Is General Liability Insurance Profitable in 2026? Loss Ratios by State
General Liability is the single largest commercial line by premium. Its loss ratio and underwriting profitability shape what carriers charge and how aggressively they compete for your business.
Source: NAIC 2023 Report on Profitability by Line by State (public regulator data). Loss ratio = incurred losses ÷ premiums earned; lower is more profitable for carriers.
General Liability profitability by state (2023)
| State | Loss ratio | Premiums earned | Underwriting profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| NM | 104.1% | $389.0M | -47.7% |
| DE | 103.1% | $729.7M | -40.7% |
| RI | 86.1% | $393.9M | -28.3% |
| TX | 77.2% | $9.8B | -18.4% |
| SC | 75.7% | $1.0B | -19.5% |
| AR | 74.3% | $711.0M | -7.0% |
| NV | 71.1% | $906.6M | -5.8% |
| CO | 69.9% | $2.3B | -10.1% |
| LA | 68.7% | $1.4B | -11.4% |
| NJ | 67.9% | $4.0B | -9.4% |
| GA | 67.7% | $3.1B | -7.9% |
| PA | 67.6% | $4.3B | -7.7% |
| CA | 67.0% | $15.7B | -10.5% |
| NY | 66.3% | $13.1B | -8.5% |
| FL | 66.2% | $7.4B | -12.5% |
| CT | 65.8% | $1.7B | -6.1% |
| KS | 65.8% | $721.9M | -4.8% |
| NE | 65.5% | $557.0M | 0.2% |
| MO | 65.2% | $1.7B | -3.2% |
| WV | 64.0% | $277.0M | 1.2% |
| VT | 64.0% | $158.7M | -4.1% |
| IL | 63.2% | $5.6B | -1.0% |
| WA | 62.8% | $2.2B | -2.5% |
| AZ | 62.1% | $1.8B | 0.4% |
| IA | 61.7% | $927.9M | 1.8% |
| TN | 61.5% | $1.8B | 1.0% |
| OR | 61.4% | $1.0B | -2.2% |
| AL | 61.1% | $1.1B | -2.6% |
| OK | 58.7% | $871.7M | 4.2% |
| MS | 58.4% | $503.5M | 3.9% |
| ND | 55.4% | $260.6M | 9.6% |
| KY | 55.0% | $764.6M | 7.0% |
| MN | 54.9% | $1.8B | 9.0% |
| HI | 54.7% | $444.9M | 3.1% |
| NH | 54.0% | $326.3M | 1.4% |
| IN | 53.4% | $1.5B | 10.6% |
| NC | 52.5% | $2.3B | 11.9% |
| WI | 52.3% | $1.6B | 13.3% |
| OH | 51.5% | $2.6B | 13.1% |
| ID | 51.2% | $396.3M | 12.2% |
| MD | 51.1% | $1.7B | 12.7% |
| SD | 50.5% | $204.3M | 11.8% |
| UT | 49.2% | $928.3M | 12.7% |
| ME | 46.9% | $273.8M | 15.8% |
| MA | 46.3% | $3.4B | 16.1% |
| AK | 44.8% | $211.4M | 15.6% |
| MI | 43.1% | $2.1B | 9.6% |
| VA | 42.6% | $2.3B | 24.2% |
| WY | 40.7% | $190.6M | 15.2% |
| DC | 39.7% | $721.0M | 19.4% |
| MT | 29.5% | $313.0M | 31.1% |
All 51 states/territories with 2023 NAIC data for this line, sorted by loss ratio (highest first). A high loss ratio means carriers pay out more in claims relative to premium — often a signal that rates are rising.
What this means for your business
Loss ratios and underwriting profit shape what carriers charge. Learn how General Liability coverage works in our General Liability guide, then compare real quotes for your business.
Compare General Liability Quotes →