NFIP records · Fairfield County · policies as of July 31, 2026
Flood insurance in Fairfield County, Connecticut
That is the same as the Connecticut median of $1,501 and 43% above the U.S. median of $1,055; 3rd lowest of 6 Connecticut counties with 100+ priced policies.
By ZIP it ranges from $851 (06612) to $2,234 (06854 Norwalk); find your ZIP.
Check your address on FEMA's flood map →This year’s bills: policies whose term began in 2026 (renewals and policies sold this year together) typically pay $1,591. Buying? Policies first bought in the past year typically pay $1,449. Why prices differ.
Your flood zone is set at your exact address and decides whether a lender must require coverage; your price comes mainly from your own building's flood risk, and FEMA's full-risk price is its price for that risk.
Is my quote or renewal normal here?
Type your yearly cost (premium plus fees) to see where it sits among existing single-family policies here.
Enter an amount above.
Built from all 10,623 in-force NFIP policy records and 12,667 claim records FEMA publishes for Fairfield County, downloaded October 25, 2026 with every record for Connecticut, every record the download listed was received, none missing. Download the figures on this page (CSV) · How we check them
Am I required to buy it?
Federal law requires it only in a high-risk zone (A or V) with a federally regulated or backed mortgage, or federal help to buy or build (42 U.S.C. §4012a). Outside them, a lender can still require it.
A private flood policy can meet a lender's flood requirement: federally regulated lenders must accept a private policy that meets the federal definition of private flood insurance and covers at least what the loan requires (12 CFR §339.3(c)). Its price is not in FEMA's records.
79.1% of Fairfield County's NFIP policy units are in high-risk zones (not 79.1% of all buildings, and not an answer about your own home).
| Flood zone | Policy units | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Zone AE (high-risk) | 10,374 | 71.0% |
| Zone X | 3,043 | 20.8% |
| Zone VE (high-risk) | 674 | 4.6% |
| Zone A (high-risk) | 499 | 3.4% |
| Other high-risk zones (A06, AO, A04, A07 and others) | 18 | 0.1% |
| Other low-risk or unclassified zones | 11 | 0.1% |
Every zone starting with A or V is high-risk, including older numbered labels such as A1 to A30 from older flood maps (newer maps use AE for the same kind of area). Policies keep the label they were rated with, so the old labels are counted on their own.
Insured units by the zone each policy is rated in. How this is counted
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Policies. Data effective July 31, 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Source: govinfo.gov, federalreserve.gov, ecfr.gov (official pages, checked October 25, 2026). Not endorsed by FEMA.
How much does it cost here?
Typically about $1,505 a year ($125 a month), fees included. Half of homeowners here pay between $1,062 and $2,434. To check a quote, use the checker at the top.
A quarter pay under $1,062 · Typical $1,505 · A quarter pay over $2,434 · A tenth pay $4,256 or more
Each policy's annual cost (premium plus the federal policy fee, reserve fund assessment and HFIAA surcharge), single-family primary residences. The bar is the middle half of policies, from 7,096 single-family primary-home policies. These are existing policies, many still below FEMA's full-risk price.
Coverage in force: $3.5 billion of building and $604.9 million of contents coverage across all Fairfield County policies.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Policies. Data effective July 31, 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
How do I actually get covered — and how fast?
Most policies start 30 days after you buy, but there is no wait if you buy it with a new or refinanced mortgage.
- Waiting period30 days
- Bought with a new or refinanced mortgageNo wait
- NFIP building limit$250,000
- NFIP contents limit$100,000
Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage; flood insurance is bought separately, through the federal NFIP or a private insurer. Exceptions: no wait if you buy while making, increasing, extending or renewing a mortgage; a one-day wait if a map revision puts the property in a high-risk zone and you buy within 13 months of the revision (44 CFR §61.11). To buy: call the NFIP at (877) 336-2627, go to FloodSmart.gov, or ask any licensed insurance agent. Every NFIP insurer offers the same rates.
Already flooded? Insured: report the loss to your insurance agent or company now (FEMA's steps: how to start a flood claim), and send a proof of loss (your signed, sworn statement of the amount you are claiming) within 60 days of the flood (44 CFR 61, App. A(1), Art. VII). Not insured: a policy bought today will not cover a flood that already happened, and FEMA disaster aid is open to people in counties designated in a federally declared disaster. If FEMA aid pays to repair a home in a high-risk zone, you must buy and keep flood insurance on it, or you cannot get that aid again after a later flood.
Source: floodsmart.gov, govinfo.gov, fema.gov, ecfr.gov (official pages, checked October 25, 2026). Not endorsed by FEMA.
What do floods actually pay out here?
Floods here have led to 12,667 NFIP flood claims and $280.0 million in payouts since 1978; the worst years were 2012, 1992 and 2011.
Bar height is dollars paid that year. Orange bars are the three costliest years: 2012 ($153,108,193), 1992 ($26,919,689), 2011 ($23,088,711). Total paid $279,950,837. Totals for the latest two years are not final while their claims stay open. How this is counted
That is 12,667 claims since 1978 against 14,619 policy units in force today — a cumulative tally spanning ~49 years over a present-day snapshot, not an annual claim rate or a flood probability.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Claims. Data effective 1978–2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Do flood claims here actually pay out?
Most do: 80.4% of claims here paid something. The average paid claim was $27,808 (all years, in dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation).
Typical claim: the median paid building claim was $9,664; Hurricane Sandy alone paid $155.4 million of the $280.0 million total, which pulls the average up.
- Average paid claim, incl. code-upgrade (ICC) pay$27,808Connecticut: $23,884
- Closed with no payment19.6%Connecticut: 21.4%
- Claims that paid10,180
| Decade of the flood | Claims filed | Share that paid something |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 629 | 77.6% |
| 1980s | 1,629 | 74.3% |
| 1990s | 2,524 | 77.2% |
| 2000s | 1,621 | 77.3% |
| 2010s | 5,338 | 85.7% |
| 2020s | 926 | 76.2% |
FEMA lists reasons a claim closes without payment, such as damage below the deductible, no flood as the policy defines it, or seepage and drain backup the policy does not cover. The average is over claims that paid something and includes Increased Cost of Compliance payments (help to elevate or rebuild to code), which the yearly totals above leave out. Dollars are as paid at the time, not adjusted for inflation; a single home can file across several floods over the years.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Claims. Data effective 1978–2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Why do flood claims here go unpaid?
Of the 2,487 claims here closed without payment, the top specific reason FEMA recorded was “damage less than the deductible” (798 claims).
| Reason recorded | Claims |
|---|---|
| Damage less than the deductible | 798 |
| Other | 408 |
| Not an actual flood | 304 |
| No demonstrable damage | 227 |
| Assigned in error | 188 |
| Smaller reasons, or none recorded | 562 |
Closed without payment can mean paperwork (a duplicate, a claim opened in error) or damage the policy did not count as flood damage; the table shows which here. How this is counted
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Claims. Data effective 1978–2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Which floods paid out the biggest totals here?
The costliest flood FEMA named here was Hurricane Sandy (2012): $155.4 million across 2,918 NFIP flood claims.
| Flood (FEMA's name) | Claims | Total paid | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Sandy (2012) | 2,918 | $155.4 million | $53,251 |
| December Storm Nor'easter (1992) | 1,294 | $26.7 million | $20,644 |
| Hurricane Ida (2021) | 445 | $20.8 million | $46,746 |
| Hurricane Irene (2011) | 972 | $20.6 million | $21,216 |
| Hurricane Floyd (1999) | 71 | $2.9 million | $40,632 |
| March 2010 Nor'easter (2010) | 208 | $2.3 million | $10,938 |
| Flooding (1980–1996): FEMA's records use this name for claims in several years | 686 | $4.6 million | $6,735 |
| Unnamed flood (1979–1982): FEMA's records use this name for claims in several years | 548 | $2.9 million | $5,260 |
Grouped by the flood event FEMA named; only claims that paid something, and only floods with 20 or more paid claims here. Totals include code-upgrade (ICC) payments, which the yearly chart leaves out. How this is counted
Among the five costliest years, these have no flood FEMA named for that year alone: 2007 (their totals are in the yearly chart above).
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Claims. Data effective 1978–2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Would a policy here pay to rebuild my home?
Not in full for at least 67.7% of the 4,569 single-family policies here that report a rebuilding cost: FEMA's records put it above the NFIP's $250,000 building limit.
- Rebuilding cost above the building limit (of 4,569 policies reporting one)67.7%Connecticut: 56.1%
- Single-family policies insured to the building maximum (all of them, not only those above)88.0%
- Damage was more than the coverage (of 9,713 claims paid with a damage figure)1.5%
The two shares have different bases: insured-to-the-maximum counts every single-family policy with the full building limit; the rebuilding-cost share counts only the policies that report a rebuilding cost. Homes insured for less than their own rebuilding cost can also fall short. How this is counted
The NFIP pays the cost to rebuild (not a depreciated value) only for a single-family home that is your principal residence and is insured for at least 80% of its full rebuilding cost, or for the $250,000 maximum.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Policies; FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Claims. Data effective July 31, 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Source: floodsmart.gov, ecfr.gov (official pages, checked October 25, 2026). Not endorsed by FEMA.
What does it cost in my flood zone?
From about $1,019 a year (Zone X) to $2,759 (Zone VE) here. Your zone is on your lender's flood determination or FEMA's map; find its row below.
| Flood zone | Median / yr | Priced policies |
|---|---|---|
| Zone AE | $1,772 | 4,809 |
| Zone X | $1,019 | 1,702 |
| Zone A | $1,303 | 287 |
| Zone VE | $2,759 | 280 |
What the zone codes mean (44 CFR §64.3): A, AE and A1–A30 are high-risk; AO and AH are high-risk with shallow flooding; A99 is high-risk behind a flood barrier FEMA treats as complete; V, VE and V1–V30 are coastal high-risk with waves; B and shaded X are moderate risk; C and unshaded X are minimal risk; D is not yet studied.
Zones with fewer than 50 priced single-family policies are omitted. Your own premium still depends on elevation and coverage.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Policies. Data effective July 31, 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Source: ecfr.gov (official pages, checked October 25, 2026). Not endorsed by FEMA.
Find your ZIP in this county
Typical costs run from $851 a year in 06612 to $2,234 in 06854 Norwalk. All 54 ZIPs on NFIP policy records here are in the lookup.
Enter a five-digit ZIP above.
ZIPs exactly as FEMA recorded them on policies here; a ZIP with only a policy or two may be a ZIP from elsewhere, as entered on the policy.
| ZIP | Median / yr | Priced policies | Policy units |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06824 | $1,450 | 1,441 | 1,970 |
| 06880 | $1,712 | 835 | 1,212 |
| 06615 | $1,323 | 687 | 1,505 |
| 06820 | $1,758 | 426 | 555 |
| 06870 Old Greenwich | $1,873 | 410 | 489 |
| 06902 Stamford | $1,966 | 354 | 1,015 |
| 06854 Norwalk | $2,234 | 237 | 742 |
| 06853 Norwalk | $2,110 | 237 | 331 |
The ZIPs with the largest number of priced single-family policies. How this is counted
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Policies. Data effective July 31, 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Why do sites quote different prices for Fairfield County?
Because they measure different things. Existing single-family policies here typically cost $1,505 a year, and policies first bought in the past year $1,449; other sites count other policies, years or averages.
| Measure | Amount | What it counts |
|---|---|---|
| Typical cost, single-family homes (median) | $1,505 | premium plus fees; the middle policy |
| Typical premium only | $1,214 | before the federal fee, reserve fund and surcharge |
| Typical cost, policies whose term began in 2025 | $1,414 | 3,357 policies |
| Typical cost, policies whose term began in 2026 | $1,591 | 3,739 policies |
| Typical cost, policies first bought in the past year | $1,449 | 567 policies, past year |
| FEMA's full-risk premium (median) | $1,902 | the price FEMA's model sets for these existing policies |
| Full-risk premium plus average fees | $2,275 | what these existing policies would cost at FEMA's full price |
| Average (mean) cost, single-family homes | $2,045 | pulled up by a few expensive policies |
| Average cost, every policy type | $2,533 | adds condos, rentals and businesses |
Condo owners: condo-unit policies are 2.5% of NFIP policy units here. The single-family figures above leave both out; only the every-policy-type average includes them.
All from the NFIP policies in force on July 31, 2026. How this is counted
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Policies. Data effective July 31, 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Can I pay less?
The usual building deductible here is $2,000 (38.6% of single-family policies). FEMA's ways to lower an NFIP bill: a higher deductible (you pay more of any loss), work that lowers the building's flood risk, and an Elevation Certificate.
| Building deductible | Share of policies |
|---|---|
| $1,250 | 23.8% |
| $2,000 | 38.6% |
| $5,000 | 24.5% |
| $10,000 | 11.6% |
Single-family primary homes; the commonest deductibles. Your lender may limit how high you can go.
Elevated vs not elevated is not what raising your home would save: the two groups sit in different zones and places, so compare like with like on your own quote.
- Median premium, elevated buildings$1,090 (1,320 policies)
- Median premium, not elevated$1,273 (5,776 policies)
Premium before fees, single-family primary homes.
Community discount: see Does my town get a community discount?
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Policies. Data effective July 31, 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Source: agents.floodsmart.gov, floodsmart.gov (official pages, checked October 25, 2026). Not endorsed by FEMA.
Does my town get a community discount?
Only some: 6 of the 23 NFIP communities here get one, up to 15% in Stamford. It is automatic, already in these prices, and the same in every flood zone.
| Community | Discount | CRS class |
|---|---|---|
| Stamford | 15% | 7 |
| Fairfield | 10% | 8 |
| Stratford | 10% | 8 |
| Trumbull | 10% | 8 |
| Westport | 10% | 8 |
| Newtown | 5% | 9 |
CRS class is FEMA's grade for a community's flood work: the lower the class, the bigger the discount.
No CRS discount (17): Bethel; Bridgeport; Brookfield; Danbury; Darien; Easton; Greenwich; Monroe; New Canaan; New Fairfield; Norwalk; Redding; Ridgefield; Shelton; Sherman; Weston; Wilton.
The Community Rating System cuts NFIP premiums in communities that do extra flood work. A community named for the county covers its unincorporated area only.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — NFIP Community Status Book (CRS). Data: FEMA's current Community Status Book; retrieved October 25, 2026.
How much flood risk is here?
FEMA's National Risk Index has no usable flood rating for this county.
Gap: NRI flood expected-annual-loss and national percentile for Fairfield County. Next source to pull (reachable host): FEMA NRI county table from gis.fema.gov or the NRI_Table_Counties.csv download. The public third-party ArcGIS copy was a non-national sample.
Do the same homes flood again here?
Yes: FEMA's disaster-aid records hold 1,316 damage records from homes here that flooded more than once; 10 records are from homes FEMA's disaster-aid data flags as severe repeat-loss (SRL).
- Repeat-flood damage records1,316
- Records from homes flagged severe repeat-loss (SRL)10
These count damage events on repeat-flooded homes, not distinct homes. How this is counted
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — Individual Assistance Multiple-Loss Flood Properties. Data: FEMA's current multiple-loss list; retrieved October 25, 2026.
How often is this county a flood disaster?
14 federal disasters for floods or storms here; the latest was Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2024).
- September 2024 — Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides
- August 2024 — Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (emergency declaration)
- October 2021 — Remnants of Hurricane Ida
- August 2021 — Hurricane Henri (emergency declaration)
- August 2020 — Tropical Storm Isaias
- October 2012 — Hurricane Sandy
Only the latest are listed, newest first; disasters with the same month and title share one line, which says how many; the count covers every flood, hurricane, tropical-storm and coastal-storm declaration FEMA lists here, plus severe-storm declarations whose title names flooding, including emergency declarations. How this is counted
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — Disaster Declarations Summaries. Data: declarations through 2024; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Did FEMA aid homeowners after floods and storms?
No FEMA housing aid to homeowners here after floods or storms is on record.
FEMA disaster aid helps with uninsured and underinsured losses, and is separate from NFIP insurance. The average is over every registration, including those approved for nothing. Only disasters counted in the flood-disaster card are included; their aid can still cover wind or tornado damage from the same storm. Disasters for COVID, fire, winter storms or tornadoes alone are left out.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA — Housing Assistance (Owners). Data: homeowner aid by disaster; retrieved October 25, 2026.
Are these counts complete?
Every record FEMA's download lists was received and counted.
In-force count: 14,619 policy units (from 10,623 API records; condo-association records carry more than one unit). Download check: policies: 10,623 of 10,623 fetched; claims: 12,667 of 12,667 fetched.
What these records cannot tell you (your own premium, private prices, your exact zone) is on the methodology page.
The federal datasets behind this page
Every figure comes from a public U.S. federal dataset; estimates are labeled where they appear. This page joins 6 of them for Fairfield County. The newest of these downloads was October 25, 2026.