The location of a home is one of the biggest factors influencing the cost of property insurance, according to Policygenius.com, which noted coastal regions and those with high natural disaster and flooding risks face the highest insurance rates. However, the distance between a home and the nearest fire station or hydrant can also influence how much home insurance costs. Policygenius reported that homes within 100 feet of a fire station or hydrant tend to see lower rates.  In addition, communities with volunteer fire departments can see higher insurance costs. Property crime rates can also have a sway on how much home insurance costs, with property owners in neighborhoods with frequent break-ins potentially facing higher rates. The above slideshow ranks the worst metro areas for homeownership, according to a review of data by LendingTree.com. The ranking, which only included the 50 largest metro areas, were based on the following criteria:

• Five-year median home value appreciation.
• Median household income for owner-occupied homes.
• Homeownership rates.
• Median annual taxes for owner-occupied homes.
• Median ratio of housing costs to household income.
• Share of occupied households with one or fewer occupants per room.
• Share of occupied households without phone service.
• Complete kitchen facilities.
• Complete plumbing facilities.

As revealed in the best metro areas for homeownership article, Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina and St. Louis ranked highest due level of high-quality housing, low housing costs (relative to income levels) and high homeownership rates, LendingTree reported. Related:

• States with the highest renters insurance rates
• Home insurers with the strongest net promotor scores
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