How much flood risk does Frederick County actually carry?
Frederick County lands at the 60th 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 2.5 times a year. That's a county-wide figure, not a per-address one — FEMA's parcel maps are a live lookup, not a bulk file.
Frederick County's flood-insurance compliance gap
Out of 1,052 homes FEMA counts inside Frederick County's mapped flood zone, 29 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 2.8% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Frederick County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.3% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
How Frederick County compares nationally
Frederick County sits at rank 1315 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 630 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Frederick County, Virginia is home to about 98,109 people across 413.135 square miles of land.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Frederick County
94 of Frederick County's 34,302 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 Frederick 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.