How much flood risk does Madera County actually carry?
Madera County lands at the 94th percentile of FEMA's National Risk Index for flooding, "Relatively High" territory — well above 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 1.4 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.
Madera County's flood-insurance compliance gap
Out of 2,683 homes FEMA counts inside Madera County's mapped flood zone, 413 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 15.4% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Madera County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 1% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Where Madera County ranks
Madera County sits at rank 206 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 426 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). About 165,432 people live in Madera County, California, spread over 2,136.709 square miles.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Madera County
Across all of Madera County's 45,545 residential structures, 467 carry an NFIP policy today — a county-wide count that still can't tell you one address's own mapped zone.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Madera 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.