How much flood risk does Highland County actually carry?
Highland County lands at the 11.7th 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 once every 2 years. That's a county-wide figure, not a per-address one — FEMA's parcel maps are a live lookup, not a bulk file.
Who actually carries the flood insurance FEMA requires
13.3% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Highland County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 10 policies against 75 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in Highland County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.8% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Highland County against the rest of the country
Highland County sits at rank 2798 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 3013 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). About 2,348 people live in Highland County, Virginia, spread over 415.163 square miles.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Highland County
FEMA counts 2,119 residential structures in Highland County overall, 16 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 Highland 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.