Jodi MorrisAZ License 1461741First licensed in Arizona in 2001Property, Casualty and LifeServing Phoenix and the East Valley
My BNI chapter, BNI Masters of Business, meets in Tempe, and I was first licensed as an Arizona insurance agent in 2001. If you live, rent or run a business in Tempe, tell me what you're trying to cover and I'll walk you through your options plainly.
Tempe Town Lake and its railroad bridge at night. Photo: Tempe Town Lake (4).jpg by Alan Stark, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped.
Looking for an insurance agent in Tempe, AZ? This is a city where most households rent, theft and burglary run above the state rates, and the city now licenses home-based businesses. Each of those changes what's worth covering.
According to the FBI's Crime Data Explorer, Tempe police reported 405 vehicle thefts in 2025, or 211.7 per 100,000 residents, and burglary ran at 260.8 per 100,000, both above the Arizona rates of 183.3 and 172.2. Comprehensive auto coverage and a home or renters policy are where those losses usually land.
Sources: FBI Crime Data Explorer, Tempe vehicle theft, FBI Crime Data Explorer, Tempe burglary
Only 42.3% of Tempe homes are owner-occupied, according to the Census Bureau. A landlord's policy covers the building, not a tenant's belongings or liability, which is an easy gap to miss.
Source: Census Bureau, tenure
The City of Tempe now requires a General Business License for home-based businesses, businesses with a physical location or leased space in the city, and some others; businesses that hold a regulatory license are exempt. Local reporting put the fee at $25. A license doesn't cover a slip-and-fall or a stolen laptop; that's what general liability and business property coverage are for.
Sources: City of Tempe sales tax and licensing, Your Valley, Tempe license fee
Per the Census Bureau, Tempe's median home was built in 1984 and is valued at $455,400. Older wiring, plumbing and roofs can affect how a house is rated and how a claim is paid, so look at your dwelling and roof coverage.
Sources: Census Bureau, year built, Census Bureau, home value
Theft and burglary above the state rates, and mid-1980s homes with older roofs. Home and auto coverage, explained
The city's new license covers home businesses, and the license is no substitute for coverage. How business insurance works
When someone counts on your income, term and permanent coverage are worth a plain comparison. Life insurance in plain words
Living, renting or running a business in Tempe? Ask me where to start.
Sources: Census Bureau, travel time, Census Bureau, vehicles per household
No. A landlord's policy covers the building. Your own belongings and your personal liability need a policy of your own.
Yes, according to the City of Tempe, home-based businesses now need a General Business License unless a regulatory license exempts them.
Start with what's on your mind, the apartment, the house, the car or the business, and I'll take it from there. Or just call me.
Arizona Insurance Producer License No. 1461741 (NPN 1461741)
