Is Rio Grande County, CO in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Rio Grande County's flood hazard at the 54.9th 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 7 years. 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
14.3% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Rio Grande County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 80 policies against 558 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in Rio Grande County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 1.5% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Where Rio Grande County ranks
Rio Grande County sits at rank 1484 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 2334 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Rio Grande County, Colorado is home to about 11,132 people across 911.956 square miles of land.
Checking a specific address in Rio Grande County
Across all of Rio Grande County's 6,317 residential structures, 95 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 Rio Grande 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.