Illinois natural disaster risk
Illinois ranks #38 of 51 from the lowest population-weighted county-score mean in our state comparison. Its highest hazard-score means are cold wave, tornado, heat wave.
RelocateMath computes these state means by weighting FEMA county scores by population. A mean of county percentiles is not a national state percentile or an official FEMA state rating.
The vertical line marks county-score scale midpoint (50).
Find your county's risk in Illinois
All 102 county rows with a FEMA score are available below, initially ordered by population.
| County | Population | Risk score | FEMA rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County | 5,182,090 | 100.0 | Very High |
| DuPage County | 930,024 | 97.6 | Relatively High |
| Lake County | 714,223 | 96.0 | Relatively High |
| Will County | 701,462 | 97.3 | Relatively High |
| Kane County | 517,255 | 94.6 | Relatively High |
| McHenry County | 312,591 | 90.8 | Relatively Moderate |
| Winnebago County | 283,292 | 92.4 | Relatively Moderate |
| Madison County | 264,238 | 93.4 | Relatively Moderate |
| St. Clair County | 253,694 | 94.9 | Relatively High |
| Champaign County | 208,741 | 90.5 | Relatively Moderate |
| Sangamon County | 194,947 | 91.7 | Relatively Moderate |
| Peoria County | 179,645 | 90.7 | Relatively Moderate |
| McLean County | 171,556 | 86.9 | Relatively Moderate |
| Rock Island County | 142,757 | 84.1 | Relatively Moderate |
| Kendall County | 137,675 | 80.2 | Relatively Low |
| Tazewell County | 130,290 | 84.2 | Relatively Moderate |
| LaSalle County | 108,714 | 86.1 | Relatively Moderate |
| Kankakee County | 106,635 | 88.2 | Relatively Moderate |
| Macon County | 101,849 | 83.3 | Relatively Moderate |
| DeKalb County | 100,703 | 80.8 | Relatively Low |
| Vermilion County | 72,386 | 78.8 | Relatively Low |
| Williamson County | 66,876 | 85.8 | Relatively Moderate |
| Adams County | 64,754 | 64.2 | Relatively Low |
| Whiteside County | 54,947 | 65.8 | Relatively Low |
| Boone County | 53,230 | 57.3 | Relatively Low |
| Grundy County | 53,219 | 66.5 | Relatively Low |
| Jackson County | 53,064 | 87.1 | Relatively Moderate |
| Ogle County | 51,495 | 71.1 | Relatively Low |
| Knox County | 49,046 | 57.2 | Relatively Low |
| Henry County | 48,643 | 57.1 | Relatively Low |
| Coles County | 46,777 | 70.4 | Relatively Low |
| Macoupin County | 44,350 | 79.9 | Relatively Low |
| Stephenson County | 43,768 | 73.9 | Relatively Low |
| Woodford County | 38,312 | 39.9 | Very Low |
| Franklin County | 37,323 | 80.9 | Relatively Low |
| Marion County | 37,000 | 77.1 | Relatively Low |
| Clinton County | 36,954 | 65.6 | Relatively Low |
| Jefferson County | 36,550 | 77.2 | Relatively Low |
| Livingston County | 35,565 | 71.8 | Relatively Low |
| Monroe County | 35,036 | 41.9 | Very Low |
| Effingham County | 34,522 | 53.8 | Relatively Low |
| Lee County | 33,869 | 54.4 | Relatively Low |
| Christian County | 33,538 | 54.0 | Relatively Low |
| Morgan County | 33,021 | 71.1 | Relatively Low |
| Fulton County | 33,020 | 59.0 | Relatively Low |
| Bureau County | 32,866 | 62.3 | Relatively Low |
| Randolph County | 30,058 | 78.6 | Relatively Low |
| Montgomery County | 27,942 | 65.4 | Relatively Low |
| Logan County | 27,713 | 58.1 | Relatively Low |
| McDonough County | 26,920 | 37.5 | Very Low |
| Iroquois County | 26,449 | 74.0 | Relatively Low |
| Saline County | 23,213 | 70.1 | Relatively Low |
| Jo Daviess County | 21,851 | 51.3 | Relatively Low |
| Fayette County | 21,315 | 48.8 | Relatively Low |
| Jersey County | 21,274 | 18.9 | Very Low |
| Shelby County | 20,720 | 51.7 | Relatively Low |
| Perry County | 20,639 | 72.1 | Relatively Low |
| Douglas County | 19,751 | 62.1 | Relatively Low |
| Crawford County | 18,511 | 37.0 | Very Low |
| Hancock County | 17,281 | 31.1 | Very Low |
| Union County | 16,997 | 55.4 | Relatively Low |
| Bond County | 16,716 | 36.2 | Very Low |
| Piatt County | 16,695 | 35.0 | Very Low |
| Edgar County | 16,535 | 34.9 | Very Low |
| Warren County | 16,447 | 15.5 | Very Low |
| Wayne County | 15,973 | 40.7 | Very Low |
| Richland County | 15,598 | 46.7 | Relatively Low |
| Carroll County | 15,576 | 39.0 | Very Low |
| Mercer County | 15,495 | 8.8 | Very Low |
| De Witt County | 15,373 | 29.3 | Very Low |
| Clark County | 15,266 | 27.3 | Very Low |
| Lawrence County | 15,031 | 49.2 | Relatively Low |
| Pike County | 14,469 | 30.3 | Very Low |
| Moultrie County | 14,424 | 45.0 | Relatively Low |
| Massac County | 13,865 | 61.6 | Relatively Low |
| Washington County | 13,627 | 55.2 | Relatively Low |
| White County | 13,619 | 54.3 | Relatively Low |
| Ford County | 13,406 | 26.2 | Very Low |
| Johnson County | 13,376 | 51.1 | Relatively Low |
| Clay County | 13,052 | 41.1 | Very Low |
| Cass County | 12,784 | 38.6 | Very Low |
| Mason County | 12,745 | 43.0 | Relatively Low |
| Menard County | 12,095 | 28.7 | Very Low |
| Greene County | 11,683 | 13.0 | Very Low |
| Marshall County | 11,647 | 27.2 | Very Low |
| Wabash County | 11,119 | 24.8 | Very Low |
| Cumberland County | 10,334 | 25.9 | Very Low |
| Jasper County | 9,180 | 20.4 | Very Low |
| Hamilton County | 7,916 | 30.8 | Very Low |
| Schuyler County | 6,787 | 11.4 | Very Low |
| Brown County | 6,322 | 4.7 | Very Low |
| Henderson County | 6,193 | 17.5 | Very Low |
| Edwards County | 6,075 | 26.1 | Very Low |
| Putnam County | 5,601 | 9.2 | Very Low |
| Stark County | 5,308 | 7.3 | Very Low |
| Pulaski County | 5,015 | 49.0 | Relatively Low |
| Scott County | 4,937 | 2.8 | Very Low |
| Alexander County | 4,875 | 44.1 | Relatively Low |
| Gallatin County | 4,819 | 33.9 | Very Low |
| Calhoun County | 4,330 | 6.1 | Very Low |
| Pope County | 3,739 | 14.9 | Very Low |
| Hardin County | 3,605 | 8.3 | Very Low |
The county rows show FEMA's own county percentile scores and rating categories; the state figures above are our weighted means. County data cannot establish a property's safety. Expected loss is modeled annual loss per resident, not a premium quote. The insurance figure is what owners with a mortgage reported paying in 2024 (Census American Community Survey), not a current quote. For a specific home, check the address on FEMA's flood map and get insurance quotes before you commit. Our guide explains how to check natural disaster risk before you move.
Lowest FEMA county risk scores in Illinois
- Jersey County 18.9
- McDonough County 37.5
- Woodford County 39.9
- Monroe County 41.9
- Fayette County 48.8
- Jo Daviess County 51.3
- Shelby County 51.7
- Effingham County 53.8
Cities in Illinois
- Chicago, IL county-score mean 97.1
- St. Louis, MO county-score mean 92.2
Frequently asked questions
Is Illinois safe from natural disasters?
Illinois's population-weighted county-score mean is 90.4 out of 100 (very high county-score mean), #38 of 51 from the lowest mean in our state comparison. A state average cannot show whether an individual home is safe. About 66% of residents live in counties FEMA rates relatively high or very high.
What natural disasters happen in Illinois?
The highest population-weighted county hazard-score means in Illinois are cold wave, tornado, heat wave (means 95, 93, 90 on the 0–100 county-score scale). These are not national state percentiles.
Which counties have the lowest modeled risk scores in Illinois?
Among counties with at least 20,000 people, the lowest FEMA county risk scores are in Jersey County, McDonough County, Woodford County. Conditions vary within each county; check an individual address separately.