American Family Insurance homeowners insurance

Overview

American Family Insurance, usually shortened to AmFam, is a policyholder-owned insurance group based in Madison, Wisconsin. Its NAIC group ranked #6 among U.S. homeowners insurance groups by 2025 direct premiums written, with $9.72 billion (5.14% of the national market), according to NAIC market share data. It is the largest home insurer in Wisconsin (21.01% of 2025 premiums) and second-largest in Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas, North Dakota and South Dakota.

That premium total combines two quite different businesses. The American Family brand is sold by exclusive agents, more than 2,400 independent contractor agency owners who sell only American Family products, in 19 states across the Midwest and West plus Georgia and Ohio. Alongside it sits Homesite Insurance, a Boston-based affiliate that sells homeowners policies directly and through partner companies. Homesite and the group's partner channel explain why the group also appears in the 2025 top 10 in states where you will not find an American Family agent, including California (9th), Texas (7th), New Jersey (4th) and Delaware (4th).

Across all lines, the company reported $19.5 billion of revenue for 2025 and 12.1 million policies in force at year-end. Bill Westrate has been chief executive since 2022.

History

Herman Wittwer founded Farmers Mutual Automobile Insurance Company in Madison on October 3, 1927, as an auto insurer. The company introduced homeowners insurance in 1958 and took the name American Family Mutual Insurance Company in 1963. It describes itself as turning 100 in 2027.

The modern group was built largely by acquisition. American Family bought Permanent General Companies, the nonstandard auto insurer known as The General, in 2012, and added Homesite in 2013. Policyholders of Main Street America, a Jacksonville, Florida mutual group sold through independent agents, approved an affiliation in October 2018. In 2019 American Family bought Ameriprise Auto & Home, a Wisconsin-based insurer that sold auto and home coverage through partnerships, and relaunched it as CONNECT, powered by American Family Insurance.

The structure changed too. In December 2016 policyholders approved, with 84.5% of votes cast, a plan that put American Family Insurance Mutual Holding Company at the top of the group and converted the insurer into a stock subsidiary, American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. Policyholders remain members of the mutual holding company.

Since 2024 the group has been narrowing its focus. It sold The General to Sentry Insurance in a deal that closed December 31, 2024. Main Street America announced in August 2024 that it would stop writing personal lines and concentrate on commercial insurance. In December 2025 CONNECT dropped its own brand and became American Family Insurance, and policies once sold under the Midvale Home & Auto name now carry the American Family name as well. In August 2026 American Family agreed to buy the shares of Bowhead Specialty Holdings it did not already own, a deal valued at about $1.2 billion and expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026. Bowhead writes specialty commercial insurance, not homeowners.

Homeowners coverage

American Family sells homeowners, condo, renters and manufactured home policies. The homeowners policy carries the usual parts: dwelling, detached structures, personal property, loss of use and personal liability.

The detail to read closely is the roof. American Family's roof coverage page says the policy pays a roof's actual cash value, meaning its depreciated value, and that replacement cost coverage for windstorm and hail damage is an "added extra coverage" available if the roof qualifies by age and type. In hail country that choice matters more than almost anything else on the declarations page. Say a 12-year-old roof would cost $18,000 to replace: under actual cash value, depreciation could leave you paying a large share yourself on top of the deductible. Ask the agent which roof settlement your quote includes, and see the guide to roof payment schedules and ACV roofs. In Georgia, a named storm deductible applies.

Optional coverages listed on the company's site include water damage, sump pump, service line, equipment breakdown, scheduled personal property, home business, identity theft protection, credit monitoring, earthquake, home siding replacement, short-term rental, vacant home and vacation home coverage. Two are worth singling out:

• Flash flood coverage is an Inland Flood endorsement with homeowners limits of $25,000, $50,000 or $100,000 that applies after the property deductible. The company states it is not affiliated with the National Flood Insurance Program and does not satisfy a lender's mandatory flood insurance requirement.
• Wildfire Defense Services, provided by Wildfire Defense Systems, Inc., is added at no extra charge to homeowners policies in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. It provides prevention, mitigation and post-fire services and does not replace the local fire department.

The Diminishing Deductible option credits $100 toward the deductible when it starts and $100 at each renewal, up to $1,000 for homeowners. It resets after a claim and is not available in Minnesota.

Homesite policies use Homesite's own forms and terms; see the Homesite Insurance profile.

Discounts and savings

American Family lists these home discounts: a home and auto bundle (the company says customers could save up to 40% on both policies together), multi-policy, early bird (quote at least seven days before your current policy starts), age of home (homes under 15 years old), renovated home (plumbing, electrical and heating replaced within 15 years), payment discounts for Auto Pay, Full Pay and Paperless billing, loyalty (after one year), a generational discount for adults 18 to 30 whose parent has an American Family home or auto policy, and a Safe, Secure, Smart Home discount for qualifying smart devices. Discounts vary by state and underwriting company.

Where it sells and recent market moves

American Family-branded homeowners policies are sold in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. Homesite's website now sends personal quote requests to American Family's site, while Homesite companies remain the underwriters on those policies.

Pricing has risen sharply. S&P Global Market Intelligence reported in January 2025 that American Family had the largest companywide average effective rate change among the 10 largest home insurers, 16.5% on owner-occupied homeowners filings approved in 2024. The group's 2025 results reflected that pruning and repricing: direct written premium fell 5.6%, policies in force dropped 11% (about 3% excluding The General sale and the Main Street America exit), and the property-casualty combined ratio improved to 84.6% from 96.6% in 2024.

Claims

You can file online through My Account (the company calls it the fastest route), in the MyAmFam app, through your agent, as a guest without an account, or by phone at 800-692-6326, where claims staff answer 24/7. After storms, texting STORM to 26326 starts the process. A Catastrophe Claims Team handles severe-weather events, and the company says it can help arrange contractors, emergency water removal and temporary housing. Adjusters typically ask for photos, receipts and a description of what happened; see how to file a homeowners insurance claim.

Ratings and reputation

AM Best affirmed the A (Excellent) Financial Strength Rating of American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. and its core affiliates on September 24, 2025, with a stable outlook. The affirmation covers the American Family Connect companies, Midvale Indemnity, the Homesite companies and Main Street America's insurers. AM Best cited a very strong balance sheet and risk-adjusted capital at the strongest level. In August 2026 it said the Bowhead purchase leaves the ratings unchanged.

J.D. Power's 2025 and 2026 home insurance press releases name only the top three companies, and American Family was not among them.

Who it suits

American Family fits a homeowner in its 19 agent states who wants a local agent, a mutual company and a bundle with auto. It fits less well if you want replacement cost on an older roof without paying extra, or if you live outside those states, where the group's products come through Homesite or a partner program instead.

• Strengths: #1 in Wisconsin and #2 in five other Midwestern states; A (Excellent) AM Best rating affirmed September 2025; a long optional-coverage list including flash flood and free wildfire defense services in five Western states.
• Weaknesses: Roofs are paid at actual cash value unless you add wind and hail replacement cost, which depends on roof age and type; agent sales limited to 19 states; a 16.5% average 2024 rate increase, the largest among the 10 biggest home insurers.

How to contact American Family Insurance