If you're a homeowner in Pennsylvania, you'll typically pay a lot less than the national average for home insurance. The average cost of homeowners insurance in Pennsylvania is $995 per year, according to NerdWallet’s rate analysis. That’s significantly less than the national average of $1,820 per year.

NerdWallet analyzed rates from insurers across the state to determine the best homeowners insurance in Pennsylvania. These rates are for a sample homeowner with $300,000 in dwelling coverage, $300,000 in liability coverage, a $1,000 deductible and good credit. Your own rates may vary.

Note: Some insurance companies included in this article may have made changes in their underwriting practices and no longer issue new policies in your state.

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The best homeowners insurance in Pennsylvania
Several of NerdWallet's Best Home Insurance Companies offer policies in Pennsylvania. Here they are, along with their average annual premiums.

Company

NerdWallet star rating

Average annual rate

Erie

5.0NerdWallet rating 
$775

State Farm

5.0NerdWallet rating 
$790

Farmers

5.0NerdWallet rating 
$1,085

Chubb

5.0NerdWallet rating 
$1,475

Nationwide

4.5NerdWallet rating 
$1,325

USAA*

5.0NerdWallet rating 
$1,165

*USAA homeowners policies are available only to active military, veterans and their families.

More about the best home insurance companies in Pennsylvania
See more details about each company to help you decide which one is best for you.

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Erie
5.0

NerdWallet rating 
Ideal for homeowners who want to work with an agent.

OVERVIEW

PROS & CONS

WHY WE PICKED IT
Coverage options
More than average
Discounts
Average set of discounts
NAIC complaints
Fewer than expected
Based in Pennsylvania, Erie is a regional insurer that offers guaranteed replacement cost for the structure of your home. With this coverage, the company will pay to rebuild your home completely after a disaster, even if the amount exceeds your dwelling limit. Not all insurers offer this option, but it’s worth considering as a hedge against rising construction costs.

Got a car to insure, too? If you bundle your home and auto insurance with Erie, you could get a discount of around 20%. You may also be able to save if your home has certain safety and security features such as smoke alarms or sprinkler systems.

For more details, read our Erie home insurance review.

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State Farm
5.0

NerdWallet rating 
Well-established insurer with a lengthy list of coverage options.

OVERVIEW

PROS & CONS

WHY WE PICKED IT
Coverage options
More than average
Discounts
Average set of discounts
NAIC complaints
Fewer than expected
State Farm, America’s largest home insurer, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2022. One useful endorsement you may be able to add to a State Farm policy is an inflation guard rider, which automatically increases your policy limits to make sure your coverage doesn’t fall short. 

Another perk to consider is the company’s free Ting service. Ting is a smart home device that monitors your electrical system for fire hazards. 

Learn more in our State Farm home insurance review.

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Farmers
5.0

NerdWallet rating 
Those seeking benefits like diminishing deductibles and claims forgiveness may want to consider Farmers.

OVERVIEW

PROS & CONS

WHY WE PICKED IT
Coverage options
More than average
Discounts
Average set of discounts
NAIC complaints
Fewer than expected
As a Farmers policyholder, you may be eligible for a discount if you go three years without filing a claim. If you go five years and your policy includes the Claim Forgiveness feature, you may not even see your rate go up when you do file a claim.

You can also ask about the Declining Deductibles perk, which reduces your deductible by $50 each year. Another way to save is by bundling your home and auto policies.

For more details, see our Farmers home insurance review.

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Chubb
5.0

NerdWallet rating 
Perks and high coverage limits for affluent homeowners.

OVERVIEW

PROS & CONS

WHY WE PICKED IT
Coverage options
About average
Discounts
Great set of discounts
NAIC complaints
Far fewer than expected
Chubb targets owners of high-value homes, with coverage that isn’t always the cheapest option but comes with plenty of perks. For example, a standard Chubb homeowners policy includes extended replacement cost coverage for the structure of your home. That means if it costs more than expected to rebuild your house after a covered claim, Chubb will pay more than your dwelling coverage limit.

Chubb policyholders may also be able to take advantage of the company’s HomeScan service, which uses infrared cameras to look for problems behind the walls of your home.

Learn more about the company with our Chubb home insurance review.

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Nationwide
4.5

NerdWallet rating 
For shoppers seeking a broad range of coverage options, Nationwide may fit the bill.

OVERVIEW

PROS & CONS

WHY WE PICKED IT
Coverage options
More than average
Discounts
Great set of discounts
NAIC complaints
Close to expected
We like Nationwide for its wide variety of coverage options. For example, its standard homeowners insurance policy generally includes ordinance or law coverage, which can help pay to bring your home up to current building codes after a covered claim. You can add other coverage for things like identity theft and damage from backed-up sewers and drains.

Depending on how much personal assistance you need, you can get a quote for homeowners insurance on the Nationwide website or work with a local agent instead. You can also use the website to pay bills, file claims or check claim status.

Learn more with our Nationwide home insurance review.

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USAA
5.0

NerdWallet rating 
Offers perks for the military community.

OVERVIEW

PROS & CONS

WHY WE PICKED IT
Coverage options
Below average
Discounts
Average set of discounts
NAIC complaints
Far fewer than expected
USAA sells homeowners insurance to veterans, active military and their families. If you fall into one of those groups, you might want to look into USAA’s offerings. The company’s homeowners policies include some unique perks such as deductible-free coverage for military uniforms and coverage for identity theft.

Homeowners in Pennsylvania can take part in the company’s Connected Home program, which gives you a discount on your policy if you buy and install approved smart home devices. These include water leak sensors, cameras and thermostats.

Read our USAA home insurance review to learn more.

How much does homeowners insurance cost in Pennsylvania?
The average annual cost of home insurance in Pennsylvania is $995. That’s 45% less than the national average of $1,820.

In most U.S. states, including Pennsylvania, many insurers use your credit-based insurance score to help set rates. Your insurance score is similar but not identical to your traditional credit score.

In Pennsylvania, those with poor credit pay an average of $2,910 per year for homeowners insurance, according to NerdWallet’s rate analysis. That’s 193% more than those with good credit.

» MORE: How much is homeowners insurance?

Average cost of homeowners insurance in Pennsylvania by city
The cost of home insurance in Pennsylvania varies based on where you live within the state. For example, the average cost of homeowners insurance in Philadelphia is $1,505 per year, while Pittsburgh homeowners pay $995 per year, on average.

City

Average annual rate

Average monthly rate

Allentown

$955

$80

Altoona

$955

$80

Bethlehem

$945

$79

Carlisle

$890

$74

Chambersburg

$910

$76

Easton

$945

$79

Erie

$1,000

$83

Greensburg

$970

$81

Harrisburg

$910

$76

Johnstown

$965

$80

Lancaster

$880

$73

Lansdale

$1,025

$85

Lebanon

$920

$77

Levittown

$1,255

$105

Mechanicsburg

$900

$75

Norristown

$1,070

$89

Philadelphia

$1,505

$125

Pittsburgh

$995

$83

Pottstown

$1,005

$84

Reading

$910

$76

Scranton

$1,015

$85

State College

$910

$76

West Chester

$1,010

$84

Wilkes-Barre

$980

$82

York

$890

$74

The cheapest homeowners insurance in Pennsylvania
Aside from the well-rated insurers listed above, Pennsylvanians have other options for homeowners insurance that may be cheaper. Below are companies with average annual rates below the state average of $995.

Company

NerdWallet star rating

Average annual rate

Cumberland Mutual

3.0NerdWallet rating 
$445

Allstate

4.0NerdWallet rating 
$625

Penn National

Not rated

$680

Westfield

4.0NerdWallet rating 
$740

Erie

5.0NerdWallet rating 
$775

State Farm

5.0NerdWallet rating 
$790

What to know about Pennsylvania homeowners insurance
Pennsylvania faces several types of natural disasters that could damage your home. Below are a few problems you might encounter, plus information on how to make sure your home is covered.

Flooding
Flooding is the most common disaster in the state, according to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency
[1]
. A standard homeowners policy doesn’t cover flood damage, so you may want to buy separate flood insurance. (If you live in a high-risk area and have a mortgage, your lender may require it.)

Note that even if flood insurance isn’t mandated for your property, you may still be at risk. PEMA looked at all Pennsylvania flood locations reported to the National Weather Service between 1993 and 2021, and it found that about 90% of those floods occurred outside the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s 100-year flood plain. The 100-year flood plain is an area where the risk of flooding is at least 1% each year.

To find your home’s flood risk, check the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s flood maps or visit RiskFactor.com, a tool from the nonprofit First Street Foundation.

» MORE: How to choose the best flood insurance

Winter storms
Snow, sleet, ice and freezing rain are all common elements of a Pennsylvania winter, and they can lead to home damage like burst pipes and fallen trees. Most homeowners insurance policies cover damage due to snow and ice, with certain restrictions.

For example, you’d typically be covered if a blizzard knocked a tree on top of your home, damaging the roof or other parts of the structure. But if the tree simply fell over onto the lawn, you likely wouldn’t have coverage for the expense of hauling it away.

Your policy will generally cover damage from frozen pipes as long as you’ve taken reasonable measures to prevent them. Say you went out of town for a week and a pipe burst because you left your thermostat set at 50 degrees. Your insurance company might refuse to pay for the damage because you didn’t keep your home warm enough to prevent pipes from freezing.

» MORE: 4 winter home insurance claims and how to prevent them

Tropical storms and tornadoes
Tropical storms and tornadoes can cause severe wind damage to Pennsylvania homes. Standard homeowners policies cover wind damage, but some policies may have a separate deductible for hurricanes, tropical storms or “named storms.”

This deductible is a percentage of your home's insured value rather than a flat dollar amount. So if your home is insured for $300,000 with a 5% deductible, you’ll have to pay for the first $15,000 of damage from a storm. The deductible can apply to damage from a hurricane, tropical storm or even a tornado that occurs as part of a named storm.