Spokane has the lowest average annual homeowners’ insurance premiums of any city in the state—at $831, or 16 percent below the state average—says a just-released study published by ValuePenguin.com, a consumer-focused research website based in New York City.

Homeowner’s insurance premiums in Washington average $990 per year, ValuePenguin says, adding that it found Vashon, in King County, to have the highest annual premium, at $1,150, followed by Friday Harbor, Montesano, Yelm, and Woodinville.

“All of our top five most expensive Washington cities for home insurance are located in the western half of the state, most of which are within close proximity to the water,” ValuePenguin says in a synopsis of its study. “The geographic positions of these areas exposes the cities’ properties to a higher chance of flood, wind, and similar large-scale damages, which will cause insurance companies to charge higher rates for homeowners insurance. Apart from the natural threats, some of the cities have higher than average home theft rates, which also factors into higher insurance premiums.”

Of the Lilac City, the synopsis says, “Since it is so far away from the mountain range and the ocean, Spokane is the least likely city to be affected by earthquakes, volcanic activities, or large storms from the Pacific. Although it is very removed from the coastline, Spokane residents still enjoy many recreational opportunities at its 76 lakes and five major national parks—all within a short driving distance from the city.”

Among a total of 80 Washington cities included on the list, Chelan, Prosser, and Pullman were the only ones east of the Cascade Mountains that ranked higher in annual premium than the statewide average.  Trailing Spokane among the cities with the lowest average annual premiums in the state were Bremerton and neighboring Port Orchard, at $877 and $887, respectively.

After Spokane, the next cheapest Eastern Washington city was Deer Park, coming in sixth at $915, followed by Colville and Liberty Lake, in 11th and 12th place, respectively, at $931 and $936. 

Meanwhile, among the state’s larger cities, Yakima ranked 24th—tied with a couple of other cities—at $961, Bellevue ranked 54th at $1,001, Tacoma ranked 58th at $1,014, and Seattle ranked 63rd at $1,024. 

ValuePenguin says on its website that it “focuses on providing high quality resources to help consumers understand the topics they’re interested in. Whether it’s building visual tools to explain data or publishing in-depth research, our goal is to provide objective analysis to guide you to the best decision.”