Home Insurance in NC: What's Changing in 2026?

It's official: North Carolina homeowners will see their insurance premiums go up by about 15% by mid-2026. This is all part of a deal the state's Insurance Department made with insurance companies. Commissioner Mike Causey led the charge, standing firm against the industry's initial request for a whopping 42. 2% increase back in January 2024. The final settlement lets insurers boost rates by 7. 5% in 2025 and another 7. 5% in 2026, giving them enough funds to cover bad weather and rising costs. The biggest increases will hit eastern counties that took a beating from Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. Places like beach towns from Carteret to Brunswick will see their base rates jump by 16% in 2025 and another 15. 9% the next year. But not everyone is in the same boat. Areas hardest hit by Hurricane Helene, like Buncombe, Watauga, and Yancey counties, will see lower-than-average increases – just 4. 4% in 2025 and 4. 5% in 2026. Major cities won't be spared either. Raleigh and Durham will see a 7. 5% hike each year. Charlotte will face even steeper increases – 9. 3% in 2025 and 9. 2% in 2026. Good news is, insurers can't ask for more until at least June 2027. The insurance industry isn't thrilled. Jarred Chappell, the Rate Bureau's COO, said they wanted more because storms are getting worse, more people live in risky areas, construction costs are sky-high, and reinsurance is expensive. But for now, this is the deal North Carolinians have to live with. There's a special rule in NC allowing insurers to charge high-risk homeowners up to 250% of the standard rate. This has helped keep insurers in the state, even after disasters. About 40% of home insurance policies in 2022 used this rule.