How much flood risk does Otsego County actually carry?
Otsego County lands at the 85.8th percentile of FEMA's National Risk Index for flooding, "Relatively Moderate" territory — a middling flood hazard by national standards — with the hazard driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about 1.5 times a year. This describes the county, not any one street — FEMA only publishes exact parcel zones through a live map service.
Who actually carries the flood insurance FEMA requires
Out of 1,043 homes FEMA counts inside Otsego County's mapped flood zone, 187 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 17.9% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Otsego County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.9% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Where Otsego County ranks
Otsego County sits at rank 471 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 886 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Otsego County, New York is home to about 60,524 people across 1,001.738 square miles of land.
Your street may differ from Otsego County's average
Across all of Otsego County's 27,383 residential structures, 256 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 Otsego 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.