Media Call: Experts Discuss Property Insurance Crisis and Highlight New Polling Results Across Five U.S. States
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 9, 2026
Contact: contact@insurancefairnessproject.com
Media Call: Experts Discuss Property Insurance Crisis and Highlight New Polling Results Across Five U.S. States
Americans Are Concerned About Property Insurance Costs Impacting Their Ability to Afford Homes – and They Want Lawmakers to Do More
Watch the recording here.
Earlier today, the Insurance Fairness Project and Climate Power hosted a virtual press call to discuss new polling that shows how rising home insurance costs are placing growing financial strains on households in Arizona, North Carolina, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas. They were joined on the call by experts from Consumer Federation of America and Pleiades Strategy to discuss the real economic impacts and policy landscape in those states.
“From higher electricity bills to grocery prices, Americans are paying the price for the climate crisis,” said Anna Carlson-Ziegler, Campaign Director at Climate Power. “Now climate change is adding another bill to the list: skyrocketing home insurance premiums. In the face of record-breaking extreme weather and weakened disaster response infrastructure, families are making impossible financial trade-offs to protect their homes. Meanwhile, insurance companies rake in record profits. Americans are looking to their elected officials to stand up for them.”
“Rising home insurance costs are an immediate affordability concern for families across the country, and the polling bears that out” said TJ Helmstetter, a spokesperson for the Insurance Fairness Project. “People are worried about their future, families are being forced to make difficult financial trade-offs because of rising premiums, and voters want lawmakers to address the crisis.”
The polling consisted of three surveys conducted in Arizona; North Carolina; and Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska. Key findings include:
Majorities in all three surveys – 51% to 54% – are concerned that insurance costs will impact their ability to keep, sell, buy, or upgrade a home. In every survey, voters under 35 are by far the most concerned demographic.
Roughly three out of four homeowners and renters are concerned about the cost of their home insurance rising in the next three years.
In North Carolina, 30% of respondents say they have been forced to put off a purchase or another expense because of insurance costs, with 26% saying the same in Iowa/Kansas/Nebraska and Arizona. Young adults (18-34) are among the most affected in every survey.
83-86% of respondents say elected officials in their state should do more to reduce rising insurance premiums – a finding that holds across party lines.
Experts explained how the home insurance crisis is increasingly affecting household budgets and making it more challenging for families to afford everyday expenses, purchase homes, and build long-term financial security. They also examined the significance of more frequent and severe climate-fueled disasters, underscoring how more volatile weather events are causing insurance premiums to skyrocket across the country.
Speakers highlighted the growing and overwhelming public support for increased action as a major takeaway from polling results, with 83-86% of respondents wanting more action from elected officials to reduce rising insurance costs. The polling also shows strong support for policies that reduce disaster risk, strengthen community resilience, and hold major polluters accountable for the growing costs of climate impacts.
“Across these five states, families told us they're delaying purchases, worrying about being able to afford their homes, and expecting premiums to keep climbing,” said Tyler Kruse, a Senior Campaigner for the Insurance Fairness Project. “Respondents say neither elected officials nor insurance companies are doing enough to reduce risks or costs. The solutions we proposed to increase transparency, invest in resiliency, and hold corporations accountable garnered bipartisan support, in some cases higher than 80%. It’s rare to see such overwhelming support. I hope decision makers use it as a starting point in alleviating the cost of living crisis."
"Rising homeowners insurance costs are harming consumers across America, “ said Michael DeLong, a Research and Advocacy Associate with the Consumer Federation of America. "Our recent report found that from 2021 to 2024, average homeowners insurance costs went up by $648, or 24%, far above the rate of inflation. Americans need meaningful action to reduce insurance risk and lower costs; doing nothing will only make the crisis worse."
"We've tracked over 360 state legislative insurance proposals seeking to address the climate-driven insurance crisis,” said Frances Sawyer, the Founder of Pleiades Strategy. “Many point the right direction — toward resilience and risk reduction — but far too many seek to dodge accountability, pass the buck, and leave the climate crisis unsolved and consumers on the hook. Today's research makes it clear: the policy landscape has lagged far behind the stress that families are actually feeling. Today's findings should be a clarion call — the climate-driven insurance crisis belongs at the top of every policymaker's agenda, even in states like Kansas and Nebraska that aren't known for hurricanes and wildfires."
As extreme weather continues to drive up insurance costs nationwide, speakers emphasized that the home insurance crisis is no longer a regional issue but a growing affordability challenge affecting families across the country. They called on policymakers to pursue solutions that reduce climate risk, improve market transparency, and ensure homeowners and renters can access affordable, reliable insurance coverage.
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The Insurance Fairness Project is an information hub dedicated to offering insights into the home insurance crisis, exploring its drivers and highlighting solutions alongside issue experts and community advocates.
