How much flood risk does Benton County actually carry?
Benton County lands at the 20.2th percentile of FEMA's National Risk Index for flooding, "Very Low" territory — among the lowest flood hazard in the country — with the hazard driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about 1.3 times a year. County-wide, not parcel-specific: FEMA's real flood-zone map is queried live, never shipped as a download.
Benton County's flood-insurance compliance gap
13.5% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Benton County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 29 policies against 215 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in Benton County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.4% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Where Benton County ranks
Benton County sits at rank 2551 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 2025 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). About 16,173 people live in Benton County, Tennessee, spread over 394.306 square miles.
Your street may differ from Benton County's average
34 of Benton County's 9,247 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.