Three in four polled voiced concerns about rising home insurance costs; Overwhelming majorities say Governor and Congress is failing to act
DES MOINES, IA – New polling released by the Insurance Fairness Project and Climate Power shows Iowa and midwestern homeowners and renters are under serious financial pressure from rising home insurance costs, and they’re fed up with the lack of accountability from the officials and insurance companies that are supposed to have their backs. Home insurance rates in Iowa jumped 28% in 2025 alone, the third-highest rate increase in the nation. Over just two years, the average Iowa homeowner has seen their premium climb 54%, to $2,802 a year.
The survey, conducted by SurveyUSA, found that 75% of Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas homeowners and renters are concerned their home insurance costs will rise in the next three years. A majority of homeowners say cost is their single biggest concern with their coverage. One in four respondents has already been forced to delay a major purchase or expense because of insurance costs — a number that climbs to 36% among parents of children under 18 and 40% among Latino respondents.
“Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska families are watching their budgets get stretched thinner every year, and their home insurance bill is a big part of why,” said Kyle Herrig, spokesperson for Unlocking America’s Future. “Insurance companies keep raising premiums and pocketing profits while Iowa’s elected officials do nothing. Voters see exactly what’s happening, and they’re done waiting for someone in power to stand up for them.”
Iowans are placing blame squarely on the institutions that are supposed to serve them. The survey found:
- 67% of Iowa voters say their governor is doing too little to address rising insurance premiums.
- 67% of midwestern voters say federal elected officials are doing too little, tied for first with insurance companies themselves.
- 86% say elected officials in their state should do more to reduce rising premiums.
- Iowa registered the highest concern about gas prices (+81 Net Concern) and grocery prices (+79) of any state surveyed — underscoring that insurance costs are landing on families already stretched thin.
Numerous consumer-focused solutions that would reduce risks and costs exist at the state and national level. Minnesota U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, the top Democrat on the Senate Housing Subcommittee, released Bold Solutions to the Home Insurance Crisis — a comprehensive report surveying 28 policy options to address affordability, from weatherization and mitigation investments to public insurance alternatives. The report warns that without action, whole communities could face falling home values and restricted access to mortgages.
Connect with insurance and consumer experts along with impacted homeowners by emailing press@focalpointstrategygroup.com.
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