Is Mason County, MI in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Mason County's flood hazard at the 44.8th 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 3 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
9.8% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Mason County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 24 policies against 246 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in Mason 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.
Where Mason County ranks
Mason County sits at rank 1795 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1469 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Mason County, Michigan covers 494.969 square miles and counts roughly 29,093 residents.
Your street may differ from Mason County's average
FEMA counts 14,949 residential structures in Mason County overall, 47 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 Mason 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.