Customers’ experiences determine the level of satisfaction with a company and insurance is no different. However, where a customer lives matters, too. Based on the average Clearsurance score of homeowners insurance carriers by Clearsurance users in each state, we have determined which U.S. states have the happiest homeowners insurance policyholders who are the most satisfied with their company and which states are the least happy. Clearsurance scores are based on users’ ratings of their overall experience with the insurer, its service, their likelihood to renew, and their likelihood to recommend their insurer to a friend. The highest possible score is 5.0.

The happiness level of insurance customers can depend on a number of factors. For example, the customer service and claims handling process of an insurance company can affect policyholders’ satisfaction with their insurer. Another factor that can affect a customers’ level of satisfaction is the price they pay to insure their home and if they feel it is a fair price. While price is relative, consistent rate increases can also lead to consumers being less satisfied with their insurance company.

In the tables below, you can see which states’ policyholders are the happiest on average and which states have the least happy policyholders based on all homeowners insurance reviews from users in each state.

Note: Only states with at least 100 reviews were eligible and Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, New Mexico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming didn’t qualify. The data is based on reviews from Jan. 1, 2017 to May 31, 2018.

While it wouldn’t be fair to point to one reason a state has less happy policyholders, one trend that exists in the level of happiness of each state is weather-related incidents that customers experience. The percentage of people with homeowners insurance in the happiest states who talked about a weather-related incident in their review is 4 percent compared to the percentage in the least happy states of 8 percent. Additionally, the overall score of all reviews that discuss weather-related incidences is 4.19 for the happiest states compared to 4.01 for the least happy states. Plus, the least happy states tend to have more weather-related incidents.

Florida leads the list of the least happy states and is the most hurricane-prone state in the country. From 1851-2017, Florida has had 117 hurricanes, nearly double any other state. Mississippi and Georgia also experience hurricanes and these states ranked as the fourth and seventh least happy states, respectively. Kansas, a state in Tornado Alley, is fifth on our list of least happy states. Kansas has the second-highest number of tornados in the Unites States, while Texas has had the most. Texas is also on our list of least happy states, checking in at ninth. Hail and ice is also common in Texas along with Colorado, which ranked as the second least happy state. New York and Connecticut are states in the Northeastern United States where snow storms and blizzards are very common, and they ranked as tenth and eighth least happy states, respectively.

The happiest states are generally states that are less susceptible to extreme weather and natural disaster threats. In fact, some of the happiest states have never experienced a hurricane. Of the happiest states, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Arizona and Utah all have not had a hurricane touch mainland in the past 166 years or more.

Additional trends in the data include a significant difference in claim service rating and price rating among the states in top 10 and bottom 10. The happiest states have an average score of 4.26 for claims service compared to the least happy states with an average of 4.04 out of 5.

Claims experiences can be a divisive moment between a policyholder and an insurance company, and we see that there is a correlation between the claims service score and the overall happiness of policyholders in that state. This may be related to the weather-related incidences in each state given that the least happy states have a higher likelihood of a natural disaster than the happiest states.

We see a similar difference in price scores as the happiest states have an average score of 4.00 for price while the least happy states have an average score of 3.88. In regards to price, the majority of the happiest states rank among the cheaper states for average homeowners policy cost and the least happy states rank as generally the more expensive.

Of our top 10 happiest states, Utah ranks as the second cheapest state for homeowners insurance in the United States. All but three of the happiest states (Washington D.C., Alabama and Arkansas) are in the bottom half of states ranked from most expensive to least expensive. Florida ranks as the most expensive state for homeowners insurance, which aligns with its ranking as the least happy state on our list.

It’s important to note that these trends only serve as potential reasons for where states fall in the rankings, as outliers do exist. For example, California ranks as the 13th happiest state on our list but the state experiences many natural disasters, such as wildfires and earthquakes.

While this data is broken down at the state level, companies within each state also have different ratings. When shopping for a homeowners insurance company, it’s important to do your research for the best available options and to read reviews from other consumers on Clearsurance to learn what the company does well and what it doesn’t do well. And if you’ve had a good or bad experience with your insurance company, be sure to write a review on Clearsurance to help other consumers like you make smarter insurance decisions when shopping for insurance.

The content on this site is offered only as a public service to the web community and does not constitute solicitation or provision of legal advice. This site should not be used as a substitute for obtaining legal advice from an insurance company or an attorney licensed or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. You should always consult a suitably qualified attorney regarding any specific legal problem or matter. The comments and opinions expressed on this site are of the individual author and may not reflect the opinions of the insurance company or any individual attorney.