Is Van Buren County, IA in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Van Buren County's flood hazard at the 40.8th 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. This describes the county, not any one street — FEMA only publishes exact parcel zones through a live map service.
Van Buren County's flood-insurance compliance gap
Out of 650 homes FEMA counts inside Van Buren County's mapped flood zone, 26 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 4% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Van Buren County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.6% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Where Van Buren County ranks
Van Buren County sits at rank 1923 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 2643 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). About 7,217 people live in Van Buren County, Iowa, spread over 484.792 square miles.
Checking a specific address in Van Buren County
Across all of Van Buren County's 4,669 residential structures, 30 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 Van Buren 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.