Home Insurance Rates Rising

Homeowners insurance premiums went up 19 percent on average nationwide, according to a report from an online insurance provider.

Homeinsurance.com said the typical premium for a new policy in December 2011 was $810 nationwide, up from $682 in January 2011.

The company said its quarterly RateReport data represents approximately 15,000 policies sold across the United States with various carriers including Travelers, Safeco, The Hartford, and ASI/Ark Royal.

RateReport shows that on a nationwide basis, homeowners are paying, on average, $128 more per year for new home insurance than they were at the beginning of the year.

Premium increases were more dramatic in some states than others, including Mississippi, Montana and New Mexico where new policies in December 2011 were seeing 29-39 percent higher premiums than those sold in January 2011.

There were also spots with lower rates towards the end of 2011 including Washington D.C., where homeowners were paying about 7 percent less for new policies. Also new policies sold in December 2011 in Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and California decreased in price by 1 to 3 percent.