Is Mercer County, KY in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Mercer County's flood hazard at the 53.3th 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 1 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
13.9% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Mercer County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 65 policies against 467 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in Mercer County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.7% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Where Mercer County ranks
Mercer County sits at rank 1531 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1663 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). About 23,515 people live in Mercer County, Kentucky, spread over 249.383 square miles.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Mercer County
73 of Mercer County's 10,474 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 Mercer 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.