ensure that your coverage extends to those calamities that are most likely to occur in your area.
If you’re not sure what you may need coverage for, a handy tool is Allstate’s Common & Costly Claims tool. Just type in your zip code and you can find the five most common, and five most costly, types of claim in your specific area.
Helpful Resources for North Dakota Homeowners
One helpful resource that’s worth reviewing is the North Dakota Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan. This comprehensive document explores the major types of hazard that are common in the state. It also lists the agencies that are involved in mitigating these hazards and features plans for everything from large-scale disease outbreaks to flooding.
Another source of information is the website of the North Dakota insurance commissioner. This site features a section for consumers with basic insurance info, instructions on lodging a complaint, and more.
Other places to find out information include the insurance companies themselves. The larger ones, such as Allstate and State Farm, have blogs filled with information that can help insurance newbies get up to speed. Another option is talking with insurance agents themselves who can fill you in on the process of obtaining insurance: what you need to do, what documents you’ll need, and other vital facts.
Methodology
We used the tried-and-true methodology from our Best Homeowners Insurance Companies review to analyze homeowner insurance in North Dakota. We started looking at financial strength ratings, so that you can be sure your company is capable of delivering on its promises. We then moved to inspect customer service rankings with organizations like Consumer Reports and J.D. Power, and at the breadth of the company’s offerings. We also looked at how easy it was to maneuver around each website and attend to tasks such as getting a quote or paying your bill.
We worked with Quadrant Information Services to provide data on home insurance rates by company, state, and age of home. Quadrant makes this information available using rate data insurers are required to file with state Departments of Insurance. Rates are based on a sample profile created by Reviews.com for comparative purposes.
Best North Dakota Homeowners Insurance Companies
Auto-Owners Homeowners Insurance
Best Homeowners Insurance in North Dakota
Auto-Owners is a financially solid company with decent customer service rankings, a good lineup of optional coverages, and an extensive discount list.
But the noteworthy factor of Auto-Owners experience is that you do very little online, other than locate an agent. Getting a quote, filing a claim, and any other insurance business you have is handled through a live agent. If you like personalized attention and interaction with an independent agent, you’ll want to take a look at Auto-Owners. If you prefer to do your business digitally, it is probably not the company for you.
Auto-Owners gave us the lowest premium quote of the dozen companies we looked at for homeowner insurance in North Dakota — a quote that was about half the state average. So if saving money is your priority, we’d suggest you give them a call.
Farmers Union Homeowners Insurance
Best Homeowners Insurance in North Dakota
Farmers Union is a regional insurer that is active in three states among them North Dakota. As you might imagine, it does not feature the wide range of coverages and discounts that you find with State Farm and Allstate, still, Farmers Union had a wider range of property coverages.
Included in your basic policy are things like debris removal, fungi remediation, fire department service charge, and ordinance or law coverage. Optional endorsements, meanwhile, include sewer backup and sump pump overflow, refrigerated property coverage, and recreational vehicle coverage.
You can start a quote online or initiate the claims process, but the website isn’t set up for ease of digital experience. The quote we got from the company for our sample house was at the low end, so it may be worth talking to an agent to find out if you are interested in low-cost options for your homeowner insurance.
MetLife Homeowners Insurance
Best Homeowners Insurance in North Dakota
One of the things we like best about MetLife homeowner insurance in North Dakota is the fact that all policies come with replacement cost coverage — although there are some limits to this perk. The coverage could mean that you receive more in a claim than what the house would bring on the market if that’s what it takes to repair or replace it in the event of a disaster. Most insurers offer this, but as an added bonus to their quote. The other feature that sets MetLife apart is identity theft protection, which comes standard in some locations.
But there are a few areas where the company falls short. The website is less than informative, and there are few digital tools like an online quote tool or the ability to file a claim online. You’ll need to connect with an agent to get answers to your questions.
And even if you do connect with MetLife customer support, it has a reputation for being less than stellar. It was the lowest ranking company on our list in the J.D. Power survey, and Consumer Reports rates it an average 72 out of 100. An additional feature that leaves us cold is the company’s requirement that you use one of its approved contractors for all work done on your house. So if you have a favorite handyman, MetLife is probably not for you.
Allstate Homeowners Insurance
Best Homeowners Insurance in North Dakota
One of the biggest names in the insurance industry, Allstate has one of the best websites we’ve seen. In addition to the Common & Costly Claims tool we mentioned above, it also features the GoodHome home report, which gives you data specific to your home and tips on protecting it. It’s no surprise that Allstate ranks second in J.D. Power’s Insurance Digital Experience Study.
Allstate has a robust listing of endorsements, or add-on coverages, including sports equipment, yard and garden, identity theft restoration, and electronic data recovery. It’s discount list is similarly packed, with options such as new roof savings, Claim RateGuard, home buyer discount, and 55 and retired discount.
We’re on the fence about Allstate’s customer service reviews. The reliable J.D. Power puts the company at 822 out of 1,000, which is better than average. Consumer Reports, however, gives it a lukewarm 72 out of 100. Experiences tend to be dictated by your ability to work well with your agent.
State Farm Homeowners Insurance
Best Homeowners Insurance in North Dakota
Like Allstate, State Farm has a strong national presence and is one of the top insurers throughout the U.S. One of its biggest strengths is a strong website with a wealth of information that can give you a better understanding of the insurance process in general. If you are gathering sample quotes online to start your insurance search, State Farm’s may take a few minutes longer than Allstate— that’s a good thing, because the additional questions its quote tool asks allow you to receive a more personalized, accurate quote.
State Farm has the highest possible rating from A.M. Best: A++, which means that the company has a firm financial foundation, and won’t run short, say, in the event of a regional catastrophe.
State Farm’s discounts are the one area where it falls short. Some aren’t available in all states, and the ones it has are fairly common: a multiple line discount, safety device discount, and several roofing discounts.
The Cheapest Homeowner Insurance Companies In North Dakota
| Homeowner Insurance Companies | Average Annual Premium |
| Auto-Owners Insurance | $690.00 |
| Farmers Union Mut Ins Co | $965.00 |
| Metropolitan Insurance | $987.00 |
| Allstate | $1,058.00 |
| Nodak Mut Ins Co | $1,074.00 |
| North Star Mut Ins Co | $1,110.00 |
| Employers Mut Cas Co | $1,178.00 |
| Country Financial | $1,360.00 |
| Farmers Insurance | $1,864.00 |
| State Farm | $2,045.00 |
| American Family Insurance | $2,400.00 |
Cost of Homeowners Insurance by Age of Home
| Age of Home (years) | Average Annual Premium |
| 5 years | $1,614 |
| 20 years | $2,094 |
| 35 years | $2,123 |
| 50 years | $2,104 |
| Average Across Tiers | $1,984 |
Quadrant home insurance rate data as of 12/01/2019.
These rates are a sample set meant only for general comparison. Your own premium will vary. Learn how we tested rates for the cheapest home insurance companies in our methodology.
Top 3 Cheapest Homeowner Insurance Companies in North Dakota
• Auto-Owners Insurance – $690
• Farmers Union Insurance Co. – $965
• Metropolitan Insurance – $987
Top 3 Most Expensive Homeowner Insurance Companies in North Dakota
• American Family Insurance – $2,400
• State Farm – $2,045
• Farmers Insurance – $1,864
Since every insurer uses slightly different criteria for determining premiums, the quotes we received on a sample home in North Dakota ranged from less than $1,000 all the way up to nearly $2,500. So although you may get a general idea of pricing from these quotes, it’s important for you to gather your own quotes from the companies you’ve selected to potentially work with.
Many of our chosen companies make it easy for you to get a quote online with very little effort, but in the end you may want to talk to company agents to refine that quote. An agent with their feet on the ground in your area should be able to explain any particular circumstances that would impact your policy, and may find you additional discounts that the quote tool missed.
Homeowners Insurance FAQ
Is homeowners insurance required in North Dakota?
North Dakota state law does not require you to carry homeowners insurance. If you have a mortgage on your home, however, it is likely that your mortgage holder will require you to have a policy in effect for as long as they hold the mortgage.
What is the cheapest homeowners insurance in North Dakota?
We’ve listed some of the cheapest sample premiums for homeowners insurance in North Dakota in this review. Auto-Owners gave us the best price, followed by Farmers Union and MetLife. But it’s important to note that all homeowners insurance policies are personalized, and unique to your address — so yours will probably be different.
About the Authors
Mary Van Keuren has been covering auto and home insurance for Reviews.com for nearly five years, and has published numerous reviews of state-specific insurance trends and how to find the best insurance deals for your money. She earned B.S. and M.A. degrees from Nazareth College in Rochester, N.Y. and has been writing professionally, both in print and online, for 30+ years.
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