North Star Mutual homeowners insurance

Overview

North Star Mutual Insurance Company is a mutual insurance company in Cottonwood, in southwest Minnesota, that sells farm, home, auto, umbrella and small-business insurance only through independent agents. North Star Company Group ranked #89 among U.S. homeowners insurance groups by 2025 direct premiums written, with $216.1 million (0.11% of the national market), according to NAIC market share data. Homeowners is only part of a larger book: the company reports $962 million of written premium across all lines and about 400,000 policies issued and renewed each year.

Its weight shows in the Dakotas. In 2025 North Star was the fifth-largest homeowners insurer in South Dakota (5.02% of the state market) and the seventh-largest in North Dakota (5.82%), according to NAIC data. In Minnesota it describes itself as the largest farm insurance writer, a position built on a century-old partnership with the state's township mutuals.

North Star sells through more than 2,000 independent agencies in eight states. Pete Hellie is president and chief executive officer.

History

North Star Farmer's Mutual was incorporated on February 15, 1920 to sell crop hail insurance in Minnesota. It was based in Redwood Falls and managed by A.D. Stewart; after Stewart's death it moved to Cottonwood in 1925 under A.E. Anderson and shifted from crop hail to insuring farm buildings and personal property. That year it also began writing farm windstorm policies to sit alongside the fire policies of Minnesota's township mutuals, local farmer-owned companies organized in the late 1800s.

After A.E. Anderson died in 1950, his son W.E. "Bror" Anderson broadened coverage to homes and businesses and from wind and hail to full property coverage. The company took the name North Star Mutual Insurance Company in 1954 and passed $1 million of annual premium in 1959. Cliff Hanson, president from 1973, expanded into South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska, and North Star added auto insurance in 1991. Jeff Mauland, CEO from 2001, took the company into Iowa and Wisconsin and grew premium from $100 million in 2002 to $475 million by his retirement in March 2021. Hellie, a former manager of the Norwegian Mutual in Cottonwood who joined North Star in 2008 as vice president of finance, became president in May 2020 and succeeded Mauland as CEO.

Growth since then has been fast: written premium has roughly doubled in five years, to $962 million.

Homeowners coverage

North Star writes homeowners coverage for primary homes, condos, renters, mobile and manufactured homes, rental properties and seasonal or vacation homes. In Minnesota it also partners with township mutuals on the Combination Dwelling Owners (CDO) policy, a homeowners package, and all of its Minnesota farm policies are written as Combination Package Policies with a township mutual. If you have a CDO or farm package, you may see two companies on your declarations page; ask your agent which company handles which part of a claim.

Optional coverages listed on North Star's homeowners page include backup of sewers, drains and sump systems (water backup coverage), expanded replacement cost on the dwelling (see extended replacement cost), replacement cost on personal property, special form (open perils) coverage on personal property, related private structures, refrigerated food, theft coverage for a home under construction, watercraft and recreational vehicle liability, and personal injury liability. Identity fraud expense coverage is included. Inland marine coverage can be added for boats, motors and trailers, ATVs, snowmobiles and golf carts, computers, antiques and collectibles, and sports equipment.

Hail and wind are the main property risks in North Star's territory. The company's site does not publish its roof settlement or wind and hail deductible rules, so ask the agent whether a roof is covered at replacement cost or actual cash value and how the deductible applies to a hail claim before you buy.

Discounts and savings

North Star lists a companion policy discount for bundling home and auto, a mature homeowner discount, a protected subdivision discount, a protective device discount and lower premiums for higher deductibles. Its FAQ also points to good claims history and property safety improvements as ways to lower cost. Your agent can tell you which apply in your state.

Where it sells and recent market moves

North Star writes in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin and Oklahoma, plus auto insurance in Kansas. In Oklahoma its policies have been written since 1961 through a wholesale general agency, OGA, which underwrites and issues North Star policies there. In Kansas it has written auto since 2016 through a partnership with Marysville Mutual, which sells its own homeowners and farm coverage.

The notable recent change is scale: North Star's written premium grew from $475 million in 2021 to $962 million. For a homeowner, the practical point is that North Star is now a substantial regional carrier in the rural Plains, but it is still only sold by independent agents in its eight states.

Claims

North Star asks policyholders to report claims to their local independent agent during business hours; the agent's contact information is on the policy. After hours, call 800-622-5230 and select 1. The company says it has more than 80 adjusters and claims representatives in the field and at the home office, sends a catastrophe response team to communities hit by major storms, and supplements its staff with independent adjusters. Declarations pages are available through the North Star Mutual mobile app.

Ratings and reputation

North Star announced on October 6, 2026 that AM Best had reaffirmed its A+ (Superior) financial strength rating, which it also held when it announced an affirmation in August 2025; its claims page describes the outlook as stable. The company says it has held an AM Best rating of A or better since 1953. North Star reports total assets of $1.49 billion and $832 million of policyholder reserves.

Agents' associations have recognized it: the Minnesota Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers association gave North Star its Company Award of Excellence in 2022, and the Independent Insurance Agents of Nebraska named it 5-Star Company of the Year for 2020.

Who it suits

North Star suits rural and small-town homeowners, hobby farmers and farm families in Minnesota, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin who want an independent agent, a policyholder-owned company and the option to put home, farm, auto and umbrella with one A+ rated carrier. It is less suited to people outside its eight states, buyers who want to quote and buy online, or anyone who wants detailed roof and deductible terms published before talking to an agent.

• Strengths: A+ (Superior) from AM Best, reaffirmed October 2026, and A or better since 1953; top 10 homeowners insurer in North Dakota and South Dakota; broad optional coverages including sewer and sump backup, expanded dwelling replacement cost and special form contents; strong farm and township mutual ties in Minnesota.
• Weaknesses: sold only through independent agents in eight states, and only auto in Kansas; claims are reported first to the agent during business hours; quotes and purchases go through agents, not online; little published detail on roof settlement and hail deductibles in a hail-prone region.

How to contact North Star Mutual