How much flood risk does Benton County actually carry?
Benton County lands at the 40.3th percentile of FEMA's National Risk Index for flooding, "Relatively Low" territory — below the national norm for flood hazard — with the hazard driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about 1.2 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 Benton County
Out of 380 homes FEMA counts inside Benton County's mapped flood zone, 50 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 13.2% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Benton County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.6% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
How Benton County compares nationally
Benton County sits at rank 1938 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1593 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). About 25,799 people live in Benton County, Iowa, spread over 716.102 square miles.
Checking a specific address in Benton County
70 of Benton County's 12,400 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 Benton 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.