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By: Ramu Garuda  August, 22, 2019

Pennsylvania’s homeowners pay an average homeowners insurance rate of $913 per annum. Homeowners residing in Oil City pay the lowest homeowners insurance rate at $526 per annum. On the other hand, residents of Langhorne incur the highest average insurance premium at $1,741.

The insurance premium rates are generally lower in larger metropolitan cities because of factors such as lower crime rates, quicker response times for the fire departments, and lower chances of being affected by natural disasters.

The following graph shows the average home insurance rates paid by citizens of the five largest cities in Pennsylvania: Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Allentown, Erie, and Scranton.

Philadelphia, PA

As the largest city in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia has a history of tornadoes that have impacted the cost of homes over time. This explains why Philadelphia reports a high insurance cost of $1,358.

Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in Pennsylvania and despite its large size, the city has the second cheapest homeowners insurance in the state. Homeowners pay an average $933 per annum, with Farmers quoting the lowest at $552.

Allentown, PA

Allentown is one of the fastest-growing cities in Pennsylvania. Homeowners in Allentown pay an average homeowners insurance cost of $671 per annum, which is significantly lower than the state average of $1,227.

Erie, PA

In this fourth largest city in Pennsylvania, Nationwide offers the lowest home insurance rate at $535 per annum. The average home insurance rate in Erie is $783 per annum.

Scranton, PA

Finally, the city of Scranton, or the fifth most populous city in the state, reports an average home insurance rate of $815 per annum. Farmers offer the lowest rate at $788.

According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), the following are some of the major factors affecting home insurance rates:

• Area of property: Larger square footage can result in higher insurance rates given the greater property value.
• Age of property: Older homes are considered to be more fragile by insurance firms, and thus, are more expensive to insure.
• Local crime rate: The insurance rate is greater for localities with higher crime rates
• Proneness to natural disasters: Flood- and hurricane-prone areas have considerably higher insurance rates than those less likely of suffering natural disasters.

It is recommended that Pennsylvania homeowners have enough insurance coverage to cover the following costs:

• Damages to the home structure and personal possessions
• Costs of rebuilding properties at their current market value
• Costs of residing in a different area while homes are under repairs

As shown in the following graph, Oil City, Hazleton, Chester, West Mifflin, and York have the cheapest home insurance rates.

Cranberry Township, King of Prussia, West Chester, Malvern, and Langhome, by contrast, have the highest average home insurance rates.

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