New Poll Finds Florida Voters Overwhelmed by Rising Costs, and Home Insurance Is to Blame
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 3, 2026
Contact: contact@insurancefairnessproject.com
New Poll Finds Florida Voters Overwhelmed by Rising Costs, and Home Insurance Is to Blame
Florida is now ranked the third most expensive state in the nation for home insurance — and families are feeling the affordability squeeze. A new poll from the James Madison Institute highlights the severe impact on families of Florida's escalating cost of living, particularly the burden of home insurance premiums.
According to the survey, 92% of Florida voters say they are struggling with rising costs. Home insurance was cited as the primary driver of housing affordability problems by the most people surveyed (24%), beating out taxes, regulation, and other factors.
“Homeownership is supposed to be a pathway to stability. Instead, for too many Floridians, endlessly increasing insurance costs are turning their dream of security for their family into a monthly source of anxiety,” said TJ Helmstetter, a spokesperson for the Insurance Fairness Project. “When so many voters say home insurance is their top housing cost concern, we know we’re in a systemic affordability crisis. Both insurers and policymakers need to take action now to contain the economic damage.”
This latest poll is fresh evidence confirming what has been increasingly clear: as more frequent and more severe weather events continue to batter the Gulf Coast, homeownership in Florida is becoming increasingly unsustainable.
In 2025, the Florida Climate Survey, conducted by Florida Atlantic University, showed that 49% of Floridians are concerned about the affordability of homeowner’s insurance due to climate change and 36% of Floridians have either moved or are considering moving due to climate or weather-related threats.
Also in 2025, the Insurance Fairness Project released a report on Florida’s post-hurricane home insurance market. The report found that despite legislative reforms aimed at stabilizing the market, fundamental risks remain and families continue to bear the costs. Regulatory oversight remains weak. Many of the new insurance companies operating in Florida show ties to formerly failed firms or have unusually opaque financial stability ratings. And changes to the market have encouraged policy transfers from public to private insurers, leaving homeowners with higher premiums and more limited coverage.
These resources underscore that cost-of-living pressures extend well beyond groceries and gas. Insurance premiums are increasingly shaping housing decisions, refinancing options, and whether families can remain in their communities long-term.
For true market stability, Florida must move beyond cosmetic fixes. Independent oversight of insurers, transparent and reliable financial ratings, and enforceable accountability mechanisms are essential. Policies should prioritize the protection of homeowners and communities over the short-term benefit of private insurers or political expediency
“Climate change has caused dramatic growth in poorly regulated lines of insurance,” said Jordan Haedtler, a policy adviser to the Insurance Fairness Project. “Nowhere has this concerning trend been more pronounced or more actively encouraged by state government than in Florida, where captured politicians have ignored warnings about financial stability even at times when they’ve come from their own insurance regulator.”
Without meaningful reforms to stabilize the home insurance market and increase transparency and accountability, families will continue to face mounting financial pressure — especially in places like Florida, where climate-driven extreme weather events are so frequent.
###
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.
