Is Van Buren County, MI in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Van Buren County's flood hazard at the 62th 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 3 years. 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
6.3% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Van Buren County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 43 policies against 685 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in Van Buren County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.2% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
How Van Buren County compares nationally
Van Buren County sits at rank 1246 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 746 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). About 76,129 people live in Van Buren County, Michigan, spread over 607.797 square miles.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Van Buren County
FEMA counts 33,656 residential structures in Van Buren County overall, 68 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 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.