Is Barren County, KY in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Barren County's flood hazard at the 67.8th percentile nationally — below the national norm for flood hazard — driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about 1 times a year. That's a county-wide figure, not a per-address one — FEMA's parcel maps are a live lookup, not a bulk file.
Mandatory flood insurance compliance in Barren County
9.4% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Barren County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 20 policies against 213 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in Barren County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.1% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Where Barren County ranks
Barren County sits at rank 1056 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1082 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Barren County, Kentucky covers 487.365 square miles and counts roughly 45,609 residents.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Barren County
Across all of Barren County's 22,142 residential structures, 21 carry an NFIP policy today — a county-wide count that still can't tell you one address's own mapped zone.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Barren County's numbers. The guide to what the Special Flood Hazard Area actually means explains why the mandatory-insurance rule exists and who it applies to.