Key takeaways
Chubb, USAA and Amica received some of the highest ratings in our analysis of home insurers in Wisconsin.
Erie is the best cheap insurer in Wisconsin, with a star rating of 4.6 and an average annual premium of $1,390.
Chubb, USAA and Amica are the some of the best home insurance companies in Wisconsin, according to our analysis.
To help you find the best home insurance in Wisconsin, we gathered and analyzed data from insurance companies across the state. These are the insurers that earned 4.6 stars or more.
Rates are based on a sample homeowner with no recent claims, $300,000 of dwelling coverage, $300,000 of liability coverage and a $1,000 deductible.
Company | NerdWallet star rating | Average annual rate |
|---|---|---|
Not available | ||
Not available | ||
Not available | ||
$1,515 | ||
Not available | ||
$1,390 | ||
USAA* | $1,415 | |
*USAA homeowners policies are available only to active military, veterans and their families. | ||
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Below are more details about the best homeowners insurance companies in Wisconsin.
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.
Chubb
- Far fewer consumer complaints than expected for a company of its size.
- Standard coverage includes features that many companies offer only as extras.
- Perks to help you protect your home.
- Most consumers can't get a quote online and will instead need to contact a local agent.
Chubb caters to affluent homeowners, offering coverage other insurers often charge extra for. For example, the company’s policies include extended replacement cost coverage for the structure of your home. This is useful in case it costs more than your dwelling limit to rebuild after a disaster. Chubb’s standard policies also cover water damage from backed-up sewers and drains.
Chubb policyholders may be eligible for the company’s HomeScan service, which uses infrared cameras to look for problems behind the walls of your home.
» READ MORE: Chubb homeowners insurance review
Amica
- High customer satisfaction ratings and low consumer complaints.
- Platinum Choice package offers extra coverage.
- Dividend policies can return a portion of your premiums.
- You can start a quote online but may have to finish the buying process by phone.
Amica shines when it comes to customer service. It draws a very low rate of complaints compared to other insurers, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Amica also earned high marks in two recent J.D. Power surveys about home insurance and customer satisfaction.
The company stands out for its broad range of coverage options. For example, you can customize your policy with extra coverage above your dwelling limit. This could be useful in case your house costs more to rebuild than expected. You may also want to add coverage for identity theft or damage from backed-up drains.
» READ MORE: Amica homeowners insurance review
Cincinnati Insurance
- Various coverage options.
- Far fewer complaints than expected for a company of its size.
- Coverage available for higher-value homes.
- No online quotes.
- Very little information on website.
If you want to do business with companies that value sustainability, consider Cincinnati Insurance. In recent years, the insurer has reduced fossil fuel emissions from both its facilities and company vehicles. When you buy Cincinnati home insurance, you may be able to add a “green upgrade” endorsement. With this coverage, you can use eco-friendly materials to repair or rebuild your home after a claim.
The company offers a variety of other options, including comprehensive coverage for high-value homes. You may be able to add coverage for things like identity theft, personal cyber attacks or certain types of water damage.
» READ MORE: Cincinnati homeowners insurance review
State Farm
- User-friendly website.
- Agents offer personalized service.
- Policies generally include extra coverage for your home’s structure.
- Below average for claim satisfaction in a recent J.D. Power study.
As America’s largest home insurer, State Farm stands out for its long list of coverage options. Its policies generally include extra dwelling coverage in case it costs more than expected to rebuild your home.
You may be able to add coverage for things like identity theft and water damage from backed-up drains. Another option may be to add an inflation guard rider to your policy. This automatically increases your policy limits to keep up with rising costs.
State Farm offers a free Ting smart plug to home insurance policyholders as a perk. This device monitors your home’s electrical network to help prevent fires.
» READ MORE: State Farm homeowners insurance review
Country Financial
- Far fewer complaints than expected for a company of its size.
- Many coverage options available.
- Can get an online quote but must finish the purchase over the phone.
Country Financial has multiple levels of homeowners coverage to help you choose the package that’s best for you. You can also add extra coverage for the structure of your home, in case your policy limit isn’t enough to cover the cost of rebuilding.
Country Financial sells homeowners insurance through local representatives. The company draws a very low rate of consumer complaints to state regulators.
» READ MORE: Country Financial homeowners insurance review
Erie
- Policies may include guaranteed replacement cost coverage.
- Receives fewer complaints than expected for a company of its size.
- High customer satisfaction ratings in recent J.D. Power studies.
- No online quotes.
Erie stands out by including guaranteed replacement cost coverage for the structure of your home in most of the states it covers. With this coverage, the company will pay to rebuild your home completely after a disaster, even if the amount exceeds your dwelling limit. Many insurers don’t offer this at all, even as an option.
If you bundle your home and auto insurance with Erie, you could get a discount of 15% or more. You may also be able to save on your premium if your home has safety and security features such as smoke alarms or sprinkler systems.
» READ MORE: Erie homeowners insurance review
USAA
- Policies include standard coverage that often costs extra elsewhere.
- Fewer customer complaints to state regulators than expected for a company of its size.
- Perks for military homeowners.
- Available only to active military members, veterans and their families.
USAA sells homeowners insurance to active military members, veterans and their families. If that’s you, you may want to consider USAA.
The company offers some perks that are specific to members of the military, like deductible-free coverage for military uniforms and equipment. USAA will also waive your deductible if your personal property is damaged or lost due to war.
USAA homeowners insurance has certain features that many insurers charge extra for. For example, USAA covers your personal belongings on a replacement cost basis. That means you’ll get enough money to buy brand-new replacements for damaged items. Many companies pay only what your items are worth at the time of the claim.
» READ MORE: USAA homeowners insurance review
- See all NerdWallet home insurance reviews
How much does homeowners insurance cost in Wisconsin?
The average annual cost of home insurance in Wisconsin is $1,515. That’s 28% less than the national average of $2,110.
In most U.S. states, including Wisconsin, 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 Wisconsin, those with poor credit pay an average of $3,140 per year for homeowners insurance, according to NerdWallet’s rate analysis. That’s more than twice what those with good credit pay.
Average cost of homeowners insurance in Wisconsin by city
How much you pay for homeowners insurance in Wisconsin depends on where you live. For instance, the average cost of home insurance in Milwaukee is $1,610 per year, while homeowners in Madison pay $1,455 per year, on average.
City | Average annual rate | Average monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
Appleton | $1,490 | $124 |
Beloit | $1,580 | $132 |
Brookfield | $1,515 | $126 |
De Pere | $1,470 | $123 |
Eau Claire | $1,825 | $152 |
Fond Du Lac | $1,490 | $124 |
Green Bay | $1,440 | $120 |
Janesville | $1,585 | $132 |
Kenosha | $1,515 | $126 |
La Crosse | $1,715 | $143 |
Madison | $1,455 | $121 |
Manitowoc | $1,430 | $119 |
Menomonee Falls | $1,515 | $126 |
Milwaukee | $1,610 | $134 |
Neenah | $1,515 | $126 |
New Berlin | $1,530 | $128 |
Oconomowoc | $1,515 | $126 |
Oshkosh | $1,515 | $126 |
Racine | $1,540 | $128 |
Sheboygan | $1,365 | $114 |
Stevens Point | $1,670 | $139 |
Sun Prairie | $1,495 | $125 |
Waukesha | $1,515 | $126 |
Wausau | $1,485 | $124 |
West Bend | $1,525 | $127 |
The cheapest home insurance in Wisconsin
Here are the insurers we found with average annual rates below the Wisconsin average of $1,515.
Company | NerdWallet star rating | Average annual rate |
|---|---|---|
Rural Mutual | Not rated | $1,015 |
Wisconsin Mutual | Not rated | $1,225 |
$1,265 | ||
Badger Mutual | Not rated | $1,290 |
$1,390 | ||
$1,465 | ||
Hastings Mutual | Not rated | $1,490 |
USAA* | $1,415 | |
*USAA homeowners policies are available only to active military, veterans and their families. | ||
Common risks for Wisconsin homeowners
Here are a few of the most common risks Wisconsin homeowners face, along with steps you can take to insure your home against them.
Flooding
Standard homeowners insurance policies typically don't cover flood damage. As a result, homeowners in flood-prone areas may need to buy separate flood insurance. Note that you can buy flood coverage at any time, but there’s usually a 30-day waiting period before the insurance takes effect.
To check your flood risk, start by looking up your address on the Federal Emergency Management Agency's flood maps. However, FEMA’s maps don’t always capture all types of flood risk. You may want to check another source, like First Street, a private company that models climate hazards. Enter your address at the top of the page to see your home’s flood risk rating on a scale of 1 to 10.
» MORE: Do you need flood insurance?
Winter storms
A standard homeowners insurance policy typically covers damage caused by winter storms. There is nuance to what types of damage are covered, so review your policy carefully. Say a melting ice dam caused water seepage. If it's behind your drywall it could be covered, but you may need separate flood insurance policy to cover it leaking into your foundation.
Tornadoes
Homeowners insurance often includes wind damage, including any caused by tornadoes. However, you may have a separate wind deductible. These can be a flat rate, such as $1,000, or a percentage of your dwelling coverage. For example, your policy may have a $1,000 deductible for most claims and a 1% deductible for wind claims. If your policy has $250,000 worth of dwelling coverage, you’d have to pay for the first $2,500 of wind damage yourself. Learn more about home insurance and tornadoes.
Hailstorms
Coverage for hail damage is often included in your homeowners insurance. But some policies may come with a separate deductible similar to those for wind damage.
Wisconsin insurance department
The Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance oversees the insurance industry and serves as a resource for consumers. You can get answers to general questions about insurance through the website or by phone at 800-236-8517. If you need to file a complaint against your insurer, you can do so using an online form or by mail.
How we rate homeowners insurance
NerdWallet’s star ratings reward companies for consumer-first features and practices. We evaluate factors such as consumer experience, coverage, discounts and financial strength.
In our research, we analyzed:
More than 270 million homeowners insurance rates.
More than 100 insurance companies.
Nearly 200 homeowner profiles.
View our complete homeowners insurance rating methodology.
- Find home insurance in other states
Amanda Shapland contributed to this story.
Frequently asked questions
Is homeowners insurance required in Wisconsin?
Is homeowners insurance required in Wisconsin?
Homeowners insurance isn't required by Wisconsin state law. However, your lender may require you to purchase home insurance. For more information, read Is Homeowners Insurance Required?
How can I save money on homeowners insurance in Wisconsin?
How can I save money on homeowners insurance in Wisconsin?
Standard homeowners insurance policies in Wisconsin don't cover flooding. If you live in a flood plain or an area at risk for floods, you should consider buying separate flood insurance.
How can I save money on homeowners insurance in Wisconsin?
There are several ways to save money on homeowners insurance in Wisconsin:
Shop around to make sure you’re getting the best rate.
Choose a higher deductible. In case of any claims, you’ll pay more out of pocket, but your premiums will be lower.
Bundle your home and auto insurance for a lower overall rate. See the best home and auto insurance bundles.
Ask your insurer if you qualify for any home insurance discounts.
Star rating methodology
NerdWallet’s homeowners insurance ratings reward companies for customer-first features and practices. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including financial strength, consumer complaints, coverage, discounts, claims process and website functionality. These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews or star ratings.
Here’s how we weighted each category to come up with our list of the best home insurance companies:
Consumer experience (40%).
Financial strength (30%).
Coverage (25%).
Discounts (5%).
Read our full home insurance ratings methodology for more details.
Homeowners insurance rates methodology
NerdWallet calculated median rates for 40-year-old homeowners from various insurance companies in the 25 largest cities in each U.S. state by population. All rates are rounded to the nearest $5.
Sample homeowners were nonsmokers with good credit living in a single-family, two-story home built in 1984. They had a $1,000 deductible and the following coverage limits:
$300,000 in dwelling coverage.
$30,000 in other structures coverage.
$150,000 in personal property coverage.
$60,000 in loss of use coverage.
$300,000 in liability coverage.
$1,000 in medical payments coverage.
We made minor changes to the sample policy in cases where rates for the above coverage limits or deductibles weren’t available.
In states where credit is a rating factor, we changed the credit tier from “good” to “poor,” as reported to the insurer, to see rates for homeowners with poor credit.
These are sample rates generated through Quadrant Information Services. Your own rates will be different.
Complaint methodology
NerdWallet examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2022-2024. To assess how insurers compare with one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, NerdWallet calculated a similar index for each insurer, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary, over the three-year period.
NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC. Ratios are determined separately for auto, home (including renters and condo) and life insurance.
