How much flood risk does Salem County actually carry?
Salem County lands at the 95.8th percentile of FEMA's National Risk Index for flooding, "Very High" territory — among the highest flood hazard in the country — with the hazard driven by coastal storm surge rather than inland rivers — FEMA's model puts a surge event here at about 3.7 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.
Mandatory flood insurance compliance in Salem County
Out of 3,723 homes FEMA counts inside Salem County's mapped flood zone, 1,444 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 38.8% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Salem County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 7% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Salem County against the rest of the country
Salem County sits at rank 145 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 832 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Salem County, New Jersey covers 331.861 square miles and counts roughly 65,874 residents.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Salem County
FEMA counts 21,740 residential structures in Salem County overall, 1,518 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 Salem County's numbers. Because storm surge plays a real role here, the guide to coastal vs. inland flood hazard is worth reading alongside this page.