How much flood risk does Durham County actually carry?
Durham County lands at the 92.4th 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 2.1 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 756 homes FEMA counts inside Durham County's mapped flood zone, 487 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 64.4% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Durham County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 1.3% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
How Durham County compares nationally
Durham County sits at rank 255 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 217 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Durham County, North Carolina is home to about 343,628 people across 287.555 square miles of land.
Your street may differ from Durham County's average
FEMA counts 97,169 residential structures in Durham County overall, 1,257 of them carrying some form of NFIP coverage — but a lender or insurer cares about one parcel, not that county total.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Durham 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.