How much flood risk does Hale County actually carry?
Hale County lands at the 43.4th 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 1 times a year. County-wide, not parcel-specific: FEMA's real flood-zone map is queried live, never shipped as a download.
Mandatory flood insurance compliance in Hale County
Out of 814 homes FEMA counts inside Hale County's mapped flood zone, 54 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 6.6% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Hale County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.5% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Hale County against the rest of the country
Hale County sits at rank 1840 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1393 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Hale County, Texas covers 1,004.68 square miles and counts roughly 31,953 residents.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Hale County
57 of Hale County's 11,602 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 Hale 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.