Is Dane County, WI in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Dane County's flood hazard at the 94.3th percentile nationally — well above 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 2.1 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 757 homes FEMA counts inside Dane County's mapped flood zone, 131 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 17.3% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Dane 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 Dane County ranks
Dane County sits at rank 194 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 120 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Dane County, Wisconsin is home to about 588,347 people across 1,196.496 square miles of land.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Dane County
713 of Dane County's 162,623 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 Dane 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.