Is Sampson County, NC in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Sampson County's flood hazard at the 69.6th 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 1.3 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 Sampson County
Out of 221 homes FEMA counts inside Sampson County's mapped flood zone, 32 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 14.5% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Sampson County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.5% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Sampson County against the rest of the country
Sampson County sits at rank 997 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 887 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Sampson County, North Carolina covers 945.932 square miles and counts roughly 60,404 residents.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Sampson County
141 of Sampson County's 26,594 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 Sampson 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.