Business

Best home insurance companies for 2026

By Nupur Gambhir for Insure.com Stacker

Updated January 15, 2026 4:04 PM

Methodology

In late 2025, Insure.com surveyed more than 2,000 insurance consumers through an independent research firm, Dynata. Customers named their insurer and rated it on satisfaction, ease of service, policy options, claims handling, digital experience, discounts, bundling, rate increases, older homes and standard coverages. Survey respondents were also asked whether they planned to renew, would recommend their insurer and trusted their insurer.

Additional information for insurers with at least 25 survey responses was included:

AM Best financial strength ratings, which measure an insurer's ability to pay claims.
National Association of Insurance Commissioners complaint index scores, which show how many customer complaints an insurer receives relative to its size.
Average premium data from Quadrant Information Services, based on a policy with:
$300,000 in dwelling coverage and liability
A $1,000 deductible and a 2% hurricane deductible where appropriate

With guidance from Prof. David Marlett, Ph.D., managing director of the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center at Appalachian State University, researchers applied the following weights to calculate each company's final rating:

Customer survey: 40% (10% customer satisfaction, 10% recommended, 10% renewal rate and 10% claims handling)
AM Best: 25%
Average premium: 20%
NAIC complaints: 15%

Each insurer received a rating between 0.5 and 5 stars.

Which homeowners insurance companies are the best for 2026? Rankings and changes from last year

The results of the 2026 best home insurance companies survey are in, and here are the top three homeowners insurance companies for 2026:

Amica is the No. 1 home insurance company for the third year in a row on the strength of its low rates and a low complaint volume.
Travelers came in second, rising from the bottom of the ranking last year due to low complaint volume, a high customer satisfaction score, and a solid financial standing.
Allstate held onto the No. 3 spot, thanks to its low rates and high customer satisfaction.

There were some notable changes in the rankings of national insurance companies for 2026:

Progressive had the biggest drop from No. 4 to No. 7; a big average rate increase affected its standing.
Travelers took the biggest jump from No. 7 to No. 2, with low complaint volume and excellent financial standing helping it on its way.
State Farm dropped two spots to No. 4; it increased rates and a slightly lower financial stability rating affected its ranking.
Farmers (No. 5) and Nationwide (No. 6) switched spots this year; the two companies rank similarly year after year.

All the top companies on this list have their pros and cons, and each is a reputable home insurance provider. However, when compared on everything from customer survey results to National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint data, some came out better than others.

Here are Insure.com's best homeowners insurance companies for 2026.

Best home insurance companies

The top home insurance companies for price, customer service and more

Whether you are on a tight budget or price matters less to you than excellent customer service, the right insurance company for you is out there.

Here are some of the top category winners for 2026:

Cheapest home insurance: Auto Club Enterprises
Best for customer satisfaction: Auto Club Enterprises
Best for ease of service: Liberty Mutual
Best for policy offerings: Auto Club Enterprises and Erie Insurance
Best for claims: Nationwide, Erie and American Family
Most trusted and most recommended: Auto Club Enterprises

To help you find the best insurance companies, Insure.com gathered data and listed them based on price, policy offerings, ease of service, customer satisfaction, and more.

As mentioned earlier, the category breakouts list all the companies included in the insurance-consumer survey, both national and regional carriers.

Best home insurance companies for cheap rates

Of the companies ranked, Auto Club Enterprises had the lowest rates at an average of $1,335 a year, followed by CSAA at $1,496 a year. Amica came in third overall and was the cheapest national carrier in the ranking at an average of $1,510.

The good news? Rates did decrease from last year with some carriers, although many continued the trend of rate increases. That said, only Progressive's rates took an eyebrow-raising climb. Most were within a few hundred dollars of last year's.

For reference: The average cost of home insurance nationwide for 2026 is $2,543 a year.

Of course, where a company writes policies impacts its overall national average rate. A carrier that writes policies in expensive states like Florida will have higher average rates than one that primarily operates in lower-risk states. That's why we see lower rates from some regional carriers.

Below is a look at the annual rates for all of the companies in the survey.

Best home insurance companies for customer satisfaction

New to the rankings this year, Auto Club Enterprises took the top spot for customer satisfaction, with an impressive score of 95%. Erie was in second place at 93%. No national carrier made the top three, but at 91%, USAA would have been fourth if included.

The next-highest scoring national carrier was State Farm at 85%. That's a strong indication that regional carriers are doing something right when it comes to satisfied customers.

Here's how the carriers ranked for customer satisfaction.

Best home insurance companies for customer ease of service

Liberty Mutual was the top company for ease of service at 93% satisfaction. That's a rare No. 1 finish for a national carrier. State Farm, Auto Club Group and Erie all tied for second place, and Travelers took third in this tight category.

No one wants a hassle when dealing with an insurance company, so it's important to make sure your insurer makes it easy to access things like policy documents and to get service when you need it.

Here's how the companies scored for ease of service.

Best home insurance companies for policy offerings

Auto Club Enterprises tied with Erie for the first-place slot when it comes to companies with the best policy offerings. Both scored 93%; second-place Travelers was a few points behind at 89%, and the highest-ranked national carrier.

With home insurance rates high, customers look for ways to ensure they're getting their money's worth. Companies with good policy offerings make the expense worthwhile.

Here's how the carriers ranked for policy offerings.

Best home insurance company for claims handling

At 84% satisfaction, there was a three-way tie for claims handling between Nationwide, Erie and American Family. Claims are the true test of an insurance company; you pay your premiums to be assured of help when something goes wrong.

If ranked, USAA would have won this category at 87%, but no company achieved a score above 90%, proving the difficulty of this category.

Here's how the carriers ranked on claims handling.

What home insurance company is most recommended by customers?

When asked if they would recommend their insurance company to others, Auto Club Enterprises' customers came in the strongest at 95%. Erie was in second place, with 92% of respondents saying they'd recommend the company.

Recommendations to others are a major test of customer sentiment and loyalty, indicating customer confidence. As we've seen in several categories, regional carriers hold the top spots here. Allstate is the highest-ranked national carrier.

Here's how the carriers ranked for recommendation to others.

What home insurance company do customers trust the most?

Trust is a vital but difficult area for an insurance company. One company came in with a 100% score for trust this year: Auto Club Enterprises. Erie came in second at 98%. That means regional carriers hold the top three.

Again, Allstate is the most trusted national carrier.

Only two carriers scored below 80% here, and it's worth noting that trust isn't always correlated with the decision to renew a policy, as indicated in the next section.

Here's how the carriers ranked for trust.

Which home insurance company had the most customers planning to renew?

There may be no greater vote of confidence than to stick with a company. And this year, no company had more confident customers than Auto Club Enterprises at 100%. The next highest score was 95%, and was shared by Safeco and Allstate.

Renewing with a company means that the past year has gone well, and the customer has no reason to leave. While choosing not to renew is often tied to rate increases (Progressive, near the bottom of this category, had the highest rates in the survey), that's not always the case. Other factors play a role as well.

Here's how the carriers ranked for renewals.

Why some insurance companies weren't ranked: Excluded insurers

Some companies were excluded from the overall rankings for several reasons.

Some companies did not have enough responses in the survey to be fairly compared with the others. Companies needed to have at least 25 responses.
The Hartford, Liberty Mutual and Safeco, a subsidiary, do not provide rates to the source, Quadrant. Without rate information, they could not be ranked against the other companies either for price or in the overall star ratings. They were, however, included in the category rankings, as they are based solely on the survey.
Finally, USAA scored well in the survey but only provides coverage to military members, veterans and their families. As the company is not open to everyone, it was not ranked against companies that are open to all customers.

How much home insurance do you need? Choosing coverage and limits

Choosing the right home insurance coverage depends on a few very basic factors.

The replacement cost value of your home. A standard home insurance policy covers the dwelling (the house and any attached structures) for replacement cost, which is the amount it would cost to rebuild it from the ground up. This is the most important coverage on your policy. Other coverages, such as other structures and personal property, are a percentage of that amount. You need to calculate the replacement cost of your home and ensure that your dwelling coverage is adequate.
Your need for liability coverage. Standard homeowners insurance includes a $100,000 limit, but experts recommend increasing it to $300,000.
The deductible that works for you. Your choice will affect the amount you pay in premiums and your out-of-pocket responsibility in the event of a claim. Choose the highest one you can afford.

Speak to an insurance expert to help you choose these coverages.

How to shop for home insurance and find an insurance company that's right for you

Many people start with price when shopping for insurance, but there are a few other factors to consider.

Decide how much coverage you need. Determining your specific needs will help you narrow down the carriers you should consider, as well as the different coverages you may need to carry.
Research insurance companies. Consider both national insurers (those that operate in all states) and regional insurance companies that write policies in your state. Look for insurers that offer the coverages and services you would use. Check each company's reputation as you add them to your list of possible insurers, looking at financial stability and customer satisfaction.
Request quotes. Ensure that all your quotes are for the same coverage level and have the same deductible, allowing for a fair comparison.

As you consider home insurance companies, it's worth getting quotes for your auto insurance as well to see if bundling your insurance is the right choice.

"Typically, when you purchase two or more products from the same insurer, such as home and auto, you will reap significant savings on both policies. You should also find out what other discounts you may qualify for when shopping for coverage. Discounts can substantially reduce the cost of your policy," Friedlander says.

How much does home insurance cost in each state?

Home insurance costs vary widely by state. Hawai'i has the lowest average annual premium at $659, followed by Vermont at $1,063 and New Hampshire at $1,300.

At the other end of the spectrum, Florida has the highest average home insurance rates in the country at $7,136 per year. Louisiana follows at $5,986, with Kansas close behind at $5,260 annually.

These averages are based on a policy with $300,000 in dwelling coverage, a $1,000 property deductible (with no separate hurricane deductible), and $300,000 in personal liability coverage.

Takeaways from the best home insurance companies ranking in 2026

After years of skyrocketing premiums, perhaps the most notable point in this year's survey is that rates with several companies have decreased. That's good news, but many homeowners haven't seen it yet.

Other big survey takeaways that can help you choose a great home insurance company:

Good discounts are hard to come by, but low base rates help. Customers are more likely to say they're happy with the discounts they get when rates start low. That means a company with a smaller list of discounts may still be a more affordable option.
Dissatisfaction with rate increases leads to lower levels of trust. Companies with lower satisfaction scores with fair rate increases over time also tend to earn lower trust scores. People likely feel betrayed when rates increase despite a clear claims history.
Regional carriers tend to have higher customer satisfaction. In general, customer satisfaction scores are higher for regional carriers. That could be due to the service of local agents or easier access to assistance.
Low rates don't always correlate with high customer satisfaction. While it's true that the most affordable carrier (Auto Club Enterprises) also had the highest satisfaction score, several carriers in the higher range scored very well for satisfaction, and vice versa. The adage, "you get what you pay for," rings true with homeowners insurance.

FAQ: Best home insurance companies

Are larger insurance companies better than small ones?

It depends on the company and what you're looking for. Large companies often have substantial financial backing and are generally at a lower risk of insolvency, which may enable them to offer lower rates. However, small companies often have a better understanding of local risks and may provide more personalized service. There are great companies in both categories.

Should I be worried if my insurance company didn't make the best companies list?

No. Many companies are not included on the list because they did not receive enough responses to the survey or lack the necessary data, such as rates, to rank them.

Can I switch home insurance companies at any time?

Yes, you can cancel your policy and switch to a new company at any time. Ensure that your new coverage is in place before canceling the old one to avoid a lapse.

This story was produced by Insure.com and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

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This story was originally published January 15, 2026 at 10:30 AM.