Is Escondido's FAIR Plan count still climbing in 2026?

Escondido's 92027 grew fastest. It went from 219 FAIR Plan policies on September 30, 2022, to 1,428 on September 30, 2026, a 552% climb. Among California ZIP codes that started with 200 or more policies, that ranked 12th.

The four ZIP codes CDI files under Escondido are 92025, 92026, 92027 and 92029. Together they counted 6,050 FAIR Plan policies in the Plan's September 30, 2026 report, against 1,485 in 2022. California's count rose 150% over the same four years.

The newest year kept the climb going. Escondido's four ZIP codes added about 11%, from 5,472 policies on September 30, 2025.

The biggest count sits in 92026, which takes in Hidden Meadows, with 2,836 FAIR Plan policies, the 25th largest of any California ZIP code. The smallest is 92025, at 656, though it grew 417% from 127.

The Department of Insurance found that in 2022 the FAIR Plan covered 3.6% of insured homes across the Escondido ZIP codes, close to California's 3.2%. The share reached 5.7% in 92026 and 5.2% in 92029, and stayed at 1.5% in 92025.

Insurers outside the FAIR Plan non-renewed 4,221 Escondido home policies in 2023, or 10.3%, by the Department's count, above California's 8.7%. Owners who sold, moved or switched insurers are in that count, not only insurers' decisions.

Escondido has few vacation homes. Census estimates for 2020 to 2024 put 0.3% of its housing in seasonal use, against 2.4% for California.

The Witch Fire began October 21, 2007, in the Witch Creek area east of Ramona. CAL FIRE's incident page, last updated November 6, 2007, gives 197,990 acres, 1,711 structures destroyed and two civilian deaths.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology wrote that the fire "quickly spread to San Diego Country Estates, Ramona, Rancho Bernardo, Poway and Escondido." It then crossed Interstate 15 and damaged Lake Hodges and Del Dios, which sits in Escondido's 92029.

The Department of Insurance's moratorium bulletins began after a 2018 law, so the Witch Fire never had one. Only one bulletin has listed an Escondido ZIP code. Bulletin 2020-11 named 92026 on its Volcano Fire list, for a year from the Governor's August 18, 2020 emergency declaration.

That fire burned 45 acres west of Temecula in August 2020, by CAL FIRE's page, and its moratorium has ended. No bulletin has named 92025, 92027 or 92029. To check a newer listing for your ZIP code, read how wildfire moratoriums work.

On September 30, 2026, the FAIR Plan rated 1,950 of its 6,050 Escondido policies High for wildfire, or 32%, below California's 37%. Another 3,189 sat in its Medium tier and 911 in its Low tier.

The share rated High was largest in 92026, at 42%, and smallest in 92025, at 12%. The tier is the FAIR Plan's own rating, not a CAL FIRE map.

Escondido lost a flag the FAIR Plan carries in 2026. The Plan's March 31, 2026 file marked all four ZIP codes as distressed areas, and its September 30, 2026 file marked none.

The City of Escondido says CAL FIRE released the updated fire hazard severity zone map for Southern California on March 24, 2025. The city's page adds that the map "is not expected to impact insurance coverage," citing CAL FIRE. The Department of Insurance said on April 4, 2025, that insurers rely on wildfire risk models, not the state's maps, to decide where to write and renew.

Much of Escondido's ZIP code area lies outside the city. By the Census Bureau's 2020 maps, the city holds about a third of the land in 92025, and less in each of the others. Hidden Meadows, Harmony Grove, Elfin Forest and Del Dios are unincorporated communities inside these ZIP codes.

The City of Escondido is not on the Board of Forestry's 2026 Fire Risk Reduction Community List, approved June 17, 2026. The County of San Diego and the San Diego County Fire Protection District are.

A home in a listed community can earn a discount on the FAIR Plan's wildfire hardening sheet, dated November 2025. The County's listing covers only the unincorporated areas the County governs, such as Hidden Meadows and Harmony Grove. It does not reach homes inside the City of Escondido, and the FAIR Plan decides whether any address qualifies.

They do. Since July 1, 2025, the City of Escondido has required three permits for any stay of 30 consecutive days or less. A host needs a business license, a short-term rental permit and a tax registration.

Escondido's code issues a permit only if the host has "valid insurance that explicitly covers short-term rental activity," under Section 16-415(D). The code sets no minimum liability amount. Unless the City Council extends them, the rules expire three years from the ordinance's effective date, under Section 16-423(b).

The city's permit FAQ adds that accessory dwelling units and junior units can't be short-term rentals, and that a city permit does not override an HOA's ban.

Rentals in the unincorporated parts of these ZIP codes follow San Diego County's rules instead, the city's rental page says. Either way, tell your insurer in writing before a guest or tenant arrives. Short-term rental rules across California compares other cities' insurance terms.

FAIR Plan dwelling rates are 29.1% higher on average for new policies and renewals on or after October 15, 2026. Some homes see more than that, and some see less.

Start with standard insurers and ask each for a single homeowners policy on the full house. Specialty insurers come next. Most homeowners never see them, because they're sold only through licensed agents and brokers.

The FAIR Plan names a short list of the damage it pays for, so check the gaps in a FAIR Plan policy first. Keep your roof's age and records of brush clearing ready for each quote.