To get the best homeowners insurance in New Jersey, we gathered tens of thousands of offers from around the state. In addition to pricing, we evaluated each of the firms we examined based on their policy features, customer service, and financial soundness.
The average annual cost of homeowners insurance in New Jersey is $1,410.
The best prices we discovered for average homeowners were $776. However, pricing isn't the sole factor in deciding between two companies. Below, we showcase New Jersey suppliers for homes with various needs, as well as our recommendation for the finest for the majority of individuals.
NJM Is The Best Insurance For The Majority Of Consumers.
NJM is the insurance carrier that we suggest to the majority of homeowners in New Jersey. It has the lowest costs we discovered in the state by a wide margin: Its average yearly fee of $776 for our sample property is 45 percent less than the statewide average and 18 percent less than the second-cheapest alternative we discovered.
NJM delivers excellent customer service in addition to low rates. It has a National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint index of 0.03, indicating that it got much fewer complaints from clients than the average firm of its size.
NJM offers a very standard selection of discounts and coverages, albeit it does not have the widest selection we examined. NJM provides online facilities such as quotations, bill pay, and claims, which are rather uncommon among regional insurance businesses like NJM.
Get The Best Home Insurance in your Location
Allstate Is The Best National Insurance Provider.
We suggest Allstate to homeowners searching for the dependability and coverage alternatives offered by a big national insurance carrier. It features low prices, a large number of agents, and good online facilities including estimates, claims processing, and bill pay. Allstate's average annual cost was $967, or 31% less than the average we found across all insurers.
Another significant advantage of purchasing homes insurance from a national insurer such as Allstate is that the risk is regionally distributed. It provides homes insurance across the United States, so it's better positioned to handle the financial losses of a large hurricane — especially considering A.M. Best's "Excellent" financial strength rating.
Allstate offers a broad range of less-common home coverages, like "green improvement reimbursement," which pays extra to replace damaged goods with more environmentally friendly equivalents, as well as home share coverage for customers who use Airbnb or Vrbo. Allstate's insurance offers to extend far beyond house insurance: it also sells vehicle, motorcycle, life, and umbrella insurance, among other things.
Narragansett Bay Insurance Is The Best Option For Coastal Homes.
People who reside near the Jersey Shore and want coastal house insurance knowledge might check into Narragansett Bay Insurance. The firm exclusively provides insurance on the East Coast and offers particular coverage choices that may be appealing to coastal residents.
The "Mariner Plus" certification from Narragansett Bay provides numerous benefits that may assist safeguard your property during a storm or nor'easter: It raises your home content limitations and tree-removal coverage, among other things.
Aside from its coast-specific coverages, Narragansett Bay provides relatively low insurance quotes: $946 on average, placing it among the most cheap firms we discovered.
The most significant disadvantage of purchasing Narragansett Bay insurance is that it is only available through an agent: rates cannot be obtained online. You may, however, make bill payments and report claims on its website.
Chubb Is The Best Choice For High-Value Homeowners.
Chubb insurance, which specializes in coverage for high-value properties, should be considered by owners of high-value residences. Chubb has larger limits than other insurers, as well as coverages that are particularly appealing to rich consumers. For example, Chubb provides a pay-out option if your house is completely destroyed: instead of having to use the money to repair your property, you may just retain it.
Chubb is recognised for its top-tier customer care and no-hassle claims procedure, in addition to providing high-end coverage. As a result, it has a very high NAIC complaint index of 0.17, indicating that it receives fewer than one-fifth of the expected amount of complaints from a normal home insurer.
Unfortunately, Chubb's plans are not the most cost-effective solutions. Its annual cost for our sample property was the same as the statewide average: $1,410. Furthermore, Chubb has minimal coverage restrictions. To qualify for Chubb insurance, you must purchase coverage that exceeds a particular dollar number; therefore, if you're seeking a policy with a low coverage limit, Chubb may not be for you.
The Top-Rated New Jersey Homeowners Insurance Providers
When choosing an insurance provider, it's critical to pick one that combines a low price with excellent customer service. When we evaluate insurance firms, we look at two main factors: the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint index and its financial soundness as established by A.M. Best.
Insurer |
NAIC complaint index |
AM Best |
AIG | 0.1 | A |
Allstate | 0.3 | A+ |
American Family Insurance | 0.66 | A |
Andover Companies | 0.12 | A+ |
Chubb | 0.17 | A++ |
CSAA Insurance Exchange | 0.65 | A |
Cumberland Insurance Group | 0.28 | A- |
Farmers Insurance | 0.17 | A |
Franklin Mutual | 0 | A+ |
Heritage Insurance | 0.2 | -- |
Liberty Mutual | 0 | A |
MetLife | 0.22 | A |
National General | 0.3 | A- |
NJM Insurance | 0.03 | A+ |
Philadelphia Contributionship | 0.47 | A |
Plymouth Rock of New Jersey | -- | A- |
Preferred Mutual Insurance Co. | 0.37 | A |
Selective | -- | A |
State Farm | 0.2 | A++ |
Travelers | 0.23 | A++ |
UPC Insurance | 7.02 | -- |
USAA | 0.15 | A++ |
The NAIC complaint index relates a company's size to the number of complaints received. A lower complaint index indicates that clients are generally satisfied with the service provided by their insurance company: The national average score is 1.0.
The A.M. Best financial strength rating (FSR) is a comprehensive assessment of an insurer's financial health and capacity to pay claims in the face of adversity, regardless of the economic climate or widespread calamity (such as a hurricane). The greatest possible mark is an A++, while the lowest possible grade is a D.
The Most Affordable Homeowners Insurance Alternatives In New Jersey
The cost of house insurance is one of the most significant factors to consider when selecting a company. With this in mind, we assessed which insurance providers provide the most affordable rates across the state. Here are the top ten most affordable insurance providers in New Jersey:
Insurer |
Average Annual Cost |
NJM | $776 |
Preferred Mutual | $942 |
Heritage | $946 |
Franklin Mutual | $946 |
Selective | $946 |
Allstate | $967 |
Cumberland Insurance Group | $1,119 |
State Farm | $1,130 |
Travelers | $1,154 |
National General | $1,154 |
The Most Prevalent Risks Covered By Homeowners Insurance In New Jersey
Because of its location on the Atlantic coast, New Jersey is vulnerable to a variety of seasonal storms that originate in the Atlantic Ocean, such as hurricanes and nor'easters. These huge storms may cause a variety of problems for New Jersey residents, including wind, rain, snow, and floods. Some of these are covered by insurance, while others are not.
Is Wind Damage Covered Under Homeowners Insurance?
Wind damage to your house is nearly usually covered by home insurance. The wind is one of the primary risks covered by almost every homeowner's insurance policy. This is true whether the wind tears shingles off your roof flings a rock through a window, or smashes a tree into your garage.
Methods for lowering the risk of wind damage include:
•During a storm, cover windows and doors.
•Keep yard furniture and other possible missiles secure.
•Trim the trees and bushes around your house.
•Strengthen your garage door.
Is Rain And Flooding Damage Covered By Insurance?
Unfortunately, rain and flooding damage to dwellings is typically not covered by regular homeowners insurance plans. Instead, homeowners whose homes are in danger of flooding must purchase a separate flood insurance policy, which covers damage to your property from both hurricane-related flooding and river overflow.
There are two types of flood insurance available to homeowners: those backed by the federal government but offered by private insurers (commonly referred to as NFIP flood insurance) and those that are wholly private. The key distinctions between the two are as follows:
Everyone
$250,000
30 day
In high-risk locations, it may not be provided.
There is no legal limit.
There might be a shorter wait time.
Is Snow Damage Covered By Homes Insurance?
The weight of snow after a severe or particularly wet blizzard may weigh down and damage your roof or other structure, even triggering a collapse in extreme cases. Fortunately, damage caused by snow weight is covered by homes insurance, as long as you did not cause the harm via negligence.
If you're concerned about snow or ice harming your roof, be sure you clear the snow from your roof on a regular basis and keep your gutters free to avoid blockages.
City-By-City Analysis Of New Jersey Insurance Premiums
In addition to a full statewide rate comparison, we investigated the cost of house insurance on a city-by-city basis. See below for the cost of homeowners insurance in 52 of New Jersey's major cities and municipalities, as well as how they compare to the statewide average.
City |
Average cost |
% difference from average |
Bayonne | $1,399 | -0.029 |
Bloomfield | $1,325 | -0.081 |
Brick | $1,838 | 0.276 |
Bridgewater | $1,102 | -0.235 |
Camden | $1,773 | 0.23 |
Cherry Hill | $1,531 | 0.063 |
Clifton | $1,293 | -0.102 |
East Brunswick | $1,230 | -0.146 |
East Orange | $1,727 | 0.198 |
Edison | $1,209 | -0.161 |
Egg Harbor Township | $1,854 | 0.287 |
Elizabeth | $1,390 | -0.035 |
Franklin | $1,117 | -0.225 |
Gloucester City | $1,576 | 0.094 |
Hackensack | $1,229 | -0.147 |
Hillsborough | $1,125 | -0.219 |
Hoboken | $1,371 | -0.049 |
Howell | $1,478 | 0.026 |
Irvington | $1,592 | 0.105 |
Jackson | $1,414 | -0.018 |
Jersey City | $1,595 | 0.107 |
Kearny | $1,347 | -0.065 |
Lakewood | $1,506 | 0.045 |
Linden | $1,281 | -0.111 |
Manchester Township | $1,375 | -0.046 |
Marlboro | $1,379 | -0.043 |
Middletown | $1,566 | 0.087 |
Monroe Township | $1,215 | -0.157 |
Mount Laurel | $1,457 | 0.011 |
New Brunswick | $1,232 | -0.145 |
Newark | $1,694 | 0.176 |
North Bergen | $1,386 | -0.038 |
North Brunswick | $1,190 | -0.174 |
Old Bridge | $1,303 | -0.096 |
Parsippany | $1,092 | -0.242 |
Passaic | $1,522 | 0.056 |
Paterson | $1,643 | 0.14 |
Perth Amboy | $1,359 | -0.057 |
Piscataway | $1,186 | -0.177 |
Plainfield | $1,293 | -0.103 |
Sayreville | $1,352 | -0.062 |
Teaneck | $1,212 | -0.159 |
Toms River | $1,750 | 0.214 |
Trenton | $1,478 | 0.026 |
Union | $1,298 | -0.099 |
Union City | $1,457 | 0.012 |
Vineland | $1,610 | 0.117 |
Washington | $1,107 | -0.232 |
Wayne | $1,231 | -0.146 |
West New York | $1,351 | -0.063 |
West Orange | $1,326 | -0.08 |
Woodbridge | $1,348 | -0.064 |
Given the large variety in rates within New Jersey, it's evident that your prices can alter much more dramatically if you go to another state. When attempting to evaluate how much your monthly budget will be influenced by regional variations in your cost of living, comparing the differences in typical rates for homeowners insurance coverage on a statewide level may be instructive.
Methodology
We gathered hundreds of quotes from 17 of New Jersey's most popular home insurance carriers for every ZIP code in the state for our statewide home insurance comparison. Our example home was built in 1969 and has a $334,900 dwelling coverage maximum.
We surveyed the following home insurance companies:
•Allstate
•The American Family Insurance Company
•Chubb
•Cumberland Insurance Group
•Franklin Mutual Insurance Company
•Heritage Insurance Services, Inc.
•Liberty Mutual Insurance Company
•General National
•NJM Coverage
•Contribution from Philadelphia
•New Jersey's Plymouth Rock
•Preferred Mutual Insurance Company, Inc.
•Selective
•State Farm Insurance
•Travelers
•UPC Protection Insurance
•USAA
The insurance rate data utilized in Value Penguin's study came from Quadrant Information Services. These prices were obtained publically from insurer filings and should only be used for comparison purposes – your individual quotations may change.