Facts + Statistics: Homeowners and Renters Insurance

Used in 2 entries

For each citing entry, the verbatim excerpt and Likelier's calculation notes (how the source's number was converted to the lifetime-probability framing) are shown below. Click through to read the full claim ledger.

1. [1] Burst pipe damage Risk

   Statistic

   1 in 67 insured homes files a water damage or freezing claim per year (2019-2023); average claim amount $15,400; water damage and freezing accounts for 22.6% of homeowners losses in 2023

   “"About one in 67 insured homes has a property damage claim caused by water damage or freezing. [...] From 2019 to 2023, water damage and freezing claims made up about a quarter of all home insurance claims -- roughly 24% on average -- and had an average claim amount of $15,400 in damage."”

   Calculation notes

   The 1 in 67 annual rate (1.493%) is the primary input for this entry's normalization. Over 40 years of homeownership: 1 - (1-0.01493)^40 = 0.452, approximately 1 in 2.2. Average claim of $15,400 is the loss severity anchor. The 22.6% share of all homeowners losses confirms water damage/freezing is the second-largest loss category after wind and hail.
   

   Independence note: III compiles ISO (Verisk Analytics) data from homeowners multiple peril (HO-3) policies. ISO is the primary upstream; III is the public-facing aggregator. These are treated as the same institutional data pipeline.

   Source date: 2024-01-01 · Accessed: 2026-05-10

2. [2] Hail roof damage Risk

   Statistic

   About one in 36 insured homes has a property damage claim related to wind or hail; 2.8% of insured homes experienced a wind/hail loss over 2018-2022, average claim severity $13,511

   “"About one in 36 insured homes has a property damage claim related to wind or hail. Between 2018-2022, 2.8 percent of insured homes experienced a loss due to wind and hail damage, with an average claim severity (or cost) of $13,511."”

   Calculation notes

   The III "1 in 36" figure (~2.78%/yr) combines wind and hail damage claims and serves as an upper-bound cross-check. The NICB-derived homeowner-only hail rate of 0.67%/yr is lower because it is hail-specific and excludes straight-line wind damage. The average wind/hail severity of $13,511 (2018-2022) is used for context; the primary rate estimate derives from the NICB homeowner-specific hail claims count. Used as a cross-check only, not as a basis for the normalized probability.
   

   Independence note: III homeowners loss data is compiled from insurer filings aggregated through ISO; methodologically independent from NICB ISO ClaimSearch claims-count data, though both ultimately trace to insurance company reporting.

   Source date: 2025-01-01 · Accessed: 2026-05-14

Also cited in these entries

OtherDirect

Burst pipe damage

What are the odds of my pipes bursting and causing major water damage?

1 in 2.2 lifetime(45%)subgroup

propertyDirect

Hail roof damage

What are the odds that hail will seriously damage your roof during your lifetime?

1 in 3.0 lifetime(33%)