Renters insurance costs about $195 a year in 2025, roughly $16 a month for a standard policy with $30,000 of property coverage and $100,000 of liability. Where you live moves that number a lot: North Dakota renters average around $115 a year while Louisiana renters pay closer to $390.
The $195 national average describes a baseline policy: $30,000 of personal property coverage, $100,000 of liability, and a $500 deductible. That's the starter package most insurers quote first. Bump the coverage or shrink the deductible and the price climbs, though never as fast as you'd expect, because a chunk of every premium is fixed overhead.
State matters more than any policy choice. Severe-weather states dominate the expensive end of the table, since the same hurricanes and hail that wreck roofs also destroy the belongings inside. Here's how the country breaks down:
| Cost tier | Example states | Avg annual premium | Avg monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest | North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa | $115 – $130 | $10 – $11 |
| Below average | Nebraska, Utah, Minnesota, New Hampshire | $130 – $160 | $11 – $13 |
| Near average | Maryland, New York, Tennessee, California | $185 – $205 | $15 – $17 |
| Above average | Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama | $235 – $255 | $20 – $21 |
| Most expensive | Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Louisiana | $270 – $390 | $23 – $33 |
These are published 2025 averages, not quotes. Your own price also reflects your credit, your claims history, and the building you live in. To see where your policy lands, run your state and coverage through the renters insurance calculator, which includes the full 50-state table.
Five things do most of the damage:
For most renters, yes, but check rather than assume. Walk through your place with your phone, open every closet, and estimate what it would cost to replace everything new: furniture, electronics, clothes, kitchen gear, the bike in the hallway. A studio with modest furnishings might total $15,000. A family in a three-bedroom can pass $50,000 without owning anything fancy.
Watch the sub-limits too. Standard policies cap certain categories, often around $1,500 for jewelry theft and similar amounts for firearms, watches, and collectibles. If you own an engagement ring or a serious camera setup, schedule those items separately. It usually costs a few dollars per $1,000 of declared value and removes the cap entirely.
Pick your state, coverage, and deductible. The calculator shows your annual and monthly cost against your state's average and the national $195 baseline.
Renters Insurance Calculator →Renters insurance is already cheap, but a few moves make it cheaper without gutting the protection:
One thing not to do: skip the coverage entirely to save $195. A single burst pipe or apartment fire can wipe out more than a decade of premiums, and the liability protection alone has bailed out plenty of renters whose overflowing tub ruined the ceiling below.
It's the cheapest policy most people will ever own, which makes it a good first stop in an insurance checkup. Once it's sorted, the bigger-ticket questions are worth the same treatment: whether your car coverage matches your state's real costs, and whether anyone depends on your income enough to justify term life. The life insurance needs calculator answers that second one with actual numbers instead of a rule of thumb. Together, all three policies for a typical young renter often total less than $100 a month, and they cover the three ways a bad week becomes a bad decade.
Not unless they're named on the policy. A standard policy covers you, your spouse, and relatives who live with you. An unrelated roommate needs their own policy, and that's usually the better setup anyway: separate policies mean separate claims histories, and at $10 to $20 a month each, there's little savings in sharing.
In most states, yes. Insurers use a credit-based insurance score, and the gap between excellent and poor credit can mean paying 30% to 60% more for the same coverage. California, Massachusetts, and Michigan restrict the practice. If your credit has improved since you bought your policy, ask your insurer to rerun it.
Usually. Most large insurers knock 5% to 10% off both policies when you bundle renters with auto coverage. On a $195 renters policy and a $1,900 auto policy, that's roughly $105 to $210 a year back. Just compare the bundled total against the cheapest standalone quotes, since a big discount on an overpriced base rate is no bargain.
Actual cash value pays what your stuff was worth used, so a five-year-old couch might net $150. Replacement cost pays what it costs to buy new, and it usually adds about 10% to your premium. On a $195 policy that's roughly $20 a year, and it's almost always worth it after a major loss.