How much flood risk does Boone County actually carry?
Boone County lands at the 51.2th 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 1.3 times a year. 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 214 homes FEMA counts inside Boone County's mapped flood zone, 8 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 3.7% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Boone 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.
Boone County against the rest of the country
Boone County sits at rank 1598 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1217 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Boone County, Arkansas is home to about 38,636 people across 589.723 square miles of land.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Boone County
Across all of Boone County's 15,629 residential structures, 11 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 Boone 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.