A Look at Earthquake Insurance Coverage by State

An East Coast earthquake? Suffering damage from a seismic shift isn’t a risk many homeowner’s outside of California worry about.

Most standard homeowners, renters and business insurance policies do not cover damage from earthquakes — specifically, the potential losses from the shaking and cracking that can destroy a building and other property.

Here’s a look at the extent to which individuals and businesses have purchased additional earthquake insurance protection.

Rank State Direct Premiums Written in 2009 (thousands)^

1. California $1,584,897

2. Washington state 134,970

3. Missouri 88,542

4. Tennessee 59,612

5. Oregon 53,777

6. Illinois 49,999

7. Kentucky 35,141

8. Florida 31,645

9. Indiana 31,161

10. South Carolina 30,515

11. Texas 30,264

12. New York 29,825

13. Utah 29,121

14. Ohio 26,665

15. Alaska 20,840

16. Arkansas 19,113

17. Mississippi 17,851

18. Nevada 17,708

19. Massachusetts 15,207

20. Georgia 13,713

21. Pennsylvania 13,303

22. New Jersey 12,417

23. Virginia 10,013

24. North Carolina 9,053

25. Louisiana 8,430

26. Colorado 8,351

27. Hawaii 7,878

28. Alabama 7,238

29. Arizona 6,774

30. Maryland 6,559

31. Michigan 6,265

32. Kansas 5,564

33. Connecticut 5,140

34. Oklahoma 4,845

35. Minnesota 4,242

36. Wisconsin 3,796

37. Iowa 3,629

38. Montana 3,460

39. Wyoming 2,902

40. Nebraska 2,385

41. Idaho 2,372

42. Rhode Island 2,218

43. New Hampshire 2,217

44. New Mexico 1,857

45. Washington, D.C. 1,782

46. Maine 1,428

47. West Virginia 1,352

48. Vermont 860

49. Delaware 747

50. South Dakota 440

51. North Dakota 329

__ United States $2,468,141

includes state funds

Source: SNL Financial LC, Insurance Information Institute