Risk Before Buy
ZIP Code Risk Report · WI

Rice Lake: Extreme Heat, Severe Storm & Flood (54868)

54868 in Rice Lake, WI: extreme heat and severe storm risk, est. insurance $1,907–$3,438/yr, and buyer guidance before you close.

Rice Lake, Wisconsin 54868

Data retrieved: Oct 29, 2026 at 09:39 UTC

Overall Risk

Above the national median (top 35% most at-risk)

County-level composite

Est. Annual Insurance

$1,907 – $3,438

Directional range

Premium Strain

3.66% of median income

elevated

Flood Insurance

Not required

Parcel falls outside SFHA

Insurance-first due diligence

What buyers pay for coverage in 54868

  • Directional homeowners estimate: $1,907–$3,438/yr before carrier underwriting.
  • Composite climate risk ranks above the national median (top 35% most at-risk) for 54868.
  • Shop quotes during inspection — WI market pressure can change carrier appetite by ZIP.

Quick buyer brief

What makes 54868 different

A short, indexable summary for buyers comparing 54868 with nearby options in Rice Lake.

54868 ranks above the national median (top 35% most at-risk) for overall climate risk, with the biggest current drivers being extreme-heat or tornado.

Buyers in this ZIP should budget roughly $1,907 - $3,438/yr for homeowners insurance before carrier-specific adjustments. Flood insurance looks less likely to be mandatory, but parcel checks still matter.

If you are choosing between nearby ZIP codes, compare this page with the state overview and the nearby-ZIP links below before you write an offer.

Wisconsin overviewContract templatesRun free address lookup

Insurance Market Context

These scores are county-level composites derived from FEMA National Risk Index. Individual parcels may differ significantly. This is not a property appraisal.

Market Pressure

LOW

Wisconsin has a stable admitted-carrier market. Standard brokers can write policies here.

Admitted Market Share

86%

Carriers exiting at 1.5% YoY in Wisconsin.

Residual Market

$1,400–$2,800

annual · last-resort
FAIR Plan / Citizens exposure up 7% since 2020.

Premium Strain Index

Insurance is roughly 3.7% of median household income — above the 2% middle-income affordability benchmark.

Premium-to-income ratio. Based on state Department of Insurance filings, average annual premiums in this area range from $1,907 to $3,438. Not an insurance quote. The First Street 12th National Risk Assessment characterizes any ZIP above 5% as financially unsustainable.

Not an insurance quote. These figures are derived from public state Department of Insurance filings and are intended to surface market pressure signals. Actual premiums depend on parcel-specific underwriting factors and carrier availability. Consult a licensed insurance broker for a binding quote.

Barron County Hazard Breakdown

Scores below are from the federal National Risk Index at the county level, refined with parcel-level signals where available (FEMA NFHL for flood, USDA WHP for wildfire, USGS PGA for earthquake, NWS for heat).

Data pending

Hurricane

Low risk

Bottom 20% nationally (safer than most)

Earthquake

Minimal

Above the national median (top 24% most at-risk)

Extreme Heat

High

Around the national median

Flood

Moderate

Bottom 20% nationally (safer than most)

Wildfire

Minimal

Above the national median (top 25% most at-risk)

Severe Storm / Tornado

High
Hazard
Risk Level
Score · Source
Hurricane
—· FEMA
Earthquake
Bottom 20% nationally (safer than most)· USGS
Extreme Heat
Above the national median (top 24% most at-risk)· NOAA
Flood
Around the national median· FEMA
Wildfire
Bottom 20% nationally (safer than most)· USDA
Severe Storm / Tornado
Above the national median (top 25% most at-risk)· FEMA

Local Flood Risk Cost Estimator

Flood insurance costs in Rice Lake, WI

In Rice Lake, WI, the directional annual NFIP flood insurance premium is approximately $1,114 (range $600–$1,504), and the estimated average historical flood claim in Barron is $57,148. Typical mapped exposure aligns with Zone X (moderate / 500-year) (county flood percentile: 59).

NFIP premium (mid)
$1,114/yr
Monthly escrow slice
$50–$125/mo
Avg. paid claim
$57,148
Lender may require
Often optional
Check my flood zoneFlood + escrow calculator

Heat & HVAC Holding-Cost Estimator

Extreme heat carrying costs in Rice Lake, WI

In Rice Lake, WI, directional summer utility strain adds roughly $251/yr above a moderate-climate baseline (heat percentile: 76). Over 10 years, modeled hidden heat + HVAC costs land near $11,310 — about $1,131/yr to budget for cooling and accelerated equipment wear.

Est. monthly electric
$183/mo
Annual heat tax
$251/yr
10-yr hidden cost
$11,310
Heat & HVAC cost calculatorExtreme heat buyer guide

What each hazard means for you

Expand any card to see the federal source citation and the buyer-specific action items our research team recommends for this hazard profile.

Hurricane Risk

Bottom 20% nationally (safer than most)Minimal

NRI inland hurricane / tropical-storm remnant risk: Bottom 20% nationally (safer than most) for inland wind and rain exposure (county-level, based on historical tropical cyclone tracks). Storm surge does not apply at this inland location.

FEMA · National Risk Index (HRCN)

Earthquake Risk

Bottom 20% nationally (safer than most)Minimal

Bottom 20% nationally (safer than most) for earthquake exposure. USGS PGA: 0.020g (site class D). NRI county percentile: Bottom 20% nationally (safer than most).

USGS · Design Maps (ASCE 7-16) + NRI

Extreme Heat

Above the national median (top 24% most at-risk)High

Long-term heat risk: Above the national median (top 24% most at-risk) (NRI county baseline). This reflects multi-decadal extreme-heat exposure, not the current week's weather.

NOAA · National Risk Index (HWAV)

Flood Risk

Around the national medianModerate

County NRI flood risk: Around the national median for flood exposure. NFHL parcel query unavailable.

FEMA · National Risk Index

Wildfire Risk

Bottom 20% nationally (safer than most)Minimal

Blended wildfire risk: Bottom 20% nationally (safer than most). USDA Wildfire Hazard Potential at parcel: Very Low (Class 1/5). County NRI wildfire risk: Bottom 20% nationally (safer than most). The parcel-level USDA score moderates the county NRI signal.

USDA · WHP + National Risk Index

Severe Storm / Tornado

Above the national median (top 25% most at-risk)High

NRI severe-storm risk: Above the national median (top 25% most at-risk) for severe-thunderstorm, hail, straight-line wind, and tornado exposure (county-level).

FEMA · National Risk Index (TRND)

FEMA Flood Zone

Is this specific parcel in a Special Flood Hazard Area?

The free address snapshot queries FEMA NFHL point-in-polygon and returns your exact FEMA Flood Zone (A, AE, X, etc.) in seconds.

Run a free address lookup

Carrier Outlook

Wisconsin has a stable admitted-carrier market. Standard brokers can write policies here.

Data Sources

FEMA NRINOAAUSGSUSDAEPA
Data Sources & Methodology

FEMA— National Risk Index

Retrieved October 28, 2026

View source

FEMA— National Risk Index (HRCN)

Retrieved October 28, 2026

View source

USDA— WHP + National Risk Index

Retrieved October 28, 2026

View source

USGS— Design Maps (ASCE 7-16) + NRI

Retrieved October 28, 2026

View source

NOAA— National Risk Index (HWAV)

Retrieved October 28, 2026

View source

FEMA— National Risk Index (TRND)

Retrieved October 28, 2026

View source
View full methodology

What buyers should know

Buying in 54868: a risk primer

Before you write an offer on a home in Rice Lake, understand how climate and insurance costs affect long-term ownership in 54868.

54868 in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, scores above the national median (top 35% most at-risk) on our composite climate-risk index. That ranking reflects the combined influence of extreme heat exposure (76), tornado (75), and flood risk (59) in this ZIP code. Before writing an offer, buyers should understand which hazard drives the score and how it shows up in insurance premiums and long-term maintenance costs.

The data below is assembled from five federal sources — FEMA (flood and National Risk Index), NOAA (storm history and heat), USGS (seismic design), and USDA (wildfire hazard potential) — and is refreshed quarterly. Use it as a starting point for due diligence, not a substitute for a licensed inspector, structural engineer, or insurance agent.

Heat risk in 54868

The extreme heat exposure score for 54868 is 76 (high), which is above the national median. 54868 experiences severe extreme-heat exposure. This translates directly into higher cooling costs, accelerated roof and HVAC wear, and reduced outdoor usability for parts of the year. Buyers should budget for higher-efficiency cooling and check the age of the existing HVAC system.

For a specific address inside 54868, this score can shift meaningfully. A home on a ridge may have lower flood exposure than one in a valley; a parcel surrounded by irrigated lawn may have lower wildfire exposure than one against open space. The $19 Risk Before Buy report resolves these parcel-level differences and includes a 30-year projection for each hazard.

Tornado risk in 54868

The tornado score for 54868 is 75 (high), which is above the national median.

For a specific address inside 54868, this score can shift meaningfully. A home on a ridge may have lower flood exposure than one in a valley; a parcel surrounded by irrigated lawn may have lower wildfire exposure than one against open space. The $19 Risk Before Buy report resolves these parcel-level differences and includes a 30-year projection for each hazard.

Flood risk in 54868

The flood risk score for 54868 is 59 (moderate), which is around or slightly above the national median. Parts of 54868 carry moderate flood exposure driven by rainfall-driven ponding or nearby creek flooding. Even outside the SFHA, lenders do not require flood insurance unless the parcel is mapped in Zone A/AE, but we still recommend a flood quote before closing.

For a specific address inside 54868, this score can shift meaningfully. A home on a ridge may have lower flood exposure than one in a valley; a parcel surrounded by irrigated lawn may have lower wildfire exposure than one against open space. The $19 Risk Before Buy report resolves these parcel-level differences and includes a 30-year projection for each hazard.

Insurance is where climate risk becomes a monthly payment. In 54868, our directional estimate for a standard homeowners policy plus required hazard coverage is $1,907 – $3,438 per year. That estimate assumes a mid-range home and does not include optional coverages such as earthquake, flood (where not required), or higher wind deductibles.

Relative to local incomes, that premium range equals approximately 3.66% of the Barron County median household income — a elevated premium-to-income burden. As a rule of thumb, premiums above 3–4% of household income begin to compress affordability and can reduce the pool of future buyers when you eventually sell.

Buyer action items

  • Get carrier quotes early. Ask at least two admitted-market carriers and one surplus-line broker for a homeowners quote that explicitly includes extreme heat exposure, tornado, and flood risk. Do this before the inspection contingency expires.
  • Add a climate contingency to the purchase agreement. Our free Wisconsin-specific contract templates let you make the deal contingent on acceptable insurance premiums, flood-zone status, or seller-provided mitigation documentation.
  • Order hazard-specific inspections if the top risks warrant it. In 54868, that may mean a flood-zone determination, a wildfire/defensible-space assessment, a structural/seismic review, or a wind-mitigation inspection depending on which hazards score highest.

Frequently asked questions about 54868

Ready to underwrite 54868?

Get the full address-level report

Both tiers use verified federal data. The $19 snapshot is your pre-offer feasibility check (delivered within 5 minutes). The $99 audit adds parcel flood verification, market context, claim history, and a negotiation brief (within 24 hours).

Full Report

Tier L2

$19per address

Address-level hazard and insurance feasibility snapshot — five hazards, 30-year projections, carrier pressure signals, and a buy / negotiate / walk-away read for pre-offer buyers. PDF delivered within 5 minutes.

  • Five-hazard score breakdown: flood, wildfire, hurricane, earthquake, heat
  • 30-year federal climate projections for heat, wildfire, and sea level rise
  • Insurance premium estimate range based on state DOI filings
  • Clear buy / negotiate / walk-away recommendation with plain-language reasoning
  • Comparable lower-risk communities within 25 miles (up to 3 when available)
  • Plain-English explanations of SFHA, BFE, residual market, and other insurance terms
  • Single PDF you can share with your partner, agent, or inspector

Best for: pre-offer sanity check

Delivered: PDF by email within 5 minutes

Federal data: FEMA, USGS, NOAA, USDA, EPA

Delivered by email within 5 minutes of payment.

Most comprehensive

Pre-Purchase Audit

Tier L3

$99per property

Under-contract diligence package: parcel flood zone verification, state insurance market analysis, NOAA claim history, and an evidence-backed negotiation brief to assess earnest-money risk. PDF delivered within 24 hours.

  • Everything in the $19 Full Report
  • Parcel-level FEMA flood zone verification (Zone A/AE/VE/X — point-in-polygon)
  • State insurance market analysis: admitted carrier share, exit rate, residual market growth
  • Premium Strain Index — insurance cost as % of local median income, with 2% / 5% affordability benchmarks
  • 10-year NOAA Storm Events claim history for the ZIP code
  • Negotiation leverage brief with specific, evidence-backed seller-concession asks (typically 3–5; fewer when data is limited)
  • Total carrying cost estimate: HO-3 baseline + standalone perils + residual market fallback
  • Identifies whether the property may become hard to insure before you close
  • Gives you specific talking points for price, credits, and contingency negotiation

Best for: under-contract buyers

Delivered: PDF by email within 24 hours

Includes: 7-day no-questions-asked refund

Delivered by email within 24 hours of payment.

Nearby ZIP risk profiles in Barron

Compare climate and insurance risk across neighboring ZIP codes before you commit to a specific address in Rice Lake.

Explore 54868 in context

Indexable hub links for buyers comparing 54868 with the wider Rice Lake market and Wisconsin insurance trends.

How we score 54868

Free contract templates for Wisconsin buyers

Download free climate-risk contingency addendums written for Wisconsin purchase agreements. Add extreme-heat, tornado, or flood contingencies to your offer.

Browse free templates