Getty Images
Kansas homeowners are facing some of the highest homeowners insurance costs in the Midwest.
While the state does not grapple with hurricanes or coastal flooding, its vulnerability to tornadoes, hailstorms, and severe weather has kept insurance premiums elevated.
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Realtor.com® 2025 Climate Risk Report show that Kansas households pay more than many of their regional neighbors.
Kansas’s Insurance Costs in Context
According to newly released American Community Survey (ACS) data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Kansas homeowners with a mortgage typically pay $2,000–$2,499 annually for homeowners insurance, while those without a mortgage average $1,500–$1,999. Overall statewide costs fall into the $1,500–$1,999 range.
Kansas has 820,255 insured homeowner households in total—467,374 with a mortgage and 352,881 without. Among mortgaged owners, 41,795 pay less than $100 annually and 49,797 pay $4,000 or more. Among those without a mortgage, 71,018 pay less than $100 and 28,390 pay $4,000 or more.
When compared with nearby states, Kansas ranks high. Nebraska households also pay $2,000–$2,499 with a mortgage. By contrast, Missouri averages $1,500–$1,999, and Iowa is lower at $1,000–$1,499. Oklahoma homeowners, like those in Kansas, average $2,000–$2,499 with a mortgage. Colorado also falls into the $2,000–$2,499 range. These comparisons place Kansas among the more expensive insurance markets in the region, rivaling its tornado alley neighbors.
Climate Risks Across the Region
The Realtor.com 2025 Climate Risk Report shows that the highest insurance burdens nationally are still concentrated in coastal states. Miami tops the list, with average premiums of $22,718 annually, or 3.7% of the median home value. Other Florida metros such as Cape Coral, Sarasota, and Tampa also rank among the most expensive.
Kansas does not appear on the lists of metros with the steepest flood or hurricane exposures, but the state’s storm profile makes insurance a consistent concern. With frequent hail, tornadoes, and high winds, Kansas residents face risks that frequent and nearly as damaging. This steady stream of severe weather events has kept premiums at the higher end of the Midwest.
According to one LendingTree study, households in prominent Tornado Alley states — Oklahoma, Nebraska and Kansas — spend the highest percentage of their income on home insurance. Oklahoma is the highest, with 6.84%, followed by Nebraska, at 5.73%, and then Kansas in third at 5.58%.
Insurance Affordability A National Challenge
Even with Kansas’s elevated costs, homeowners across the U.S. are grappling with affordability concerns. The Realtor.com 2025 Insurance Affordability Report found that 75% of Americans believe homeowners insurance could soon become unaffordable, while nearly half said they had already faced difficulties renewing or obtaining coverage.
These rising costs are shaping homebuying choices. Nearly 30% of buyers said they had completely changed their search areas because of insurance challenges, while another quarter said they had overhauled their strategies altogether. Some are even considering going without coverage: 58% of homeowners said they would consider dropping their insurance if premiums rose too high, with younger buyers the most likely to take that risk.
For Kansas homeowners, insurance is already more expensive than in many surrounding states. With severe weather patterns continuing to intensify, premiums are unlikely to ease, keeping affordability an ongoing concern for households across the state.
This article was produced with editorial input from Dina Sartore-Bodo, Gabriella Iannetta, and Allaire Conte.