Is Jefferson County, TN in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Jefferson County's flood hazard at the 56.8th percentile nationally — below the national norm for flood 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. This describes the county, not any one street — FEMA only publishes exact parcel zones through a live map service.
Jefferson County's flood-insurance compliance gap
29.8% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Jefferson County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 56 policies against 188 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in Jefferson 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 Jefferson County compares nationally
Jefferson County sits at rank 1422 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 900 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Jefferson County, Tennessee is home to about 59,217 people across 275.155 square miles of land.
Your street may differ from Jefferson County's average
FEMA counts 24,812 residential structures in Jefferson County overall, 83 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 Jefferson 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.