PACIFIC COUNTY — Driven by climate-change risks and other factors, insurance companies are increasingly canceling homeowners policies around the U.S., an analysis by the New York Times found (tinyurl.com/NYT-insurance).

The Pacific Northwest hasn’t escaped the trend, but is in relatively good shape, having so far avoided costly disasters.

In Pacific County in 2023, one out of 120 policies weren’t renewed, a 120% increase since 2018, the NYT reported. In Wahkiakum County, the non-renewal rate was 1 in 150 policies, a 500% increase since 2018.

In Washington as a whole, “nonrenewals in 2023 were higher than in any of the prior five years. Rates more than doubled in the more mountainous, rural counties, led by Pend Oreille,” the newspaper said. One out of every 39 policies weren’t renewed in Pend Oreille in the state’s northeast corner, where wildfire risks have increased.

“Nonrenewal rates rose in 46 states in 2023, a year with a record number of high-cost disasters, and many states have seen increased rates since 2018,” the NYT said.

Hurricane-prone Florida had the highest statewide rate of nonrenewals last year, one out of 33. With one in 144, Washington state was near the bottom one-fifth of states where policies weren’t renewed. The rate was one in 148 in Oregon.