How much flood risk does Atlantic County actually carry?
Atlantic County lands at the 96.2th percentile of FEMA's National Risk Index for flooding, "Very High" territory — among the highest flood hazard in the country — with the hazard split between inland river flooding (about 2.1 times a year) and coastal storm surge (about 3.7 times a year). This describes the county, not any one street — FEMA only publishes exact parcel zones through a live map service.
Who actually carries the flood insurance FEMA requires
94.5% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Atlantic County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 11,471 policies against 12,139 mandated structures. Across all residential structures in Atlantic County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 14.5% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Where Atlantic County ranks
Atlantic County sits at rank 130 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 263 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). About 279,114 people live in Atlantic County, New Jersey, spread over 555.583 square miles.
Your street may differ from Atlantic County's average
12,522 of Atlantic County's 86,671 residential structures carry flood coverage of some kind, per FEMA's latest count — useful context, not a substitute for checking one parcel.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Atlantic County's numbers. Because storm surge plays a real role here, the guide to coastal vs. inland flood hazard is worth reading alongside this page.