How much flood risk does Delaware County actually carry?
Delaware County lands at the 91.2th percentile of FEMA's National Risk Index for flooding, "Relatively Moderate" territory — a middling flood hazard by national standards — with the hazard driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about 2.3 times a year. This describes the county, not any one street — FEMA only publishes exact parcel zones through a live map service.
Mandatory flood insurance compliance in Delaware County
Out of 1,772 homes FEMA counts inside Delaware County's mapped flood zone, 406 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 22.9% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Delaware County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 1.9% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Delaware County against the rest of the country
Delaware County sits at rank 297 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1111 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Delaware County, New York covers 1,442.596 square miles and counts roughly 44,191 residents.
Checking a specific address in Delaware County
Across all of Delaware County's 28,660 residential structures, 534 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 Delaware 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.