How much flood risk does Wapello County actually carry?
Wapello County lands at the 69.3th percentile of FEMA's National Risk Index for flooding, "Relatively Low" territory — below the national norm for flood hazard — with the hazard driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about 3.3 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.
Who actually carries the flood insurance FEMA requires
Out of 306 homes FEMA counts inside Wapello County's mapped flood zone, 8 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 2.6% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Wapello County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.1% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
How Wapello County compares nationally
Wapello County sits at rank 1005 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1299 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Wapello County, Iowa covers 431.848 square miles and counts roughly 35,681 residents.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Wapello County
FEMA counts 20,227 residential structures in Wapello County overall, 23 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 Wapello 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.