How much flood risk does McMinn County actually carry?
McMinn County lands at the 62.6th percentile of FEMA's National Risk Index for flooding, "Relatively Low" territory — below 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. County-wide, not parcel-specific: FEMA's real flood-zone map is queried live, never shipped as a download.
McMinn County's flood-insurance compliance gap
Out of 177 homes FEMA counts inside McMinn County's mapped flood zone, 15 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 8.5% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in McMinn 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 McMinn County compares nationally
McMinn County sits at rank 1227 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 925 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). About 56,754 people live in McMinn County, Tennessee, spread over 430.117 square miles.
What to do next if you own or are buying in McMinn County
25 of McMinn County's 23,722 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 McMinn 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.