Flood insurance policies from the National Flood Insurance Program cost just over $1,100 per year on average

The factors stirring up a home insurance storm

The cost of the average home insurance premium shot up 33% between 2020 and 2023 in the US, a trend mimicking heightened inflation. But beyond the cost, insurers are also pulling out of major markets like Florida and California, and millions of policies aren't being renewed as the number of $1B weather disasters continues to increase each year. Read up on the difficulties the home insurance market faces here.

Term life insurance costs about $80 per month

Permanent life insurance, on the other hand, can run you anywhere between $540 and $700 a month. However, the average monthly cost can vary depending on your age, sex, and policy type.

Homes in areas increasingly prone to natural disasters often aren't covered by private insurance

Instead, they're often covered under insurance plans of last resort, known as FAIR (Fair Access to Insurance Requirements) plans. However, as more and more homes become covered by FAIR, the program is facing strain. This interactive visual helps explain the new problems FAIR is facing.

Flood recurrence intervals are based on independent probabilities

The term "100-year flood" does not mean the event will only occur once every 100 years, but it has a 1% chance of occurring in any given year. Soil saturation, watershed size, and urban development can impact flood severity.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency leads the US response to disasters

Established in 1979, FEMA coordinates the government's response to hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and other disasters, providing funding, logistical support, and recovery assistance. In FY 2024, the agency spent $35.1B, nearly 40% of the Department of Homeland Security's total budget.

The cost of covering family health insurance has tripled in 20 years

The Milliman Medical Index tracks the real cost of health insurance for people covered through employer-sponsored plans. In 2025, healthcare for a family of four cost an average of $35K, including employer contributions, out-of-pocket expenses, premiums, and offset wages.

The cost of new home construction in each US state

When the real estate market is competitive, homeowners may look to new construction to save money. Today's Homeowner conducted a survey to determine how much it costs in each state to build a new, 2,100-square-foot home. They found the national average is just over $332K. Go here for your state's data.

Surprising costs associated with homeownership include taxes and roof maintenance

Owning a home includes not just expected costs such as a mortgage, homeowners insurance, and landscaping, but also less-obvious expenses like property taxes, repairing and maintaining one’s roof and HVAC system, and HOA fees.

Mortgage insurance offers help to buyers who can’t afford to put down 20% up front

Buyers who need mortgage insurance end up paying more per month on top of their loan to cover the added insurance. At its core, mortgage insurance helps buyers purchase a home they can’t afford, letting them put down 20%, while protecting lenders offering potentially risky loans.

The average cost for an in-state, public university is close to $30K per year

To cover the cost, students turn to a variety of sources. Parental contributions plus savings funds cover about half of the expenses on average, with students relying on other sources—typically federal aid, in the form of scholarships and loans—to cover the rest.

For every $100 you deposit, your bank puts a few cents in the FDIC insurance fund

This is a result of the 1933 Banking Act that established the Federal Deposit Insurance Fund. The law sought to prevent bank runs like those that decimated the banking industry amid the Great Crash and subsequent major depression. Today, individual depositors are insured up to $250K at each bank where they have an account.

Lyme disease may cost about $1B annually in the US

The economic burden of the disease in this estimate includes direct medical costs and societal costs, including productivity losses. It does not include suspected, undiagnosed, or nonacute cases, which would push that figure upward.

Explore and visualize AI-driven global flood forecasts in 'Flood Hub'

Google's tool provides water trends, real-time flood forecasts, local inundation maps, and flood alerts, using AI models and available data to help people and institutions take action up to 7 days before a flood.

US housing costs have risen by roughly 175% between 1991 and 2026—but a growing number of Gen Zers are becoming homeowners anyway. In 2025, 4% of homebuyers were Gen Z, up from 3% the year before.

Ranking the most expensive appliances on your electricity bill

Energy costs have gone up amid war and inflation. Here's a breakdown on the cheapest and most expensive appliances in your home to help you lower your bill.

Discover the economic value of coral reefs, which benefit one billion people worldwide

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that US commercial and recreational fisheries valued at $200M depend on coral reefs, which provide up to $1.8B in flood protection by absorbing 97% of wave energy. Combined with the benefits from tourism, US coral reefs provide $3.4B in value annually.

Becoming an Olympic swimmer costs tens of thousands of dollars

When you see Olympic athletes win gold, it's the culmination of years of hard work and discipline. But it isn't all sweat equity. Before ever stepping foot on the world stage, these athletes have to pay or find funding for private coaching and lessons, club memberships, and meet fees, with estimates that it costs $25K to $40K to make it to the Olympics.

Artificial Christmas trees can range from about $85 to $1K or more

In 2022, 22.34 million real Christmas trees were purchased and sold at a median price of $80. Even so, from a price standpoint, a fake tree is usually the less expensive option in the long run, as they're reusable and can save time and maintenance.

A $7.5M renovation aimed to protect Fallingwater from climate-related damage

The exhaustive plan took over three years to reach the finish line. The majority of the expenses went toward hiring skilled laborers to address issues such as water damage in the unique location.

The costs and fees for a payday loan include a 'finance charge'

Payday lenders typically make money via finance charges, a percentage or dollar amount that the borrower owes the lender per $100 borrowed. While the finance charge can range from $10 to $30 for every $100 borrowed, this would equate to an annual percentage rate of almost 400 percent for a two-week loan.

The fees for keeping a company listed on the NYSE are typically higher than the Nasdaq's

The current maximum annual listing fee for companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange was $500K as of early 2026. The maximum annual listing fee for companies listed in Nasdaq's top tier, on the other hand, was of $193K. Companies listed must pay these fees each year.

How much your blood really costs

In the US, donating plasma twice a week can earn you $400 a month. But this system only works by targeting people who need the money most. Plasma clinics are placed in low-income zip codes, and frequent donation may increase health risks.

Americans spend an average of $200 on tax preparation services like TurboTax and H&R Block

In 2025, about half of Americans were able to file taxes directly with the IRS for free. It was the second year of the agency's new program, which cuts out intermediaries. Though tax preparation has been free for many Americans, critics say tax companies upsell customers.

How much the federal government pays in interest on the debt

A significant portion of annual funding goes to servicing the federal government's public debt, which stood at $36T in 2025. That amount required roughly $1T in interest payments just for the year.

The Amazon Prime subscription service offers its members a variety of benefits, including free two-day shipping on eligible items

Prime also offers members access to streaming video and music, and exclusive deals. As of this writing, its annual price tag is $139. A CNBC article sets out to address whether the subscription is worth that price, outlining the service’s key perks and who’s likely to benefit from it the most.

Calculate how much of your tax dollars go to each federal program based on your income, filing status, and number of children

Should you prepay for your funeral?

The median cost of a funeral with a viewing and burial was $8,300 as of 2023, according to The National Funeral Directors Association.

Before the current East Wing ballroom project, only two White House renovations in the past 100 years cost more than $10M.

The price of gas is a composite made up of several different factors, with the federal gas tax making up less than 20% of what drivers pay at the pump.

About 2,000 US babies are born annually without some portion of their limbs, potentially leading to a lifetime of pricey prosthetics.

US consumers collectively owe more than $1T to credit card companies—almost as much as they owe in auto loans.

The American Society of Civil Engineers' infrastructure report card gave the US a C in 2025, its highest grade since the project launched in 1998.

Hedge funds, the private investment firms that trade a wide swath of financial assets, make money by imposing steep fees on investors and from the fund's investment performance.

For centuries, Niagara Falls has been a magnet for daredevils seeking to conquer one of nature's most powerful wonders, with its 200-foot drop and water rushing at 32 feet per second with 280 tons of force.

The most expensive ad of all time was for Chanel No. 5 perfume and cost roughly $33M to produce in 2004—about $57M in today's dollars.

See this overview of the firework rules across all 50 states, ranging from a complete ban on non-professional fireworks in Massachusetts to states with more lax rules like Indiana.

The first steps to rebuilding your credit score include getting to know exactly what's on your credit report and figuring out how far you are from the '700 club,' or 'good score' range.

Discover the catastrophic consequences of a failure of the US electrical grid—something that is more likely than many Americans think.

Doctors differentiate between a phobia and fear by asking patients whether their fear interferes with their day-to-day activities.

An initial public offering or 'IPO' is the process of a private company becoming public by putting shares of the company on the stock market for purchase.

While El Niño moves warm Pacific Ocean waters east along the equator, La Niña moves them west, shifting where rainfall will become more common for months.

Stanford built a Google Maps for the Roman Empire, revealing how much it cost to travel in the ancient world

The 1987 Nintendo video game 'Stadium Events' isn't known for being particularly fun, but its scarcity has made it a highly sought-after item that has sold for up to $35K at auction.

Researchers believe the brain consolidates memories, processes emotions, and plans for the future during dream states

Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley' is infamous for having some of the highest industrial pollution, toxic air emissions, and cancer risks in the US.

Mark Twain spent decades feuding with the US Postal Service, convinced its costs and regulations were bureaucratic overreach.

Browse a detailed visual analysis of over 200,000 similes—comparisons that often use 'like' or 'as'—from popular fiction to see how frequently writers the same idiomatic expressions.

To reduce wrinkles in clothing, research recommends gentle wash cycles with more water and tumble drying with smaller loads and longer times.

Fish populations in the Great Barrier Reef have increased after installing waterproof speakers on the ocean floor that played recordings of sounds from healthy coral reefs.

In 2009, the nation was gripped by the story of a missing young boy who was believed to be floating over Colorado in a homemade balloon, until it was revealed that he was at home the whole time.