Clinton, CT Home Insurance

By Jonathan Merwin, Founder and CEO, Licensed Insurance Advisor

Clinton sits between Madison and Westbrook on Long Island Sound, with the Hammonasset River on its western edge, the Indian River running through the center of town and Clinton Harbor opening to the Sound. South of Route 1 the town is a mix of tidal marsh, dense beach neighborhoods and marinas. North of I-95 it turns into ridges, woods and larger lots. The two halves raise different insurance questions, and this page covers both.

Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is an independent, family-owned agency founded in 2005. We compare 40+ carriers for Clinton homes, beach houses, condos, rentals, cars and boats, and we work for you, not for one insurance company. We serve Connecticut from our Connecticut office and by phone, email and online. Call (603) 431-4020 or request a quote below.

Clinton by the numbers

Clinton covers about 16.2 square miles of mostly low-lying coastal land, according to the 2021 Lower Connecticut River Valley hazard mitigation plan. The plan says its coastal boundary takes in about 1,700 acres, almost 16% of the town. The Census Bureau estimates 13,439 residents as of July 1, 2025.

• Median household income: $124,824 (ACS 2020–2024, table B19013)
• Median value of owner-occupied homes: $380,000 (table B25077)
• Owner-occupied: 4,668 of 5,509 occupied homes, about 85% (table B25003)
• Seasonal, recreational or occasional use: 647 of 6,422 housing units, about 10% (table B25004)
• Single-family detached: 5,044 units, about 79%. Mobile homes: 203 units, about 3% (table B25024)
• Built in the 1960s: 1,484 units, the largest single decade. Built 1939 or earlier: 1,055, about 16%. Only 252 were built in 2010 or later (table B25034)

Most Clinton homes are owner-occupied postwar single-family houses, with older homes and a seasonal layer along the shore. The 2021 plan says lots in the dense seasonal beach areas run a quarter to a half acre, while lots north of I-95 run a half acre to two acres. Flood and wind matter most near the water; trees, roofs and rebuild cost matter more inland.

The shoreline: where the flood risk sits

The Four Shore Coastal Resiliency Plan, finished in March 2025 by Clinton, Westbrook, Old Saybrook and the Borough of Fenwick, maps which parts of town flood today and which will flood as the Sound rises. For Clinton it lists Cedar Island, Clinton Town Beach, the Commerce Street and Grove Street intersection, the commercial and town area south of Riverside Drive, the Causeway and Groveway area, the Harborview neighborhood, homes along the eastern section of Shore Road, the Hammocks, the neighborhood between Buell Court and Maplewood Drive, and the Indian River north of Route 1 as its highest-risk areas. Loop Road, on higher ground, is the noted exception.

Cedar Island

Cedar Island is the starkest case. The plan says a 100-year storm would fully inundate the island, with water up to 11 feet above grade in places, and that with no road to it, seasonal residents depend on boats to come and go. A house reachable only by water raises underwriting questions about fire protection and off-season checks, so expect fewer carriers and plan the flood policy as carefully as the homeowners policy.

Shore Road, the Causeway and Kelsey Point

In the plan’s current 100-year storm model, the Causeway floods 3 feet 9 inches to 9 feet 9 inches deep which would leave it impassable and could isolate the Shore Road community. The alternate route, Beach Park Road, is projected under as much as 9 feet 8 inches of water, and the plan warns Kelsey Point and Hammock Point could be cut off. The town’s only severe repetitive loss property in the 2021 plan is a home on Shore Road with six paid flood claims.

If you can’t get home, additional living expense (loss of use) coverage is what pays for a hotel or rental, so ask how much your policy pays and for how long.

Town Beach, the harbor and the Hammocks

Clinton Town Beach sits at the mouth of the Hammock River. The plan says the Waterside Lane bridge is the only land access to the beach, which could see 5 to 12 feet of water in a 100-year storm. Near the harbor, it projects 3 to 10 feet of water south of Riverside Drive and around Commerce and Grove Streets, an area with marinas, restaurants, the town boat launch, the town dock and Esposito Beach. The plan includes photos of Hammock Road and of Commerce Street and Grove Avenue flooding in January 2024. The 2021 plan notes that about 40 condominiums at Tidewater Village and 40 at the Hammocks were built in the floodplain on fill above the base flood elevation. The 2025 plan expects 100-year flood depths at the Hammocks to rise about 2 feet by 2050.

Flood insurance in Clinton

The plan estimates that 1,224 buildings in Clinton, about 16.5% of all buildings in town, could see more than 6 inches of water against their walls in a 100-year storm today. With sea level rise it projects 1,334 buildings (17.9%) by 2050 and 1,565 (21.0%) by 2070. At ordinary high tide, the share of buildings taking on water grows from 0.7% in 2023 to 2.9% by 2070. Residents who commented on the plan reported water near the tops of sea walls at calm-day high tides.

Clinton joined the National Flood Insurance Program in 1973. The 2021 hazard plan counts 729 NFIP policies in force, about $175 million in coverage and about $7.8 million in losses paid. It lists 54 repetitive loss properties, 53 of them residential, with 126 claims between them. A homeowners policy won’t pay for storm surge, a river over its banks or surface water, so flood is a separate decision even outside the mapped zones. Look up your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center or with our flood zone check.

• NFIP through Selective. We write National Flood Insurance Program policies through Selective. The NFIP covers up to $250,000 for the building and $100,000 for contents, and new policies generally have a 30-day waiting period (FloodSmart).
• Private flood. When a Clinton home costs more than $250,000 to rebuild, or you want coverage the NFIP leaves out, we compare Flow Flood, Neptune Flood, Beyond Floods, The Flood Insurance Agency, CatCoverage and Aon Edge.
• Elevation matters. An elevation certificate shows where your lowest floor sits against the base flood elevation, often the most useful document for pricing flood on a beach house.
• Water backup. Sewer, drain or sump backup is an add-on to homeowners, not flood. If you have a finished basement, ask about both.

See our flood insurance overview and coastal home insurance in Connecticut.

Inland Clinton: the Indian River, the Menunketesuck and the dams

Flood risk in Clinton isn’t only on the beach. The hazard plan lists inland stream flooding as one of Clinton’s three flood types, and it says the September 2018 flooding (DR-4410) brought the town just under $1 million in FEMA public assistance plus USDA-NRCS recovery funding. The 2025 plan projects that by 2070 a 100-year storm could reach the Mill Road manufactured home community and the back of some neighborhoods off Liberty Street, places that don’t usually flood now.

The 2021 plan also lists the dams upstream. Kelseytown Reservoir Dam (Connecticut Water Company) and Lochwood Lake Dam on the Menunketesuck River are rated significant hazard, Boulder Lake Dam moderate, and the Hammonasset Dam in Killingworth, owned by the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority, is rated high hazard. The plan notes that Clinton’s fire station, town hall and high school are in a dam breach inundation zone. Dam failure water is flood under a homeowners policy, so inland homes downstream can still need flood coverage.

Manufactured home owners: see our guide to mobile and manufactured home insurance in Connecticut.

Wind, nor’easters and power outages

Clinton’s annex ranks winter storms, flooding, severe weather and hurricanes as significant hazards, and its federal disaster history since 2010 includes Tropical Storm Irene (DR-4023, 2011), Sandy (DR-4087, 2012), the February 2013 blizzard (DR-4106) and the 2018 floods. The plan gives Clinton’s building-code design wind speed as 110 miles per hour, and it notes that after the 2011 Halloween nor’easter and Irene, people from neighboring towns drove to Clinton because it was one of the few places with gasoline.

• Know your hurricane or named-storm deductible in dollars. On many Connecticut shoreline policies it is a percentage of the dwelling limit, and it applies to wind, not flood.
• Inland, trees are the main wind risk. A tree that hits the house is generally a homeowners claim; removal of one that hit nothing is usually limited.

Septic systems and older beach houses

The Four Shore plan says every property in its four-town study area is on a septic system, and it warns that rising water tables and storm surge can overwhelm or wash out systems in low-lying areas. Clinton’s annex adds that extreme high tides already flood yards, basements and septic systems near the shore, and that many houses there were built before flood regulations existed. The plan notes that Clinton is considering wastewater treatment for downtown and other vulnerable areas.

For insurance, a septic system that fails with age is maintenance, not a claim, and most homeowners policies limit what they pay for damage to underground systems. Tell us if yours was recently replaced, and expect questions about year built, foundation and past water damage.

Second homes, rentals and condos

About 647 Clinton housing units are held for seasonal or occasional use, according to Census estimates, and the beach areas south of Route 1 are where most of them sit. A standard homeowners policy assumes someone lives in the house. A beach house you use part of the year may need second home coverage, and carriers will ask about winterizing, heat, alarms and who checks on it. If you rent it out for the summer or year-round, you need a dwelling or Connecticut landlord policy, and we place those with Vermont Mutual, Andover, Liberty Mutual, Hanover, Providence Mutual and Foremost.

Condo owners at places like Tidewater Village and the Hammocks need an HO-6 policy for what the association’s master policy doesn’t cover, usually your interior, improvements, belongings, liability and loss assessments. Check the master policy’s wind and flood deductibles, since a large one can come back to owners as an assessment. Renters need their own renters policy for belongings and liability.

Carriers for Clinton homes

• Most Clinton homes: most of our 40+ carriers can be considered. Connecticut homeowners carriers we work with include Vermont Mutual, Andover, Providence Mutual, Liberty Mutual, Foremost, Openly, Stillwater, Cincinnati, National General and Hanover.
• Larger homes: Andover writes up to $2 million in Connecticut, and Openly and National General write up to about $5 million.
• The largest waterfront homes: Cincinnati and Chubb both write homes at any dwelling limit, so we quote both. See our Cincinnati Insurance review and Chubb review.

For the statewide picture, see Connecticut homeowners insurance and high-value home insurance in Connecticut. For larger shoreline homes a few miles east, see Old Saybrook, CT high-value home insurance.

Boats in Clinton Harbor

The Clinton annex describes a recreational marine industry centered on Clinton Harbor, and the 2025 plan puts the marinas, the town dock and the boat launch inside its highest-risk flood areas. We quote boat coverage with Liberty Mutual, Progressive, Foremost Specialty, American Modern, Hanover and SkiSafe, and Chubb for high-value boats. Tell us where the boat is kept, mooring or slip, and your hurricane haul-out plan. Many marinas ask for proof of liability coverage. See boat insurance in Connecticut.

Auto, umbrella and the rest of the household

We quote auto insurance and a Connecticut personal umbrella with the home so liability limits line up, which matters if you have a pool, a dock or a beach house you rent out. Our team brings 200+ years of combined experience.

What to have ready for a Clinton quote

• Address, year built, square footage, construction type and foundation (slab, crawlspace, piers or basement)
• Any elevation certificate, flood zone letter, or record that the house was raised or built on fill
• Roof age, updates to wiring, plumbing and heating, fuel type, and septic or well details
• Whether the home is year-round, seasonal or rented, plus current declarations pages, any flood policy, and cars or boats to add

We compare the carriers that fit and lay out the options side by side. We are New Hampshire’s highest-rated agency on Google, with 1,000+ Google reviews and over 2,000 testimonials, and we are licensed in 10 states.

Nearby on the shoreline

West of Clinton, see Madison home insurance, Guilford and Branford, or our post on insuring shoreline homes in Branford, Guilford and Madison. Farther east, see Lyme and Old Lyme, or start at our Connecticut insurance agency page. Just east of Clinton, see our Old Saybrook home insurance page, and upriver, our Essex, CT home insurance page.

Request a Clinton home quote

Tell us about the property and we will compare carriers and follow up with options. Prefer to talk? Call (603) 431-4020.

Frequently asked questions

Do you insure homes in Clinton, Connecticut?

Yes. We insure year-round homes, beach houses, condos, manufactured homes and second homes across Clinton, from Shore Road to the lots north of I-95. Call (603) 431-4020 or request a quote on this page.

Can you insure a second home or vacation home in Clinton?

Yes. Census estimates count about 650 Clinton housing units held for seasonal or occasional use, and many sit in the beach areas south of Route 1. A house you don’t live in full time usually needs second home or dwelling coverage rather than a standard homeowners policy. Flood is a separate policy either way.

How much of Clinton could flood in a major storm?

The 2025 Four Shore Coastal Resiliency Plan estimates that 1,224 buildings in Clinton, about 16.5% of all buildings in town, could see more than 6 inches of water against their walls in a 100-year storm today, rising to 1,565 buildings (21%) by 2070. Check your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.

How many Clinton homes carry flood insurance?

The 2021 regional hazard mitigation plan counts 729 NFIP policies in force in Clinton, with about $175 million in coverage and about $7.8 million in losses paid. It lists 54 repetitive loss properties. Flood is never part of a homeowners policy.

Was there a FEMA disaster declaration for Clinton in 2025 or 2026?

Not as of late October 2026. FEMA’s declarations data shows no Connecticut major disaster declarations in 2025 or 2026. The most recent one covering Middlesex County, which includes Clinton, was DR-4629 for the remnants of Hurricane Ida, declared October 30, 2021.

Which carriers write larger Clinton homes?

Andover writes up to $2 million in Connecticut, and Openly and National General write up to about $5 million. Cincinnati and Chubb write at any dwelling limit.

Sources

• Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments, 2021 Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan Update (Volume 1 and Volume 2, Town of Clinton Municipal Annex)
• Four Shore Coastal Resiliency Plan: Towns of Clinton, Westbrook, Old Saybrook and the Borough of Fenwick (March 2025)
• Town of Clinton, Coastal Resiliency Task Force
• U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 subcounty population estimates
• American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates via Census Reporter (B19013, B25077, B25003, B25004, B25024, B25034)
• FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries
• FEMA Flood Map Service Center
• FloodSmart, buying a flood policy

This page is general information about insurance for homes in Clinton, Connecticut. It is not a policy, quote or legal advice. Coverage depends on the forms, endorsements and underwriting for your property, so read your declarations pages and policy language and confirm your flood zone on FEMA’s map service.