The Best Homeowners Insurance for Veterans and Military
Even if you have homeowners insurance, periodically re-evaluating your choices can help you get the best rates, services and policies for your situation. Here's what you need to know to find the best homeowners insurance policy.
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Mortgage lenders require homeowners insurance, but purchasing a policy is a good idea even if you own your home outright. Insurance provides financial protection against a range of perils, including legal liability for accidents on your property and catastrophic damage from fires or other disasters.
Military members and veterans should pay close attention to their policies as their personal and professional situations change. Even if you already have homeowners insurance, periodically re-evaluating your choices can help you get the best rates, services, and coverage for your situation.
Keep reading to find out what you need to know to find the best homeowners insurance policy.
Military Deployment and Homeowners Insurance
Military members should examine every homeowners insurance policy for two important clauses:
- Occupancy clauses: Insurance companies whose policies carry occupancy clauses may not pay claims if your home has been vacant for a significant period, such as a deployment. To keep you covered, some insurance providers may ask you to buy an expensive “fire policy.”
- War zone exemptions in personal property coverage: Homeowners insurance policies can cover your possessions anywhere in the world, except in war zones. If your policy contains a war zone clause, it may not cover lost or damaged items like laptops, jewelry, or cameras while you’re deployed.
Some providers, including military homeowners insurance companies, may waive these clauses for military members, especially when deployed on active duty. Ask about your provider’s military clause before you purchase a policy.
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The Best Military-Specific Home Insurance Companies
Insurance companies that specifically serve military and veteran customers may offer unique coverage options during deployment and other situations unique to military life.
USAA Home Insurance
USAA provides an array of financial products, including home insurance for military members and qualified family members. Founded in 1922 by 25 Army officers who pooled their money to insure each other’s cars, USAA now has 14 million members and $235 billion in assets, according to its 2025 Annual Report to Members.
USAA homeowners insurance covers a wide range of catastrophes, including fire, theft, vandalism, liability, weather-related events, and identity theft damages (unless you live in North Carolina). USAA also specifically covers military uniforms under your homeowners insurance policy with no deductible.
Additional Coverage Options
If you live in a designated flood zone or an area prone to earthquakes, you may need to purchase additional coverage to fill those gaps. Review your policy and ask a USAA agent about gap insurance options available in your area.
Who Qualifies for USAA Homeowners Insurance?
USAA homeowners insurance is available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Eligibility is limited to military members, veterans, and their eligible family members who are also USAA members. Family members only qualify if the veteran they’re related to holds USAA membership.
You can find out more about membership requirements by calling USAA at 800-531-USAA (8722) and selecting the “Join USAA” option.
Does USAA Offer Military Discounts?
As a military-only company, USAA doesn’t offer a separate military discount. You’re already getting military-focused pricing. You can save up to 10% by bundling home and auto insurance, and USAA offers an additional 10% discount if you go five years without filing a claim.
Armed Forces Insurance
Armed Forces Insurance (AFI) is a reciprocal insurance exchange, meaning AFI members own a stake in the company — much like a co-op built specifically for military insurance.
AFI’s standard homeowners coverage includes dwelling and other permanent structures, personal property, loss of use due to a qualifying event, and liability and medical coverage.
Additional Coverage Options
AFI also offers earthquake, flood, animal liability, identity theft, and water backup and sump overflow coverage. Talk to your agent when you sign up to see which options make sense for your situation.
Who Qualifies for AFI Homeowners Insurance?
AFI policies are available in all 50 states. Here’s who qualifies:
- Active duty, National Guard, and reserve servicemembers, including Coast Guardsmen
- Honorably discharged and retired military members
- Civilian Department of Defense employees
- Active or retired Department of Veterans Affairs employees
- Service academy, Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), or Merchant Marine Academy cadets
- Family members of current or former AFI military members
- Military spouses and surviving spouses of current or former servicemembers
To learn more, call AFI’s customer service at 800-495-8234.
Does AFI Offer Military Discounts?
As a reciprocal company built for military members, AFI doesn’t offer a separate military discount. Instead, it focuses on finding competitive rates and coverage tailored to your needs.
Veterans United Insurance
Veterans United Insurance (VUI), a Veterans United affiliate, offers competitive insurance options for military members and veterans.
As an insurance agency, VUI shops multiple carriers on your behalf, offering liability, loss of use, dwelling, and personal property coverage. Their national insurance partners include Foremost, Nationwide, Progressive, Liberty Mutual, Cincinnati Insurance, Tower Hill Specialty, and Universal Property.
Additional Coverage Options
Additional options and gap coverages vary by VUI partner. To find out which gap coverages are available in your area, call VUI at 888-625-1794.
Who Qualifies for VUI Homeowners Insurance?
VUI is available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., except California, where it operates as Military United Insurance. In addition to homeowners insurance, VUI provides renters, auto, boat, RV, motorcycle, life, and umbrella insurance.
VUI Executive Director Tom Schwartz said the agency’s agents are focused on personal service for military clients. “We work to build personal connections with everyone we serve,” he said.
Does VUI Offer Military Discounts?
VUI helps veterans find insurance carriers with the best price for their specific situation, and some of those carriers offer military discounts. Schwartz said finding the right rate for each customer’s unique circumstances is a core part of what VUI does.
The Best Home Insurance Companies With Military Discounts
You don’t have to go with a military-specific company to get a great deal on homeowners insurance. Many traditional insurers offer meaningful discounts for military members. You might find lower rates at these carriers, though their services won’t be as tailored to military life. Compare rates and coverage before you commit.
Farmers Homeowners Insurance – Best for Loyalty and No-Claims Rewards
Farmers Insurance covers a wide range of home damage events, including explosions, car accidents, aircraft crashes, falling objects, fire, smoke, lightning, theft, vandalism, water backup, weight of ice and snow, windstorms, and hail. Farmers also offers loyalty and no-claims discounts, plus savings for non-smokers and customers who bundle home and auto coverage.
Additional Coverage Options
Farmers offers two levels of flood insurance — high-risk and low-to-moderate risk — depending on where you live. Coverage goes up to $250,000 for your home and $100,000 for personal property. Farmers also offers earthquake insurance for homeowners in earthquake zones.
Who Qualifies for Farmers Homeowners Insurance?
Farmers does not offer homeowners coverage in Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, West Virginia, or the District of Columbia.
Does Farmers Offer Military Discounts?
Farmers offers military discounts ranging between 2–8%, depending on the state, according to Farmers Insurance spokesman Trevor Chapman. The discount applies to active-duty (including active reserve) servicemembers, retired military, and honorably discharged veterans.
Liberty Mutual Homeowners Insurance – Best for Custom Policies
Liberty Mutual covers standard homeowners insurance items, including personal property, the home structure, secondary structures, and medical liability, and prides itself on customizable policies so you don’t pay for coverage you don’t need. Note that floods and earthquakes aren’t covered in most circumstances, so you’ll need additional coverage for those.
Additional Coverage Options
Liberty Mutual offers additional options, including high-value item coverage, personal property replacement cost, flood coverage, and water damage protection. The company can also automatically adjust your coverage limits to keep pace with inflation, which is a useful feature for military families buying homes in areas with rising real estate values.
Who Qualifies for Liberty Mutual Homeowners Insurance?
Liberty Mutual is available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Does Liberty Mutual Offer Military Discounts?
Military members and veterans qualify for discounts on Liberty Mutual home and auto insurance, according to Liberty Mutual spokesman Gregory Kessler, though the amount and availability vary by state. Contact a local agent to confirm what’s available in your area.
Kemper Personal Insurance – Best for Simplicity
Kemper offers three tiered homeowners policies:
- Prime Home Essentials: Covers your core insurance needs with optional add-ons.
- Prime Home Enhanced: Adds higher limits, water backup, identity theft, and automatic personal property replacement cost coverage.
- Prime Home Elite: Everything in Enhanced, but with the highest available limits.
Note that Kemper’s availability is limited. Military families who PCS frequently may find themselves outside Kemper’s coverage area — worth checking before you get too far into the quote process.
Additional Coverage Options
Kemper offers additional personal property coverage options beyond what’s included in its standard tiers.
Where Is Kemper Homeowners Insurance Available?
Kemper offers homeowners policies in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Does Kemper Offer Military Discounts?
Kemper Personal Insurance offers military discounts to active and retired military members, as well as junior and senior military academy cadets.
GEICO Homeowners Insurance – Best Large Insurance Broker
GEICO, which stands for “Government Employees Insurance Company,” began as an insurer for government and military employees, and that heritage carries forward in its military benefits today. Standard GEICO homeowners policies cover property damage, personal property, personal liability, up to $2,000 in jewelry, and loss of use due to catastrophic events. Earthquakes, nuclear hazards, maintenance issues, and flooding from rising water levels aren’t covered under a standard policy.
Additional Coverage Options
You can add flood and umbrella policies to your GEICO homeowners coverage for expanded protection.
Where Is GEICO Homeowners Insurance Available?
GEICO is an insurance broker with partners in all 50 states, including Washington, D.C.
Does GEICO Offer Military Discounts?
GEICO offers up to a 15% military discount on insurance policies for active duty, National Guard, reserve, and retired servicemembers. GEICO also uniquely offers emergency deployment discounts when you deploy to a DOD-designated imminent danger pay area.
Even if you don’t qualify for a military discount, GEICO discounts policies for members of certain military-affiliated organizations, including the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), Navy Federal Credit Union, Armed Forces Benefit Association (AFBA), and the Navy League of the United States (NLUS).
Exact discounts vary by state. For more information, dial (800) MILITARY.
Lemonade – Best for Socially Conscious Customers
Lemonade uses artificial intelligence to write home insurance policies, keeping operating costs and premiums low. Instead of speaking to a broker, you sign up through a bot named Maya. To file a claim, you upload videos of the damage through their mobile app.
Lemonade is a public benefit corporation that splits customer payments into two pools: one covers operating costs and profits, the other insures against customer losses. Whatever is left in the loss pool at year’s end gets donated to charity. In 2021, Lemonade donated more than $2.3 million to causes including Objective Zero, which focuses specifically on veteran suicide prevention.
Additional Coverage Options
Lemonade offers extra coverage for high-value items like jewelry, musical instruments, cameras, and art against damage, theft, and loss. Earthquake coverage is currently available only in California.
Where Is Lemonade Homeowners Insurance Available?
Lemonade homeowners insurance is available in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Lemonade also offers policies in France, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Does Lemonade Offer Military Discounts?
Lemonade doesn’t offer a military discount, but its rates tend to run below the market average. With the average homeowners insurance premium hitting $3,303 per year in 2024 — a 24% increase from 2021, according to a Consumer Federation of America report — finding a lower-cost carrier matters more than ever. Some Lemonade policies start as low as $300 per year, though costs vary by state, home condition, and coverage depth.
Online Insurance Marketplaces
Online insurance marketplaces can help you compare homeowners insurance policies side by side.
Smart Financial
Smart Financial is an online insurance marketplace that matches you with carriers in your area. It doesn’t show rates upfront — a representative will contact you for more details. If you want a military discount, you’ll need to ask at the time of purchase, as Smart Financial doesn’t have partnerships with military-focused carriers like USAA, AFI, or VUI.
SuperMoney
SuperMoney offers a clean, well-organized interface that ranks homeowners insurance companies without requiring your personal information — no follow-up calls or emails. You can filter results specifically by military discount availability, which makes it a useful starting point for comparison shopping.
More Ways for Military Families to Save on Home Insurance
Beyond choosing the right carrier, a few smart habits can keep your premiums down year over year.
- Bundle your policies. Bundling home, auto, and personal property insurance can save you hundreds per year. Most major carriers offer multi-policy discounts.
- Keep a higher deductible. A higher deductible lowers your monthly premium. This works best if you have enough in savings to cover that deductible out of pocket if you need to file a claim.
- Review what outdoor features are already covered. Check your policy before insuring detached garages, hot tubs, or sheds separately. Many standard policies already include them up to a certain limit.
- Think carefully about high-value item coverage. Your base policy likely covers valuables up to a set limit, often around $1,500 for jewelry. Only buy additional coverage if your items exceed what’s already included.
- Ask about discount programs. Many insurers offer discounts for smart home devices, security systems, water sensors, and temperature monitors. USAA, for example, offers discounts on ADT security system monitoring in addition to its standard homeowners discounts. Always ask about military discounts, too. Some carriers don’t advertise them prominently.
- Loyalty can pay off. Switching insurers can save money, but so can staying put. Ask your insurer whether they offer discounts for long-term customers or for going a set number of years without filing a claim.
Military Homeowners Insurance FAQs
How much does home insurance cost for military members?
The average homeowners insurance premium hit $3,303 per year in 2024 — a 24% jump from 2021, according to the Consumer Federation of America. Your actual cost depends on your home’s rebuild value, your location, your credit history, and the depth of coverage you choose. A military discount can lower your rate, so always ask your insurer whether one is available.
Who has the best homeowners insurance rates for military members?
There’s no universal answer. GEICO advertises the highest military discount at up to 15%, but a larger advertised discount doesn’t automatically mean the lowest total premium. The best rate depends on your home, location, and coverage needs. Compare quotes from at least two or three insurers, including at least one military-specific carrier, before you decide.
Who is eligible for military homeowners insurance discounts?
Eligibility varies by carrier. Most extend military discounts to active duty servicemembers, National Guard and reserve members, veterans, and in some cases their family members. Some carriers limit discounts to active duty only. Always confirm who qualifies when you’re getting a quote.
