How much flood risk does Bayfield County actually carry?
Bayfield County lands at the 33.5th percentile of FEMA's National Risk Index for flooding, "Very Low" territory — among the lowest flood hazard in the country — with the hazard split between inland river flooding (about once every 2 years) and coastal storm surge (about once every 83 years). 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
Out of 171 homes FEMA counts inside Bayfield County's mapped flood zone, 8 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 4.7% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Bayfield County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.2% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Bayfield County against the rest of the country
Bayfield County sits at rank 2149 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1985 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Bayfield County, Wisconsin covers 1,477.882 square miles and counts roughly 16,838 residents.
Checking a specific address in Bayfield County
22 of Bayfield County's 11,557 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 Bayfield 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.