How much flood risk does Holmes County actually carry?
Holmes County lands at the 26.5th 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 1 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.
Who actually carries the flood insurance FEMA requires
Out of 967 homes FEMA counts inside Holmes County's mapped flood zone, 76 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 7.9% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Holmes County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 1.1% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Holmes County against the rest of the country
Holmes County sits at rank 2359 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1834 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Holmes County, Florida covers 478.858 square miles and counts roughly 19,876 residents.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Holmes County
99 of Holmes County's 8,793 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 Holmes 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.