The Best and Cheapest Home Insurance Companies in Idaho

Best cheap home insurance in Idaho

Cheapest options for homeowners insurance in Idaho

Mutual of Enumclaw edges out Travelers, which charges an average of $760 per year. Farmers and American Family also offer cheaper-than-average rates.

The average cost of home insurance in Idaho is $1,200 per year. That's considerably cheaper than the average rate nationally: $1,680 per year.

Best homeowners insurance for most people: Travelers

Travelers offers some of the cheapest rates we found in Idaho, the lowest for any national company. The company's average rate is $760 per year, nearly 40% cheaper than the state average.

Travelers has strong customer service ratings. The company only received about half as many complains as other insurers of the same size, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). It also offers a wide range of coverage options beyond standard choices like dwelling coverage and personal property coverage:

Most affordable homeowners insurance: Mutual of Enumclaw

If you're looking for even more affordable homeowners insurance, Mutual of Enumclaw not only provides it, but also delivers strong coverage and service. The company's average rate in Idaho is $722 per year, or only $60 per month.

Mutual of Enumclaw's coverage options include wildfire protection and monitoring, which is valuable in a state like Idaho. The biggest downside of Mutual of Enumclaw is that the company is regional, meaning it has fewer resources. It also does not offer quotes online and requires you to speak to an agent for a quote.

Best for mobile homes: Foremost

If you own a mobile home in Idaho, Foremost is a top option. The subsidiary of Farmers has options for agreed loss settlement coverage, and covers additional living expenses, debris removal and even your lawn and trees after a catastrophe.

The lighter construction of a mobile home means an event like a storm or flood has a better chance of totally destroying your home. That only increases the need to have solid coverage. One drawback with Foremost is you will need to work with an agent for a quote.

Best rated: Farm Bureau

Farm Bureau offers strong customer service for Idaho residents, as well as a strong set of coverage options. The company has a low rate of complaints when it comes to home insurance, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

Farm Bureau offers coverage for things like your home business or livestock. It also has a range of discounts, which could add up because Farm Bureau has the second-highest average rate we found in Idaho: $2,622 per year.

Idaho home insurance rates by city

McCall, a resort town, has the highest rate, at $1,554 per year.

Where you live can affect rates because of factors such as crime, weather and natural disasters. Idaho has a relatively narrow range of rates between cities, with only $280 separating the cheapest from the most expensive. Boise and Nampa, two of the state's largest cities both have below average rates.

Best homeowners insurance companies in Idaho

The home insurers we rated as the best in Idaho are USAA and Farm Bureau. Each offers a blend of good coverage options and strong service. Mutual of Enumclaw, American Family and State Farm are also highly-rated options.

It's worth noting that you will often pay more for that service. State Farm and Farm Bureau have the highest rates we found in the state.

Most common homeowners insurance perils in Idaho

Even though it doesn't typically experience catastrophic earthquakes and floods, Idaho can experience damaging hail and wildfires. Its mountainous terrain also means that it could be a good idea to talk to your insurance provider about protection from mudslides or landslides.

Fortunately, a standard homeowners insurance policy protects you from both hail and fire. Most policies have a provision for falling objects that includes hail damage, as well as damage from felled trees and the weight of snow. If you're unsatisfied with the level of coverage your policy grants, you could raise the limits. You may also purchase a separate fire insurance policy to supplement your existing insurance, or as primary peril coverage if you live in an area where other insurers aren't available.

If you live in a mountainous area that's prone to landslides or mudslides, you may ask your insurer about coverage from these perils. Standard homeowners insurance policies don't provide protection against earth movements, a designation which includes sinkholes and earthquakes in addition to landslides and mudslides.

Methodology

We collected and analyzed quotes from every ZIP code in Idaho for nine of the largest insurers in the state. The sample property we used was built in 1987 to correspond to Idaho's median building year. And the sample property was insured for $212,300, the median value of owner-occupied homes in the state.

We included these insurers in our study:

ValuePenguin's home insurance ratings combine an insurer's NAIC complaint index number, the company's score in the J.D. Power Home Insurance Study and ValuePenguin's editor's ratings for the company overall.

ValuePenguin's analysis used insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services. These rates were publicly sourced from insurer filings and should be used for comparative purposes only — your own quotes may be different.