States have common, and unique, concerns with homeowners coverage

The homeowners markets in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas, while sharing some similarities, all have their own special considerations and concerns.

Oklahoma has some of the highest property insurance rates in the country, according to Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland, due to the prevalence of severe storms that routinely sweep across the state bringing high winds and hail. Texas and Louisiana share a coastline along the Gulf of Mexico and the windstorm problems associated with that exposure. Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Julie Benafield Bowman has noted that while the Arkansas homeowners market is relatively stable, coverage for earthquakes is scarce, creating potential problems for the state, which has earthquake exposures due to its location along the southern end of the New Madrid Seismic Zone.

The following tables show the top 10 homeowners insurers in terms of market share in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. The data was provided by the respective departments of insurance in each state. Note that for Texas, the figures represent written premium and market share for the four quarters ending with the third quarter of 2005, rather than for the four quarters ending with the fourth quarter 2005 as is the case with the data for its neighboring states.

Topics Texas Louisiana Homeowners Oklahoma Arkansas