Voter Poll: Texans feel the pinch of rising insurance premiums

Texas 2036’s recent Texas Voter Poll reveals two unique things about what voters are thinking. The first is that they’re bullish on Texas. When compared to other states, voters think that the economic opportunities here surpass those in other states. But this economic optimism is tempered by growing concerns about affordability.

When asked about the next election, the top three issues that resonated with voters involved affordability. Here, 82% of voters said they would support a candidate who reduced health care prices. This was followed by 79% of voters interested in lowering homeowners’ insurance costs, and 78% wishing for greater property tax relief.

These top three affordability concerns edged above voters’ interest in workforce development (75%), criminal prosecution (72%), and greater education funding (69%).

The issue of homeowners’ insurance affordability has vaulted toward being one of the top issues worrying voters. Recent insurance premium increases are starting to be felt by many homeowners. In fact, 79% of voters reported an increase in their property insurance over the past five years. Of this cohort, a majority said that their insurance costs “increased significantly.”

Texans’ experiences with rising homeowners insurance premiums is not unique. A recent nationwide survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia found that a majority of policyholders reported year-over-year premium increases compared to those who reported decreases.

But Texas is unique in how much homeowners pay for insurance and how quickly those premiums have increased. One recent survey found that Texas has the sixth highest insurance premiums in the nation, following Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. This survey found that the average annual premium for a Texas home in 2025 totaled $4,078.

Texas insurance premiums: high and rising quickly

While Texas homeowners’ insurance premiums are high, they have also increased at a rapid pace. Data from S&P Global found that Texas policy costs increased 55.4% between 2019 and 2024. Another study by the Consumer Federation of America found that insurance premiums in several major Texas cities grew at a rate higher than inflation between 2021 and 2024. During this time, homeowners’ policies in Dallas surged by 32%, San Antonio by 29%, Houston by 25%, and Austin by 23%.

Inflation, rising replacement costs and extreme weather risks help explain why Texas’ homeowners’ insurance rates have increased.

Indeed, exposure to extreme weather — in the form of tornadoes, hail, floods, wildfires and hurricanes — is part of the Texas experience. And Texans do worry about the impact that extreme weather events may have on their lives. But the Texas 2036 Voter Poll found something interesting here.

When asked about their concerns with extreme weather, some expressed worry about property damage, community impact, and the possibility of losing their homes forever. The larger concern, however, was on the impact that an extreme weather event may have toward increasing insurance costs. Here, 35% of voters indicated that they are concerned about the impact that natural disasters will have on what they have to pay for insurance.

Still, Texans are bullish on the Texas economic miracle — for now. Their pursuit of economic opportunity here, and participation in the state’s economic success story, hinges on their capacity to afford living here. These data from the Texas Voter Poll indicates that homeowners’ insurance affordability has become a leading pocketbook issue among voting Texans.