Dixie County is located along the Gulf Coast, specifically within a region known as the Big Bend, where the panhandle and peninsular Florida meet. According to the US Census Bureau, Dixie County had a population of 16,826 as of July 2019, and the county consists of a mix of beach and rural communities, as well as a number of parks and nature preserves.
Living in Dixie
Dixie County has plenty of natural attractions, including the Suwanee Rivers, the Steinhatchee River, and the Lower Suwanee & Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges, which draw locals and visitors each year.
The county’s biggest draws are the many waterways that visitors can explore, including Hawkinsville’s underwater state park in Hawkinsville, open water diving in Fanning Springs, and cave diving in Manatee Spring. Additionally, both wildlife refuges have mapped out paddling trails to explore.
Home Values in Dixie
The median household income in the county as of 2018 was $38,237, which is around 35 percent lower compared to the national median. Even for that median income, the property values in Dixie County are particularly low, with a median home value of $88,800.
However, there’s a large range of properties in terms of price, which can be significantly higher along the Gulf coastline, where homes can be worth several times the county median.
Home Insurance Premiums in Dixie
As it happens in many waterside communities, having a home with wind mitigation can make a huge difference in what you’ll pay for homeowners insurance in Dixie County. When you compare the premiums in the county for homes worth $150,000, houses that don’t have wind mitigation features have premiums that are over $700 more expensive, on average.
Average Homeowners Premiums in Dixie County
Construction Type | Home Value | Average Premium |
---|---|---|
Pre-2001 (No Wind Mitigation) | $150,000 | $1,855.96 |
Pre-2001 (With Wind Mitigation) | $150,000 | $1,137.48 |
New Construction | $300,000 | $1,896.56 |
Overall Average | $1630.00 |
Using Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation data above, we’ve concluded that the overall average for homeowners insurance in Dixie County is $1630. Comparison shopping is another important part of making sure you’re not overpaying for your home insurance policy. Each insurance company has its own method for calculating the quote that you are offered, which means you can get significantly different prices if you shop around.
In Lafayette County, you can easily save as much as $500 if you obtain a policy with one of the following companies, whose home insurance policies have had the lowest average premiums in the county in recent years.
For $150,000 homes built before 2001 without wind mitigation, the average premium is $1,856.
To get the best rates around, check out these companies:
- Stillwater – $1,215
- Security First – $1,236
- Citizens – $1,255
- Tower Hill Prime – $1,315
List of Companies & Rates for Home Valued at $150,000, Pre-2001 Construction Without Wind Mitigation Rate in Dixie County
Company | Annual Premium |
---|---|
Stillwater | $1,215 |
Security First | $1,236 |
Citizens | $1,255 |
Tower Hill Prime | $1,315 |
FedNat | $1,383 |
St. Johns | $1,386 |
First Community | $1,475 |
First Protective | $1,485 |
People's Trust | $1,600 |
Universal | $1,648 |
Southern Fidelity | $1,660 |
Tower Hill Preferred | $1,725 |
Tower Hill Signature | $1,734 |
Family Security | $1,859 |
Florida Farm Bureau | $1,861 |
Tower Hill Select | $1,898 |
American Traditions | $1,975 |
Liberty Mutual | $1,997 |
American Integrity | $2,024 |
ASI | $2,043 |
Florida Peninsula | $2,067 |
Castle Key | $2,207 |
Universal | $2,216 |
Florida Family | $2,217 |
Southern Oak | $2,776 |
Auto Club of Florida | $2,884 |
State Farm Florida | $2,970 |
Average | $1,855.96 |
For $150,000 homes built before 2001 with wind mitigation, the average premium is $1,137.
To get the best rates around, check out these companies:
- First Protective – $605
- St. Johns – $719
- Universal – $751
- Tower Hill Prime – $788
List of Companies & Rates for Home Valued at $150,000, Pre-2001 Construction With Wind Mitigation Rate in Dixie County
Company | Annual Premium |
---|---|
First Protective | $605 |
St. Johns | $719 |
Universal | $751 |
Tower Hill Prime | $788 |
FedNat | $803 |
Stillwater | $806 |
Citizens | $838 |
Florida Farm Bureau | $914 |
People's Trust | $929 |
Universal | $967 |
Tower Hill Preferred | $1,008 |
Tower Hill Select | $1,036 |
First Community | $1,065 |
Security First | $1,089 |
Tower Hill Signature | $1,097 |
Liberty Mutual | $1,127 |
American Integrity | $1,144 |
Southern Fidelity | $1,184 |
American Traditions | $1,214 |
Family Security | $1,237 |
Florida Family | $1,266 |
Florida Peninsula | $1,314 |
Southern Oak | $1,381 |
ASI | $1,393 |
Castle Key | $1,737 |
Auto Club of Florida | $1,933 |
State Farm Florida | $2,367 |
Average | $1,137.48 |
For $300,000 homes with new construction, the average premium is $1,897.
- Stillwater – $1,040
- St. Johns – $1,171
- First Protective – $1,218
- Security First – $1,445
List of Companies & Rates for Home Valued at $300,000, New Construction in Dixie County
Company | Annual Premium |
---|---|
Stillwater | $1,040 |
St. Johns | $1,171 |
First Protective | $1,218 |
Security First | $1,445 |
Universal | $1,456 |
Tower Hill Prime | $1,489 |
People's Trust | $1,523 |
FedNat | $1,523 |
Florida Farm Bureau | $1,563 |
Southern Oak | $1,594 |
Tower Hill Select | $1,638 |
Citizens | $1,700 |
First Community | $1,730 |
Tower Hill Preferred | $1,766 |
Universal | $1,798 |
American Traditions | $1,815 |
Family Security | $1,876 |
American Integrity | $1,896 |
Tower Hill Signature | $2,025 |
Florida Peninsula | $2,198 |
ASI | $2,245 |
Southern Fidelity | $2,340 |
Florida Family | $2,347 |
Liberty Mutual | $2,446 |
Castle Key | $2,520 |
Auto Club of Florida | $2,796 |
State Farm Florida | $4,049 |
Average | $1,896.56 |
Flood Insurance in Dixie
Because it sits along the Gulf Coast, Dixie County is particularly vulnerable to tropical storms each hurricane season. As a result, homeowners in the county need to have separate flood insurance policies in addition to standard home insurance, which won’t cover the repairs for water damage due to flooding that is so common in the area.
If you’re interested in living in Dixie County, you’ll likely purchase a flood insurance policy through the federal government’s National Flood Insurance Program. Regional companies like First Protective often offer plans through the NFIP, which can make it easy to combine your homeowners and flood insurance policy into a single payment.