Is Benton County, MO in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Benton County's flood hazard at the 67.4th 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 3.5 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 202 homes FEMA counts inside Benton County's mapped flood zone, 10 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 5% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Benton 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.
Benton County against the rest of the country
Benton County sits at rank 1072 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1794 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Benton County, Missouri is home to about 20,614 people across 704.033 square miles of land.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Benton County
Across all of Benton County's 13,996 residential structures, 15 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 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.