Home › States › Mississippi

Checked against official sources · Last reviewed October 13, 2026

What homeowners insurance costs in Mississippi: average premium, 2023 $2,029 a year in Mississippi vs. $1,737 countrywide · 10th highest of 51 · All states (HO-3 policies; NAIC)

The Mississippi market right now

The Mississippi Insurance Department (MID) regulates home insurance and reviews the rates, rules and forms that licensed insurers file. Its consumer page on rates says insurers are pricing in more severe weather, the cost of reinsurance (insurance that insurers buy for themselves) and higher repair costs: "Most insurers are seeking rate relief due to the cost associated with repairing and rebuilding homes."

What the state's own releases and the wind pool's notices show, with dates:

- Winter Storm Fern. On Feb. 26, 2026, MID reported "more than 12,000 claims" and "more than $107 million in incurred losses," with more than 10,000 of the claims for residential property. - Wind pool rates. The Mississippi Windstorm Underwriting Association raised residential rates "an average of 16.8%," effective Oct. 1, 2025 for new policies and Jan. 1, 2026 for renewals, and raised its policy service fee to $50 per location from Jan. 1, 2026. - State money for the wind pool. A 2025 law (Senate Bill 2802) directs $12 million of the fee charged on surplus lines policies to the wind pool, starting July 1, 2025, and the 2026 session appropriated $12,000,000 for that transfer in the 2026-2027 budget year. - Hurricane season 2026. On Oct. 7, 2026, MID urged people to review their coverage as Tropical Storm Isaias was expected to strengthen into a hurricane. Both last-resort plans stop binding new coverage while a named storm is declared to be within 80 degrees west longitude and 20 degrees north latitude. [6][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]

If your insurer cancels, cuts coverage or won't renew

The 45-day rule (from July 1, 2026). House Bill 1611 (2025) rewrote Miss. Code Ann. 83-5-28. For fire and multiperil coverage (which includes homeowners policies) "issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2026," a renewal, cancellation, reduction in coverage or nonrenewal is not effective unless the insurer mails or delivers notice to you, and to any lender named on the policy, "not less than forty-five (45) days prior." Before that date the law required 30 days.

Exceptions: the rule doesn't apply to nonpayment of premium unless a lender (named creditor loss payee) is on the policy, "in which case at least ten (10) days' notice is required." It also doesn't apply when the same insurer issues a replacement form or moves you to a licensed affiliate with "the same or substantially similar coverage," as long as you get 45 days' notice of any less favorable term.

MID's Bulletin 2025-5 (Oct. 31, 2025) explains how the department reads the law:

- "An increase in a deductible is considered a reduction in coverage, however an increase in rates and premiums are not." - If an insurer fails to give the required notice, "policyholders have the option to continue their existing policy for the remainder of the notice period, with an additional 45 days, at the current premium rate," extending in 45-day steps until proper notice is given. The same option is written into the law itself (83-5-28(6)).

Your written reason. Mississippi's Homeowner Insurance Policyholder Bill of Rights (19 Miss. Admin. Code Part 1, Chapter 34, amended to the 45-day rule) gives you "the right to receive in writing from their insurance company the reason for any cancellation or nonrenewal," with "an adequate explanation." It also says a denial or nonrenewal can't be based "solely on the basis of their credit history without consideration of other factors." The Bill of Rights must come with your policy; MID's Bulletin 2026-11 (Oct. 9, 2026) tells insurers to use the updated 45-day version for new policies and renewals effective on and after Jan. 1, 2027.

Roof age. A 2024 law (Senate Bill 2130, now Miss. Code Ann. 83-5-26) says an insurer "shall not cancel the policy, cancel the binder, or deny coverage solely because of the age of the roof" of a home, for homeowners policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2024. MID's summary of the law describes it as covering cancellation or nonrenewal; the bill text names cancelling and denying coverage.

Mid-term cancellation. MID's consumer page says a company can cancel a policy "only in the following situations": failure to pay the premium; fraud or serious misrepresentation on the application; willful actions, or violations of local regulations, that increase a hazard the policy insures against; a substantial increase in the risk; or conviction of a crime increasing the insured hazard. MID says that if you think a nonrenewal is unjust, try the company first, then call the department at (800) 562-2957. [1][2][3][9][16][17][18][19][20]

Last resort: the FAIR plan and the wind pool

Mississippi's insurance department lists two property "markets of last resort." Both are run from the same office at MSPlans.com, and you reach both through a licensed Mississippi agent; neither takes applications directly from homeowners.

On the coast you may need two policies: a homeowners or fire policy that leaves out wind, plus a wind pool policy. The FAIR plan says wind and hail in Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties "can be submitted to MWUA for potential coverage." [4][6][15][21][22][23][24][25]

Discounts for strengthening your home

The discount law. Miss. Code Ann. 83-75-3 has required insurers, since July 1, 2013, to give "a premium discount or insurance rate reduction" to owners who retrofit their homes to resist hurricanes and windstorms in Harrison, Hancock, Jackson, Stone and Pearl River counties. The retrofit must reach one of IBHS's tiered mitigation levels (such as FORTIFIED) or another program the Commissioner approves, and a FORTIFIED home must be certified by an IBHS-certified evaluator. You must keep the certification records, and the discount applies only to policies that cover wind. Outside those counties the retrofit rule covers commercial property only (since July 1, 2021).

MID's consumer page puts it more broadly: "Mississippi state law requires insurance companies to give discounts to people who mitigate their home" to IBHS standards, and "insurers have filed discounts with MID ranging from 15 percent to 30 percent for those fortified homes." Ask your insurer what it offers.

Wind pool credits. The MWUA lists premium credits of 20% for FORTIFIED Roof, 25% for FORTIFIED Silver and 30% for FORTIFIED Gold, plus credits for homes built under graded local building codes. [9][26][27]

Grants: Strengthen Mississippi Homes

Strengthen Mississippi Homes is the insurance department's grant program for upgrading a roof to the FORTIFIED Roof standard. The grant covers "up to $10,000" of the roof work and is paid directly to the contractor after the work is done and IBHS issues the FORTIFIED certificate. You pay anything above the grant, and you pay the FORTIFIED evaluator's fee yourself.

Status as of Oct. 13, 2026: "Applications are open to Eligible MS Wind Pool(MWUA) Policyholders only at this time." For 2026 grants you must be insured through the wind pool now and for "three(3) consecutive policy years," and "Selections are made via a lottery process." The wind pool is putting up $2 million for these 2026 grants.

Other homeowners "will be eligible in the statewide rollout anticipated to take place in early 2027," according to MID's June 10, 2026 release. The 2026 budget bill allowed MID up to $15 million for statewide grants, but MID says a typo in House Bill 1911 means it can't spend that money until the Legislature fixes it, "expected in early 2027."

Basic rules from the program page: the home must be your primary residence in Mississippi; condominiums, duplexes, mobile homes and manufactured homes "are not eligible at this time"; the home must be in good repair (recent storm damage aside); and you need an in-force homeowners policy with wind coverage, plus flood insurance if the home is in a special flood hazard area. Questions: (601) 359-3569 or SMH@mid.ms.gov. [7][28]

Saving for your deductible: catastrophe savings accounts

Mississippi gives a state income tax break for a "Catastrophe Savings Account" used to pay hurricane, windstorm, flood or other catastrophe deductibles and uninsured damage on your legal residence. Contributions, interest and qualified withdrawals are excluded from Mississippi taxable income.

Limits: if your deductible is $1,000 or less, you can put in up to $2,000; if it is higher, up to $15,000 or twice the deductible, whichever is less. Using the money for something else adds 2.5% to the tax on that withdrawal, with exceptions. Details are on MID's catastrophe savings account page. [29]

Surplus lines

Surplus lines (non-admitted) insurers are companies not licensed in Mississippi that can insure property the regular market won't. They are not members of the wind pool, but the wind pool says a policy placed with one "is subject to a non-admitted policy fee," paid by the policyholder and collected by the agent. State law sets the fee at 3% of the total policy premium (residential flood and earthquake coverage written outside the National Flood Insurance Program is exempt). Under a 2025 law, $12 million of the fee goes to the wind pool each year, starting July 1, 2025.

Mississippi's Policyholder Bill of Rights regulation applies to surplus lines companies writing homeowners coverage too, along with both last-resort plans. [6][12][16][30]

Flood is a separate policy

MID says "Standard homeowners insurance does not provide coverage for damage due to floods," and that flood insurance usually has a 30-day waiting period before it starts. Neither the wind pool nor the FAIR plan covers flood. For flood zones and flood insurance, see our sister site FloodHawk. [8][23][24][31]

Where to get help

- Consumer help line: (800) 562-2957, or (601) 359-2453 in the Jackson area. Email consumer@mid.ms.gov. - File a complaint online: use the company complaint page. MID says it can look into "claim denials, non-renewals and cancellations," and asks you to allow "20 working days" for it to contact the company. It cannot order a company to pay a claim, and it does not recommend one insurer or agent over another. - By phone with the AI assistant: MID's assistant "Janie" can take a complaint at (601) 843-6925. - By mail: Mississippi Insurance Department, Consumer Services Division, P.O. Box 79, Jackson, MS 39205. [5][32][33]

Questions people ask