Homeowners perplexed as insurers give dubious explanation for skyrocketing rates: 'Just so people stop asking questions'
While state officials blame hail damage for the sky-high costs, weather experts say the data tells a different story.
Oklahomans now pay an average of $4,651 to insure a $300,000 home, more than double the national average. Even more shocking, residents spend 6.84% of their annual income on homeowners insurance compared to just 2.41% nationwide.
The state's insurance commissioner points to hail as the main culprit. But meteorologists aren't buying it.
"They might just say, 'Oh, I don't know, it's hail,' just so people stop asking questions," said Bruce Thoren, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Norman, per Oklahoma Watch.
The numbers back up his skepticism. Data from 2020–2024 cited by the publication shows Oklahoma averaged 16.6 days of significant hail annually. Meanwhile, Texas, which has much lower insurance rates, dealt with 37.8 days of hail during the same period.
These inflated rates create a double burden for families already facing rising costs everywhere else. When spending nearly 7% of your income just to protect your home, that's money you can't put toward other necessities or savings.
The real problem appears to be a regulatory loophole created in 1999. Originally designed to increase competition in business insurance, the law was quietly expanded to cover homeowners insurance in 2004.
Now, as Oklahoma Watch noted, Oklahoma's insurance department will step in if rates go too low, but it won't regulate when they spike upward.
This hands-off approach lets insurance companies raise rates to cover losses from other states, leaving Oklahoma families holding the bag.
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"They're not supposed to do that," Oklahoma City insurance attorney Simone Fulmer told the publication, though she observed there's little in state law to prevent it.
Consumer advocates are calling for regulatory reform to bring Oklahoma in line with states like Texas, where the law requires that insurance rates be neither too low nor too high.
The Oklahoma Insurance Department can investigate whether the market is competitive, but only if someone files a formal complaint. In over 20 years, this has happened just once, and ironically, the insurance commissioner served as both the person bringing the complaint and the judge deciding the outcome.
If you're frustrated with your insurance rates, contact the Oklahoma Insurance Department. Its Oklahoma City office can be reached at 405-521-2828, and the Tulsa office at 918-295-3700.
You can also support candidates who prioritize consumer protection over insurance industry interests.
As Oklahoma Watch noted, campaign finance records show the top donors of Oklahoma Insurance Department Commissioner Glen Mulready have consistently been insurance companies, sometimes outspending other groups by four to one.
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