Renters insurance by state
No US state requires renters insurance by law, but landlords can require it in a lease anywhere, and the average policy costs about $23 a month nationally, from $18 in Massachusetts to $35 in Arkansas. Choose your state for local costs, rules and the risks that matter where you live.
- Arkansas$35/mo
- Florida$13/mo
- Georgia$18/mo
- Iowa$21/mo
- Maryland$23/mo
- Massachusetts$18/mo
- Michigan$30/mo
- Missouri$28/mo
- New Jersey$18/mo
- New York$11/mo
- Oklahoma$31/mo
- Oregon$21/mo
- Tennessee$24/mo
- Virginia$20/mo
- Wisconsin$19/mo
We're publishing state guides in stages. 15 are live now; the rest follow over the coming weeks.
Lowest average cost
- Massachusetts, about $18/mo
- New Jersey, about $18/mo
- New York, about $19/mo
- Virginia, about $20/mo
- Wisconsin, about $20/mo
Highest average cost
Rankings use one rate study so states are compared on the same basis: ValuePenguin, Average Cost of Renters Insurance by State (Sept 2026), national average $23/mo. Each state page cites its own detailed sources, which may differ.
Why the state matters
A renters policy is the same shape everywhere: personal property, liability and loss of use. What changes is the weather. A standard policy covers fire, theft, windstorms and burst pipes, but it never covers flood and rarely covers earthquakes, so a renter in Florida or Louisiana needs a separate flood policy and a renter in California should price earthquake coverage. Each state page lists the local risks and whether the standard policy pays for them.
Prices follow the same logic. Coastal and high-theft areas cost more; rural and inland areas cost less. The city tables on each page show the spread inside the state.
New to renters insurance? Start with what it covers and what it costs.