Home insurance and building costs

Published 6 Aug 202612 min read

Home insurance costs by state in Australia: where premiums are highest

Australian coastal suburb beneath changing weather

Published 6 Aug 2026

Home insurance premiums in Australia vary by location, with homeowners in some regions paying more than double the national average. Using official Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) data, this guide compares premiums across 330 regions, explains why prices differ, and examines how location, rebuilding costs and natural hazards can affect what homeowners pay.

Of the 330 published regions, West Pilbara in Western Australia was the only one where the average combined home and contents insurance premium reached $6,250 or more in 2025. A further nine regions fell into the next highest band, with average premiums ranging from $5,000 to under $6,250. By comparison, the national average premium was $2,360 per policy in 2024-25.

No official source publishes a state-wide average home insurance premium for each Australian jurisdiction, with the Northern Territory the only exception. Instead, the available data comprises a national average, four regional averages and premium bands covering all 330 published regions. Together, these provide a detailed picture of where insurance costs are highest without presenting the regional figures as state-wide averages.

Highest premium band
$6,250+
Band not mean (2025)
West Pilbara in Western Australia is the only one of 330 published SA3 regions in the top band.
National mean premium
$2,360
+10.0% (2024-25)
Average retail premium per policy for combined home and contents cover.
Change since 2021–22
+28.2%
Real terms (2024–25)
After inflation, from the ACCC's adjusted series in 2024–25 dollars. The nominal change is +46.4%.
Regions at $5,000 or more
10 of 330
Top two bands (2025)
Four in Western Australia, two each in New South Wales and the Northern Territory, one each in Queensland and Victoria.
Northern Australia mean
$3,233
$923 gap (2024–25)
Against $2,310 in the rest of Australia. An ACCC monitoring region, not a state grouping.
Regions under $3,750
89.4%
295 regions (2025)
295 of the 330 published SA3 regions are in the two lowest bands.

ACCC, Insurance monitoring report 2026 – Supplementary data, Table 1, 2025; ACCC, Insurance monitoring report, June 2026, Table B.1.

Underinsurance in AustraliaUnderinsurance in AustraliaWhat happens when a sum insured falls behind rebuilding costs, and how common that gap really is.

Section 01 · National picture

Which Australian regions have the highest home insurance premiums?

Ten of Australia's 330 published regions have an average combined home and contents insurance premium of $5,000 or more. Six of these are in north Western Australia and the Northern Territory, a concentration the ACCC also highlights in its analysis.

At the other end of the distribution, most published regions fall into the lower premium bands. In total, 295 regions, representing 89.4% of those published, sit in the two lowest bands, both below $3,750.

The ACCC reports premiums by Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3) using five premium bands rather than exact average values. As a result, regions within the same band cannot be ranked against one another, and a band's midpoint should not be interpreted as an average.

330

Areas with enough data for the ACCC to publish a band

35

10.6% of published regions

$6,250+

West Pilbara

Average home and contents insurance premiums by region in Australia, 2025Number of published SA3 regions in each annual average premium band.Published SA3 regionsACCC, Insurance monitoring report 2026 – Supplementary data, Table 1, 2025$1,250 to <$2,500128$2,500 to <$3,750167$3,750 to <$5,00025$5,000 to <$6,2509$6,250+1Published SA3 regions
Regions are grouped by band and listed alphabetically inside each band: the ACCC publishes bands, not exact averages, so regions sharing a band cannot be ranked.
Highest areas: published SA3 regions with average premiums of $3,750 or more, Australia, 2025
SA3 regionState or territoryAverage premium band
West PilbaraWA$6,250+
Dural – Wisemans FerryNSW$5,000 to <$6,250
Eastern Suburbs – NorthNSW$5,000 to <$6,250
Darwin CityNT$5,000 to <$6,250
East ArnhemNT$5,000 to <$6,250
Surfers ParadiseQld$5,000 to <$6,250
Stonnington – WestVic$5,000 to <$6,250
East PilbaraWA$5,000 to <$6,250
GascoyneWA$5,000 to <$6,250
KimberleyWA$5,000 to <$6,250
Clarence ValleyNSW$3,750 to <$5,000
HawkesburyNSW$3,750 to <$5,000
Ku-ring-gaiNSW$3,750 to <$5,000
ManlyNSW$3,750 to <$5,000
Moree – NarrabriNSW$3,750 to <$5,000
North Sydney – MosmanNSW$3,750 to <$5,000
PittwaterNSW$3,750 to <$5,000
Richmond Valley – CoastalNSW$3,750 to <$5,000
Tweed ValleyNSW$3,750 to <$5,000
Darwin SuburbsNT$3,750 to <$5,000
LitchfieldNT$3,750 to <$5,000
Brisbane Inner – EastQld$3,750 to <$5,000
Brisbane Inner – NorthQld$3,750 to <$5,000
Brisbane Inner – WestQld$3,750 to <$5,000
Broadbeach – BurleighQld$3,750 to <$5,000
CoolangattaQld$3,750 to <$5,000
Gold Coast – NorthQld$3,750 to <$5,000
Kenmore – Brookfield – MoggillQld$3,750 to <$5,000
Mudgeeraba – TallebudgeraQld$3,750 to <$5,000
NoosaQld$3,750 to <$5,000
Sherwood – IndooroopillyQld$3,750 to <$5,000
TownsvilleQld$3,750 to <$5,000
WhitsundayQld$3,750 to <$5,000
Manningham – EastVic$3,750 to <$5,000
Cottesloe – ClaremontWA$3,750 to <$5,000

Source · ACCC, Insurance monitoring report 2026 – Supplementary data, Table 1, 2025.

These four regions cover the whole country and are the exact 2024–25 mean combined premiums per policy published in Table 6.1. Only the Northern Territory row matches a state or territory boundary. The recomputed column is calculated from the two published levels; the ACCC rounds its own figures to whole per cent.
Exact regional average premiums published by the ACCC, 2024–25
ACCC region2023–242024–25Change, as publishedChange, recomputed
North Western Australia$4,618$4,9668%7.5%
Northern Territory$3,337$3,5466%6.3%
North Queensland$3,006$3,1174%3.7%
Rest of Australia$2,094$2,31010%10.3%

Source · ACCC, Insurance monitoring report, June 2026, Table 6.1, printed page 60.

The four exact regional mean premiums published for 2024–25 range from $2,310 in the rest of Australia to $4,966 in north Western Australia. Only the Northern Territory matches a state or territory boundary.

Australia's average home insurance premium increased 46.4% over three years

The national mean rose from $1,612 in 2021–22 to $2,360 in 2024–25. This is an increase of 46.4% in nominal terms calculated from the two published levels. Adjusted for inflation and expressed in 2024–25 dollars, the increase is 28.2%.

Average home and contents insurance premiums in Australia, nominal andinflation-adjusted, 2021–22 to 2024–25How the national average premium has moved over four years, before and after adjusting for inflation.NominalInflation adjusted, 2024–25 dollarsACCC, Insurance monitoring report, June 2026, Table B.1$1.6K$1.8K$2K$2.2K$2.4K2021–222022–232023–242024–25Year

The inflation-adjusted average still rose from $1,841 to $2,360, showing that the increase was greater than the change attributable to general inflation alone.

The Northern Territory has the highest share of regions above $3,750

Across the states and territories, the Northern Territory has the largest share of published regions with premiums of $3,750 or more, at 44.4%. This compares with 16.0% in Queensland, 14.7% in Western Australia and 12.4% in New South Wales.

South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT have no published region at or above $3,750.

Distribution of home insurance premium bands by state and territory in Australia,2025How premium bands are spread across Australian states and territories.$1,250 to <$2,500$2,500 to <$3,750$3,750 to <$5,000$5,000 to <$6,250$6,250+ACCC, Insurance monitoring report 2026 – Supplementary data, Table 1, 202520406080100NTQldWANSWVicACTSATasState or territory

Queensland and New South Wales have the largest numbers of regions at $3,750 or more, with 13 and 11 respectively. The Northern Territory has four, but these account for 44.4% of its nine published regions.

Section 02 · New South Wales

Home insurance premiums in New South Wales

Two of New South Wales' 89 published regions are in the state's highest premium band, $5,000 to under $6,250. They are Dural-Wisemans Ferry, on Sydney's north-western fringe, and Eastern Suburbs - North. No region in NSW reaches the $6,250+ band.

Eleven regions have average premiums of $3,750 or more, the second-largest number of any jurisdiction after Queensland. This represents 12.4% of the state's published regions, placing New South Wales behind the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia by share.

Published SA3 regions
89
Areas with enough data for the ACCC to publish a band
At $3,750 or more
11
12.4% of the state's published regions
In the highest band
2
$5,000 to <$6,250: Dural – Wisemans Ferry; Eastern Suburbs – North

Published SA3 regions by band, NSW, 2025

$6,250+

0

$5,000 to <$6,250

2

$3,750 to <$5,000

9

$2,500 to <$3,750

63

$1,250 to <$2,500

15

Total published

89

Highest published band in NSW

Dural – Wisemans Ferry

$5,000–<$6,250

Eastern Suburbs – North

$5,000–<$6,250

Source · ACCC, Insurance monitoring report 2026 – Supplementary data, Table 1, 2025. Counts and shares are calculated from the 330 published SA3 rows, and describe published regions only, not policies or households. No state-wide average premium for New South Wales is published by the ACCC, APRA or the ABS.

Which parts of NSW have premiums of $3,750 or more?

The nine regions between $3,750 and $5,000 span different parts of New South Wales:

  • Northern rivers coast: Clarence Valley, Richmond Valley – Coastal, Tweed Valley
  • Sydney's northern beaches and lower north shore: Manly, North Sydney – Mosman, Pittwater
  • Elsewhere: Hawkesbury, Ku-ring-gai, Moree – Narrabri

This mix of high-value Sydney areas and regional coastal areas shows why the premium bands alone cannot separate the effect of insured property values from insurance risk. A published average reflects the amount insured as well as the rate charged, a point the ACCC makes directly about its premium figures.

Most New South Wales regions are below $3,750

The largest single group is the 63 regions priced between $2,500 and $3,750; 70.8% of those published in the state. A further 15 regions, 16.9%, are in the lowest band, under $2,500.

New South Wales has more published regions than any other jurisdiction, so a change affecting one region has a smaller effect on its overall percentages than in jurisdictions with fewer published regions.

Section 03 · Victoria

Home insurance premiums in Victoria

Victoria's highest published band is $5,000 to under $6,250, with one region in this range: Stonnington - West, which includes South Yarra, Prahran and Windsor. Manningham - East, on Melbourne's eastern edge, is the only Victorian region with an average premium of $3,750 to under $5,000.

These two are the exceptions. Of the 66 published Victorian regions, 43 (65.2%) are in the lowest band, with average premiums below $2,500. This is the fourth-largest share of any jurisdiction, behind Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia.

Another 21 fall between $2,500 and $3,750.

Published SA3 regions
66
Areas with enough data for the ACCC to publish a band
At $3,750 or more
2
3.0% of the state's published regions
In the highest band
1
$5,000 to <$6,250: Stonnington – West

Published SA3 regions by band, Victoria, 2025

$6,250+

0

$5,000 to <$6,250

1

$3,750 to <$5,000

1

$2,500 to <$3,750

21

$1,250 to <$2,500

43

Total published

66

Highest published bands in Victoria

Stonnington – West

$5,000–<$6,250

Manningham – East

$3,750–<$5,000

Source · ACCC, Insurance monitoring report 2026 – Supplementary data, Table 1, 2025. Counts and shares are calculated from published SA3 rows only. Stonnington – West and Manningham – East are in different bands and can be ordered; regions inside the same band cannot.

Most Victorian regions are in the lowest premium band

Stonnington - West sits three bands above the 43 regions in Victoria's lowest band, creating a difference of at least $2,500 in average annual premiums.

At 3.0%, Victoria has the lowest share of regions at $3,750 or more among jurisdictions with at least one region above that threshold.

Section 04 · Queensland

Home insurance premiums in Queensland

Queensland has the largest number of higher-cost regions of any state. Thirteen of its 81 published SA3 regions are at $3,750 or more, representing 16.0% of those published.

Surfers Paradise is the only one in the $5,000 to under $6,250 band. No Queensland region reaches $6,250.

At the other end, six Queensland regions (7.4% of those published) are in the lowest band, with premiums below $2,500. This is the smallest share of any jurisdiction apart from the Northern Territory, which has none.

Published SA3 regions
81
Areas with enough data for the ACCC to publish a band
At $3,750 or more
13
16.0% of the state's published regions
In the highest band
1
$5,000 to <$6,250: Surfers Paradise

Published SA3 regions by band, Queensland, 2025

$6,250+

0

$5,000 to <$6,250

1

$3,750 to <$5,000

12

$2,500 to <$3,750

62

$1,250 to <$2,500

6

Total published

81

Highest published band in Queensland

Surfers Paradise

$5,000–<$6,250

North Queensland mean, 2024–25

$3,117

Source · ACCC, Insurance monitoring report 2026 – Supplementary data, Table 1, 2025; ACCC, Insurance monitoring report, June 2026, Table 6.1, printed page 60. Band counts are calculated from published SA3 rows. The north Queensland mean is published by the ACCC and covers a monitoring region that doesn't align with any SA3 grouping above, so the two are shown separately rather than combined.

Higher-premium regions are concentrated in south-east and northern Queensland

The 12 regions between $3,750 and $5,000 split between two different ends of the state:

  • Brisbane: Brisbane Inner – East, Brisbane Inner – North, Brisbane Inner – West, Kenmore – Brookfield – Moggill, Sherwood – Indooroopilly
  • Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast: Broadbeach – Burleigh, Coolangatta, Gold Coast – North, Mudgeeraba – Tallebudgera, Noosa
  • Northern Queensland: Townsville, Whitsunday

Ten regions are in Brisbane or on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, while the other two, Townsville and Whitsunday, are in the tropical north. Because the ACCC reports premium bands rather than exact regional averages, the data does not show how much of each premium reflects insured values, location-specific risk or other pricing factors.

North Queensland's average premium was $3,117

North Queensland's mean combined home and contents premium was $3,117 in 2024–25, against $3,006 the previous year. That's a 4% increase as reported, or 3.7% calculated from the two reported levels.

Queensland is one of only two jurisdictions where the ACCC publishes an exact average for part of the state. Western Australia is the other. By comparison, the Northern Territory figure covers the whole territory.

Queensland's published region extends from Mackay to Port Douglas and covers only a minority of the state's population, so it should not be treated as a Queensland-wide average. Its average premium increased by 14% between 2021–22 and 2024–25, compared with 49% across the rest of Australia.

Section 05 · Western Australia

Home insurance premiums in Western Australia

Western Australia contains the highest published premium band in the country. West Pilbara is the only one of 330 published regions in the $6,250+ band, with East Pilbara, Gascoyne and Kimberley all in the $5,000 to under $6,250 band.

Four of Australia's 10 published regions with average home and contents insurance premiums of $5,000 or more are in Western Australia, all in the state's north or north-west. Cottesloe – Claremont, in Perth, is the only other Western Australian region in the $3,750-or-more premium band.

At the same time, 25 of its 34 published regions are in the lowest band, with average premiums below $2,500. This gives Western Australia the widest spread of premium bands of any jurisdiction.

Published SA3 regions
34
Areas with enough data for the ACCC to publish a band
At $3,750 or more
5
14.7% of the state's published regions
In the highest band
1
$6,250+: West Pilbara

Published SA3 regions by band, WA, 2025

$6,250+

1

$5,000 to <$6,250

3

$3,750 to <$5,000

1

$2,500 to <$3,750

4

$1,250 to <$2,500

25

Total published

34

Highest published bands in WA

West Pilbara

$6,250+

East Pilbara

$5,000–<$6,250

Gascoyne

$5,000–<$6,250

Kimberley

$5,000–<$6,250

Cottesloe – Claremont

$3,750–<$5,000

Source · ACCC, Insurance monitoring report 2026 – Supplementary data, Table 1, 2025. East Pilbara, Gascoyne and Kimberley share one band and are listed alphabetically; their exact averages are not published and they cannot be ranked. Western Australia is the only jurisdiction with a published region in all five bands.

North Western Australia's average premium was $4,966

The average combined premium for the northern part of Western Australia was $4,966 in 2024–25 compared with $4,618 the previous year. That is an 8% increase as reported, or 7.5% calculated from the two levels.

This region is the highest of the four published regional averages, and more than double the $2,310 average for the rest of Australia.

The north Western Australia average increased by 17% between 2021–22 and 2024–25, which was slower than the increase in the national premium over the same period.

Most Western Australian regions are in the lowest premium band

Twenty-five of Western Australia's 34 published regions, or 73.5% are in the lowest band, under $2,500, and only four fall between $2,500 and $3,750.

This combination means Western Australia's published regions extend from the country's highest premium band to the lowest, a wider range than in any other jurisdiction.

Section 06 · South Australia and Tasmania

Home insurance premiums in South Australia and Tasmania

Neither South Australia nor Tasmania has a published SA3 region in the $3,750-or-higher premium bands. Instead, both peak in the $2,500 to under $3,750 band, three bands below the national maximum. Along with the ACT, they are the only jurisdictions with no region above that level.

Six of South Australia's 28 published regions reach the $2,500-to-under-$3,750 band, all in or around Adelaide:

  • Adelaide City
  • Adelaide Hills
  • Burnside
  • Norwood – Payneham – St Peters
  • Prospect – Walkerville
  • Unley

The remaining 22 regions, or 78.6% of those published in South Australia, are in the lowest band, with average premiums under $2,500.

Tasmania has two regions in the $2,500 to under $3,750 band: Hobart Inner and Huon – Bruny Island. The remaining 13 of its 15 published regions are below $2,500. At 86.7%, this is the largest share in the lowest band of any state or territory.

Regions at $3,750 or more
0
Across both states, from 28 published in SA and 15 in Tasmania
South Australia under $2,500
78.6%
22 of its 28 published regions
Tasmania under $2,500
86.7%
13 of 15 published regions; the highest share in the country

South Australia, 2025

$3,750 or more

0

$2,500 to <$3,750

6

$1,250 to <$2,500

22

Total published

28

Share under $2,500

78.6%

Tasmania, 2025

$3,750 or more

0

$2,500 to <$3,750

2

$1,250 to <$2,500

13

Total published

15

Share under $2,500

86.7%

Australia, for comparison

$3,750 or more

35

$2,500 to <$3,750

167

$1,250 to <$2,500

128

Total published

330

Share under $2,500

38.8%

Source · ACCC, Insurance monitoring report 2026 – Supplementary data, Table 1, 2025. South Australia's six top-band regions and Tasmania's two are listed alphabetically within their shared band and can't be ranked. Tasmania has the fewest published regions of any state, at 15, so its shares move by 6.7 percentage points for each region that changes band.

All published regions in both states are below $3,750

South Australia and Tasmania are two of three jurisdictions, along with the ACT, whose published regions appear only in the two lowest premium bands.

Neither state has a published state-wide average premium, so the band distribution shows how regions are grouped but not the exact average premium for either state.

Section 07 · ACT and Northern Territory

Home insurance premiums in the ACT and Northern Territory

The ACT has no published region with an average at $3,750 or more. The Northern Territory shows the opposite pattern: four of its nine published regions are at or above this level, while none are in the lowest band below $2,500.

These two territories have the smallest samples in the dataset, with eight published regions in the ACT and nine in the Northern Territory. As a result, each region has a larger effect on their percentage distributions than in the states.

ACT regions at $3,750 or more
0
Of eight published regions, the smallest sample in the country
NT regions at $3,750 or more
4
44.4% of nine published regions, the highest share in the country
NT mean premium, 2024–25
$3,546
The only published mean covering a whole state or territory

ACT, published regions by band, 2025

$3,750 or more

0

$2,500 to <$3,750

4

$1,250 to <$2,500

4

Total published

8

Published mean premium

Not published

Northern Territory, published regions by band, 2025

$5,000 to <$6,250

2

$3,750 to <$5,000

2

$2,500 to <$3,750

5

$1,250 to <$2,500

0

Published mean premium, 2024–25

$3,546

Source · ACCC, Insurance monitoring report 2026 – Supplementary data, Table 1, 2025; ACCC, Insurance monitoring report, June 2026, Table 6.1. The ACT's four top-band regions and the Northern Territory's two are listed alphabetically within their shared bands and cannot be ranked. Each ACT region accounts for 12.5% of the territory's published distribution.

Home insurance premiums in the ACT

The ACT's eight published regions split evenly between the two lowest bands. Four are under $2,500, while these four are in the $2,500 to under $3,750 band:

  • Canberra East
  • North Canberra
  • South Canberra
  • Woden Valley

No ACT region reaches $3,750.

Like South Australia and Tasmania, the ACT has published regions in only the two lowest premium bands. The ACCC does not publish an exact territory-wide average for the ACT.

Home insurance premiums in the Northern Territory

The Northern Territory's nine published regions are spread across three premium bands:

  • $5,000 to under $6,250: Darwin City, East Arnhem
  • $3,750 to under $5,000: Darwin Suburbs, Litchfield
  • $2,500 to under $3,750: Alice Springs, Barkly, Daly – Tiwi – West Arnhem, Katherine, Palmerston

At 44.4%, the Northern Territory has the highest share of published regions with premiums of $3,750 or more. This compares with 16.0% in Queensland, 14.7% in Western Australia and 12.4% in New South Wales.

The Northern Territory's mean combined premium was $3,546 in 2024–25, compared with $3,337 the previous year. This is a 6% increase as reported, or 6.3% calculated from the two levels.

Because the Northern Territory aligns with one of the ACCC's four monitoring regions, it is the only Australian state or territory with a published jurisdiction-wide mean premium in this dataset.

Its mean premium increased by 38% between 2021–22 and 2024–25, compared with 17% in north Western Australia and 14% in north Queensland, all in nominal terms.

Section 08 · Local risk

Why home insurance premiums vary by location

Standardised premiums per $100,000 sum insured were $304 nationally in 2024–25, $494 in northern Australia and $295 elsewhere. The ACCC uses this measure to reduce the effect of differing insured values across regions.

Two major drivers of a raw home insurance premium are the rate charged for risk and the amount insured. Building costs are also generally higher in northern Australia, because of remoteness and stricter building standards.

A raw premium therefore does not isolate risk pricing. A higher average may reflect greater insurance risk, higher insured values or a combination of both.

Northern Australia has higher premiums per $100,000 insured

Standardising for the amount insured narrows the regional gap but does not remove it. In 2024–25, northern Australia's premium per $100,000 sum insured was 1.67 times the figure for the rest of Australia, at $494 compared with $295.

In per-policy terms, northern Australia averaged $3,233 in 2024–25 against $2,310 in the rest of Australia, a difference of $923.

Even after allowing for differences in insured values, the northern Australian figure remained higher. The ACCC states that this measure helps control for regional differences in rebuilding costs and insured values, although it does not remove every pricing difference.

Average home insurance premium per $100,000 sum insured by ACCC region inAustralia, 2021–22 to 2024–25How premiums per $100,000 sum insured compare between northern Australia and the rest of the country.Northern AustraliaAustraliaRest of AustraliaACCC, Insurance monitoring report, June 2026, Table B.1$200$300$400$500$6002021–222022–232023–242024–25Year

The northern Australia series was broadly flat over these four years, while the rest-of-Australia series rose from $233 to $295 per $100,000 insured.

Average premiums differ by insurance product

The national mean premium in 2024–25 was $2,360 for a combined home and contents policy, $1,852 for building only and $531 for contents only.

These figures relate to separate products rather than components of a single policy. They should therefore be compared as different types of cover, not added together.

Since 2021–22 the national mean premium increased by 48.4% for building-only cover and 20.1% for contents-only cover.

How premiums differ across combined, building-only and contents-only cover. All figures are national means per policy, nominal, and the change column is calculated from the two published levels. The three rows are separate products, not components of one another, and shouldn't be added together. Contents cover has the highest cost per $100,000 insured and the lowest cost per policy, because the sums insured are much smaller.
Average home insurance premium by product type in Australia, 2021–22 and 2024–25
Product2021–222024–25Change, nominalPer $100,000 sum insured, 2024–25
Combined home and contents$1,612$2,360+46.4%$304
Home building only$1,248$1,852+48.4%$331
Home contents only$442$531+20.1%$636

Source · ACCC, Insurance monitoring report, June 2026, Table B.1.

Cyclone-risk premiums vary widely within the same category

Among policies in medium to high cyclone risk areas, priced after their insurer joined the reinsurance pool, the median premium was $551 per $100,000 sum insured, while the 95th percentile was $1,220.

The 95th percentile was 2.21 times the median, based on the two published figures. Before pool entry, the equivalent figures were $631 and $1,341.

This shows that premiums can vary substantially even within the same cyclone-risk category. Medium-to-high wind-risk bands account for about 2% of policies in the dataset, so this spread is not visible in national or state averages.

How premiums have shifted for cyclone-exposed properties since the reinsurance pool began. Pre-pool and post-pool describe when a policy was priced relative to its insurer joining the cyclone reinsurance pool, up to 12 months either side, rather than a financial year. These figures are therefore not comparable with the 2024–25 averages shown elsewhere above. The ACCC attributes the reduction in the medium to high category to the pool.
Average home and contents insurance premium by cyclone risk category in Australia, pre-pool and post-pool policies
Cyclone riskPre-pool premiumPost-pool premiumPre-pool per $100,000Post-pool per $100,000
Medium to high$3,885$3,823$708$628
Low$2,233$2,458$345$355
Nil$2,091$2,320$283$300

Source · ACCC, Insurance monitoring report, June 2026, Table 6.2, printed page 64, and Chapter 6.

For post-pool policies, average premiums per $100,000 sum insured ranged from $824 in Karratha to $281 in Sydney.

Mackay, Cairns and Brisbane are all in Queensland and span $267 per $100,000 sum insured.

How premiums vary between cyclone-exposed and lower-risk cities. These five are a subset of ten cities the ACCC compares. The period is defined relative to each insurer's entry to the cyclone reinsurance pool rather than by financial year, so the figures aren't directly comparable with the 2024–25 averages shown elsewhere above. The ACCC attributes the decreases in higher cyclone risk cities to the pool.
Average home insurance premium per $100,000 sum insured in selected Australian cities, post-pool policies
CityStatePremium per $100,000 sum insuredChange from pre-pool policies
KarrathaWestern Australia$824−15%
MackayQueensland$619−14%
CairnsQueensland$556−12%
BrisbaneQueensland$352+2%
SydneyNew South Wales$281+7%

Source · ACCC, Insurance monitoring report, June 2026, Chapter 6.

Premium averages also reflect taxes and address-level pricing

Mean premiums have risen unevenly by region since 2021–22: up 49% in the rest of Australia and 38% in the Northern Territory, against 17% in north Western Australia and 14% in north Queensland, all in nominal terms.

Two further features of the published premiums limit what a state average can reveal. The figures are means, and means get pulled upward by the most expensive policies in a region.

They also include GST, stamp duty and applicable levies, so part of any difference between jurisdictions reflects state insurance taxes rather than risk.

The ACCC also states that regional averages can conceal the higher premiums paid by some consumers and that insurers can increasingly price natural-peril risk at an individual-address level. An average may therefore differ substantially from a quote for a specific property.

The latest available ABS state comparison is from 2015–16

Average household spending on house and contents insurance ranged from $22.27 a week in the Northern Territory to $13.81 in Victoria, compared with a national average of $16.74.

This remains the latest ABS measure covering all eight states and territories, but it is not directly comparable with the ACCC premium data.

The ABS figures are averaged across all households, including those without a house or contents insurance policy. They measure household spending rather than the average premium paid by policyholders.

How household insurance spending compared across states and territories, before the ACCC's premium data began. Averaged across all households, including those without a house or contents policy, so it understates what policyholders paid and can't be read as a premium. The annualised column is calculated as the weekly figure multiplied by 52 and rounded to the nearest dollar. Every estimate has a relative standard error under 10%. Very Remote SA1s were excluded from the survey, affecting about 22% of the Northern Territory population, so that row covers less of its population than the others.
Average weekly household spending on house and contents insurance by state and territory in Australia, 2015–16
State or territoryPer household per weekAnnualisedRelative standard error
Northern Territory$22.27$1,1588.3%
Queensland$20.32$1,0573.4%
Tasmania$17.70$9204.9%
New South Wales$17.48$9093.0%
Western Australia$16.50$8584.6%
Australian Capital Territory$14.48$7535.6%
South Australia$13.93$7243.3%
Victoria$13.81$7182.9%
Australia$16.74$8701.6%

Source · ABS, Household Expenditure Survey, Australia: Summary of Results, 2015–16, Table 13.9A and Table 13.9B_RSE

References

  1. ACCC, Insurance Monitoring Report, June 2026 · accc.gov.au
  2. ACCC, Insurance monitoring report 2026 – Supplementary data · accc.gov.au
  3. ABS, Household Expenditure Survey, Australia: Summary of Results, 2015–16 · Australian Bureau of Statistics
  4. APRA, Quarterly General Insurance Performance Statistics, March 2026 edition · apra.gov.au