How much flood risk does Hancock County actually carry?
Hancock County lands at the 24.2th percentile of FEMA's National Risk Index for flooding, "Very Low" territory — among the lowest flood hazard in the country — with the hazard driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about 2.7 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 Hancock County
19.7% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Hancock County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 42 policies against 213 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in Hancock County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.7% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Hancock County against the rest of the country
Hancock County sits at rank 2424 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1975 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Hancock County, Illinois is home to about 17,008 people across 793.748 square miles of land.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Hancock County
48 of Hancock County's 6,526 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 Hancock 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.