Bar Harbor, ME (04609) Hurricane & Climate Risk Profile

The primary drivers of climate-related financial risk in Bar Harbor, ME (04609) are Hurricane, Inland Flooding, and Coastal Flooding. This area also faces an unusually high intensity for Cold Wave, Ice Storm, Winter Weather, Lightning, and Landslide compared to national averages. Based on recent federal data, homeowners in this market face an estimated average annual insurance premium of $1,531, with a local policy non-renewal rate of 0.6%.

Understanding the Dollars

Expected Annual Loss (EAL) is a statistical average of property damage for this entire zip code over a standard year across all properties.

/ It represents the "average cost" rather than a guaranteed yearly bill.
/ It can be used to compare the relative risk from different hazards and across different neighborhoods.

Zip Code Risk Map

Flood Plain Analysis

Localized Flood Dynamics in 04609

FEMA Flood Maps for 04609 identify the "100-year" and "500-year" floodplains (1% and 0.2% annual chance), but modern climate risk analysis suggests that nearly 25% of flood insurance claims originate from properties outside of these designated high-risk zones.

Use the map above to better understand risk by looking at both the FEMA flood plain maps and FEMA Risk Inventory maps by census tract. Standard FEMA maps may not account for 'flash flooding' from intense rain events.

FEMA Designation vs. Reality

Relatively Low

Relative Vulnerability

$456,810

Annualized Property Exposure

Primary Risks

Hurricane

$955,759

Expected Annual Loss for Zip Code 04609

94.4Score

Relatively High compared to US average

Inland Flooding

$456,810

Expected Annual Loss for Zip Code 04609

36.5Score

Relatively Low compared to US average

Coastal Flooding

$308,109

Expected Annual Loss for Zip Code 04609

97.9Score

Relatively High compared to US average

Insurance Market Stability

Avg. Annual Premium (2022)

$1,531

Latest Market Rate

Year-over-Year Change

+0.7%

2021 → 2022

Market Retreat (Non-Renewals)

0.60%

Higher rates indicate insurers are actively reducing exposure to ZIP 04609 due to climate-linked risk.

Underwriting Stress (Loss Ratio)

71.0%

A ratio over 70% suggests insurers are paying out nearly all premiums as claims, forcing future price hikes.

Historical Market Trends

Toggle series below to compare costs vs. market stress indicators

Historical Trends & Forecasting

Compare premium costs against underlying risk factors.

Avg. Premium2030 Trend LineLoss RatioNon-Renewal Rate

Financial Risk Inventory

MAJOR DRIVER

Hurricane

$955,759

Score: 94.4

MAJOR DRIVER

Inland Flooding

$456,810

Score: 36.5

MAJOR DRIVER

Coastal Flooding

$308,109

Score: 97.9

UNUSUALLY HIGH

Cold Wave

$181,919

Score: 80.7

UNUSUALLY HIGH

Ice Storm

$170,823

Score: 98.8

UNUSUALLY HIGH

Winter Weather

$95,922

Score: 99.6

UNUSUALLY HIGH

Lightning

$72,947

Score: 96.2

Earthquake

$36,011

Score: 53.9

Strong Wind

$16,590

Score: 49.4

Tornado

$12,542

Score: 25.5

Hail

$8,654

Score: 53.5

Heat Wave

$1,687

Score: 2.8

Avalanche

$728

Score: 41.3

UNUSUALLY HIGH

Landslide

$659

Score: 90.7

Wildfire

$293

Score: 52.8

Drought

$201

Score: 74.6

Recommended Mitigation Strategies

Recommended investments to protect your property value and reduce insurance liability based on your local risk profile.

🌀High Investment

Hurricane Mitigation

Install permanent hurricane shutters or upgrade to impact-resistant windows.

Risk Score: 94.4

💧Medium Investment

Inland Flooding Mitigation

Install a smart sump pump with battery backup and extend downspouts 10ft from foundation.

Risk Score: 36.5

🏠Low Investment

Coastal Flooding Mitigation

General property maintenance and insurance review recommended.

Risk Score: 97.9

🏠Low Investment

Cold Wave Mitigation

General property maintenance and insurance review recommended.

Risk Score: 80.7

❄️Medium Investment

Ice Storm Mitigation

Install a 10kWh backup battery system to keep pipes from freezing during grid failure.

Risk Score: 98.8

🏠Low Investment

Winter Weather Mitigation

General property maintenance and insurance review recommended.

Risk Score: 99.6

🏠Low Investment

Lightning Mitigation

General property maintenance and insurance review recommended.

Risk Score: 96.2

⛰️High Investment

Landslide Mitigation

Professional slope stabilization and foundation drainage inspection is highly recommended.

Risk Score: 90.7

Methodology and Sources

Spatial Climate Risk Modeling

The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) and hazard risk scores are derived from the FEMA NRI zip code dataset using a population-weighted spatial join. Because Zip Codes and Census Tracts do not share perfectly aligned boundaries, we utilize US Census Block Group population centroids to identify where residents actually live.

Financial & Insurance Metrics

The pysical resilence score is calculated by synthesizing Expected Annual Loss (EAL) against the total building replacement value within a jurisdiction. This creates a "Loss Ratio" that measures physical resilience. We supplement this with ZIP-code level data from the U.S. Treasury's Federal Insurance Office (FIO), monitoring trends in premium growth, loss ratios, and policy non-renewals to identify emerging "Insurance Deserts."

Primary Data Sources

FEMA National Flood Hazard LayerHigh-resolution vector data for 100-year and 500-year flood zones.
U.S. Department of the TreasuryFIO ZIP-code level insurance data (2018–2022 Historical Set).
FEMA National Risk IndexBaseline hazard frequency and economic loss data (v1.20.0).
U.S. Census BureauTIGER/Line 2025 Shapefiles & Decennial Population Statistics.

Nearby Locations

Zip Code 04605