Washington County is located roughly in the middle of the Florida Panhandle, and the landlocked county is primarily made up of suburban and rural communities. In 2019, according to the US Census Bureau, the population in Washington County was 25,473, which makes the county among those with the least residents in Florida.
The median household income in Washington County in 2018 was $37,888, which is much lower than the state and national equivalents, which is likely due to the lack of urban centers or coastal land in the county.
Home Insurance Premiums in Washington County
Because Washington County is a county without direct exposure to the Gulf of Mexico, factors like wind mitigation features don’t have as large of an impact on the average cost of home insurance. In other Florida counties that have property near or on the coastline, homes without wind mitigation tend to have the highest average premiums, but as you can see in the following table, that’s not the case in Washington County.
Average Homeowners Premiums in Washington County
| Construction Type | Home Value | Average Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-2001 (No Wind Mitigation) | $150,000 | $1,794.41 |
| Pre-2001 (With Wind Mitigation) | $150,000 | $1,260.33 |
| New Construction | $300,000 | $2,067.48 |
| Overall Average | $1,707.41 |
The data from Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation revealed an overall average for home insurance in Washington County to be $1,707. Relative to the average home insurance premiums in Florida counties, the averages in Washington County are relatively low but that doesn’t mean there’s no room to find some serious savings if you shop around.
To get your comparison shopping off to a solid start, consider asking for quotes from these companies, which have had the lowest average premiums in recent years in the county.
Depending on the construction type of the home you’re interested in purchasing or already own, shopping with these companies can get you quotes that are range between roughly $500 to $900 cheaper than the county averages.
For $150,000 homes built before 2001 without wind mitigation, the average premium is $1,794.
To find below-average quotes check out these insurers:
- Citizens – $1,155
- St. Johns – $1,259
- Universal – $1,303
- Florida Peninsula – $1,342
List of Companies & Rates for Home Valued at $150,000, Pre-2001 Construction Without Wind Mitigation Rate in Washington, FL
| Company | Annual Premium |
|---|---|
| Citizens | $1,155 |
| St. Johns | $1,259 |
| Universal | $1,303 |
| Florida Peninsula | $1,342 |
| Security First | $1,392 |
| First Protective | $1,402 |
| Tower Hill Prime | $1,420 |
| Southern Fidelity | $1,481 |
| Stillwater | $1,547 |
| Florida Farm Bureau | $1,566 |
| People's Trust | $1,581 |
| Tower Hill Signature | $1,611 |
| Family Security | $1,676 |
| First Community | $1,711 |
| Tower Hill Preferred | $1,732 |
| Liberty Mutual | $1,813 |
| American Integrity | $1,829 |
| American Traditions | $1,855 |
| Tower Hill Select | $1,883 |
| Castle Key | $1,918 |
| ASI | $1,977 |
| FedNat | $2,300 |
| Southern Oak | $2,402 |
| Auto Club of Florida | $2,431 |
| State Farm Florida | $2,574 |
| Universal | $2,605 |
| Florida Family | $2,684 |
| Average | $1,794.41 |
For $150,000 homes built before 2001 with wind mitigation, the average premium is $1,260.
To find below-average quotes check out these insurers:
- Universal – $765
- St. Johns – $776
- Florida Farm – $782
- First Protective – $785
List of Companies & Rates for Home Valued at $150,000, Pre-2001 Construction With Wind Mitigation Rate in Washington, FL
| Company | Annual Premium |
|---|---|
| Universal | $765 |
| St. Johns | $776 |
| Florida Farm Bureau | $782 |
| First Protective | $785 |
| Citizens | $837 |
| Tower Hill Prime | $934 |
| Florida Peninsula | $1,050 |
| Stillwater | $1,087 |
| People's Trust | $1,089 |
| Security First | $1,131 |
| Southern Fidelity | $1,160 |
| Tower Hill Preferred | $1,164 |
| FedNat | $1,189 |
| Tower Hill Signature | $1,277 |
| Tower Hill Select | $1,283 |
| Family Security | $1,310 |
| First Community | $1,341 |
| American Traditions | $1,351 |
| Universal | $1,360 |
| Liberty Mutual | $1,372 |
| American Integrity | $1,391 |
| ASI | $1,566 |
| Castle Key | $1,575 |
| Southern Oak | $1,611 |
| Auto Club of Florida | $1,679 |
| Florida Family | $1,953 |
| State Farm Florida | $2,211 |
| Average | $1,260.33 |
For $300,000 Homes with new construction, the average premium is $2,067.
To find below-average quotes check out these insurers:
- St. Johns – $1,268
- Florida Farm – $1,402
- Stillwater – $1,407
- Universal – $1,415
List of Companies & Rates for Home Valued at $300,000, New Construction in Washington, FL
| Company | Annual Premium |
|---|---|
| St. Johns | $1,268 |
| Florida Farm Bureau | $1,402 |
| Stillwater | $1,407 |
| Universal | $1,415 |
| First Protective | $1,444 |
| People's Trust | $1,626 |
| Security First | $1,648 |
| Citizens | $1,661 |
| Florida Peninsula | $1,682 |
| Tower Hill Prime | $1,762 |
| American Traditions | $1,857 |
| Family Security | $1,915 |
| American Integrity | $1,988 |
| Tower Hill Select | $2,015 |
| Tower Hill Preferred | $2,035 |
| First Community | $2,089 |
| Southern Oak | $2,129 |
| Southern Fidelity | $2,262 |
| Castle Key | $2,284 |
| Tower Hill Signature | $2,310 |
| Universal | $2,343 |
| FedNat | $2,363 |
| Auto Club of Florida | $2,444 |
| ASI | $2,542 |
| Liberty Mutual | $2,786 |
| Florida Family | $3,433 |
| State Farm Florida | $3,712 |
| Average | $2,067.48 |
Flood Insurance in Washington
Although Washington County homes might not face the same level of exposure to hurricanes coming up the Gulf Coast each year, homeowners will still need to have flood insurance policies to protect them from the financially devastating effects these storms can have.
Your standard home insurance policy won’t cover any water damage that comes from floods, and you can get affordable premiums from companies like First Protective that underwrite policies from the Federal National Flood Insurance program.
Population Centers in Washington County
The two largest cities in Washington County are Chipley and Vernon. Chipley is considerably larger, with over 3,000 residents, while Vernon has fewer than 700. The median household income in each is much lower than that of the county, which is likely because the farming jobs that make up most of Washington County’s economy are in shorter supply.
Referring back to the US Census, owner-occupied homes in the county had a median value of $109,800 from 2014-2018, which is low for the state but relatively high for the county’s median income. Comparatively, the neighboring county with the most similar household income is Holmes County and its median home value is almost $20,000 lower.
