How much flood risk does Davidson County actually carry?
Davidson County lands at the 98.2th percentile of FEMA's National Risk Index for flooding, "Relatively High" territory — well above 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 3.8 times a year. County-wide, not parcel-specific: FEMA's real flood-zone map is queried live, never shipped as a download.
Davidson County's flood-insurance compliance gap
56.8% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Davidson County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 1,934 policies against 3,405 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in Davidson County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 1.7% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
How Davidson County compares nationally
Davidson County sits at rank 64 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 94 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). About 729,505 people live in Davidson County, Tennessee, spread over 503.521 square miles.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Davidson County
3,818 of Davidson County's 222,214 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 Davidson 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.