How much flood risk does Pulaski County actually carry?
Pulaski County lands at the 96.8th percentile of FEMA's National Risk Index for flooding, "Relatively High" territory — well above 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 4.9 times a year. 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
Out of 5,163 homes FEMA counts inside Pulaski County's mapped flood zone, 1,150 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 22.3% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Pulaski County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 1.1% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
How Pulaski County compares nationally
Pulaski County sits at rank 111 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 189 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Pulaski County, Arkansas is home to about 401,209 people across 758.37 square miles of land.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Pulaski County
FEMA counts 144,405 residential structures in Pulaski County overall, 1,526 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 Pulaski 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.