Is Mahaska County, IA in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Mahaska County's flood hazard at the 36.4th 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 4 times a year. County-wide, not parcel-specific: FEMA's real flood-zone map is queried live, never shipped as a download.
Mahaska County's flood-insurance compliance gap
Out of 97 homes FEMA counts inside Mahaska County's mapped flood zone, 7 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 7.2% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Mahaska County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.1% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
How Mahaska County compares nationally
Mahaska County sits at rank 2062 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1720 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Mahaska County, Iowa is home to about 22,034 people across 570.851 square miles of land.
Checking a specific address in Mahaska County
FEMA counts 10,692 residential structures in Mahaska County overall, 12 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 Mahaska 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.