RelocateMath
Natural disaster risk FEMA county data

Iowa natural disaster risk

Iowa ranks #6 of 51 from the lowest population-weighted county-score mean in our state comparison. Its highest hazard-score means are drought, hail, tornado.

By Page updated Data: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (methodology)

County-score mean
62.8
High county-score mean
Expected loss per resident
$575
per year, all hazards
Home insurance (median)
$1,421
per year with a mortgage, ACS 2024

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.

Highest county hazard-score means in Iowa
County-score mean above 50
Drought88
Hail85
Tornado79
Strong wind77
Winter weather71
Cold wave64

The vertical line marks county-score scale midpoint (50).

Find your county's risk in Iowa

All 99 county rows with a FEMA score are available below, initially ordered by population.

FEMA v1.20 county risk scores in Iowa; population from Census ACS 2020–2024
CountyPopulationRisk scoreFEMA rating
Polk County503,17592.0Relatively Moderate
Linn County230,00486.7Relatively Moderate
Scott County174,60884.9Relatively Moderate
Johnson County156,63987.4Relatively Moderate
Black Hawk County131,04976.6Relatively Low
Dallas County107,96860.6Relatively Low
Woodbury County106,24783.3Relatively Moderate
Story County100,46668.8Relatively Low
Dubuque County99,03063.6Relatively Low
Pottawattamie County93,42480.4Relatively Low
Warren County54,40936.1Very Low
Clinton County46,26864.8Relatively Low
Cerro Gordo County42,63269.6Relatively Low
Muscatine County42,55957.8Relatively Low
Marshall County40,11462.5Relatively Low
Des Moines County38,48755.8Relatively Low
Jasper County37,95443.7Relatively Low
Webster County36,88660.0Relatively Low
Sioux County36,21252.4Relatively Low
Wapello County35,36265.3Relatively Low
Marion County33,64234.4Very Low
Lee County32,89362.9Relatively Low
Boone County26,66828.4Very Low
Plymouth County25,74749.2Relatively Low
Benton County25,72428.8Very Low
Bremer County25,20424.6Very Low
Washington County22,56144.2Relatively Low
Mahaska County22,02129.7Very Low
Jones County20,89632.7Very Low
Buena Vista County20,75339.3Very Low
Buchanan County20,69424.0Very Low
Carroll County20,59457.6Relatively Low
Henry County20,00430.9Very Low
Winneshiek County19,87336.2Very Low
Jackson County19,39036.1Very Low
Fayette County19,28850.9Relatively Low
Poweshiek County18,54531.3Very Low
Cedar County18,34921.5Very Low
Dickinson County17,99036.3Very Low
Delaware County17,55849.7Relatively Low
Clayton County17,01342.2Very Low
Madison County16,92635.5Very Low
Tama County16,86845.3Relatively Low
Hardin County16,63958.4Relatively Low
Iowa County16,50728.2Very Low
Clay County16,46136.4Very Low
Crawford County16,27760.8Relatively Low
Jefferson County15,70527.1Very Low
Floyd County15,32847.7Relatively Low
Page County15,13140.2Very Low
Hamilton County14,88642.9Relatively Low
Harrison County14,63231.3Very Low
Mills County14,56818.5Very Low
Kossuth County14,51632.3Very Low
Butler County14,26827.1Very Low
O'Brien County14,12616.4Very Low
Allamakee County14,09238.2Very Low
Cass County13,09660.1Relatively Low
Wright County12,79141.5Very Low
Grundy County12,38413.1Very Low
Appanoose County12,18441.2Very Low
Lyon County12,16219.2Very Low
Union County11,99349.5Relatively Low
Chickasaw County11,80731.7Very Low
Shelby County11,77822.8Very Low
Cherokee County11,60034.1Very Low
Guthrie County10,68826.5Very Low
Louisa County10,67817.5Very Low
Hancock County10,67128.8Very Low
Winnebago County10,58330.7Very Low
Mitchell County10,57537.7Very Low
Montgomery County10,21433.7Very Low
Franklin County9,95621.9Very Low
Keokuk County9,92421.9Very Low
Calhoun County9,80344.6Relatively Low
Sac County9,68927.3Very Low
Clarke County9,66218.4Very Low
Humboldt County9,59124.1Very Low
Howard County9,44515.6Very Low
Emmet County9,26242.7Very Low
Davis County9,15750.3Relatively Low
Palo Alto County8,86315.5Very Low
Lucas County8,71629.7Very Low
Greene County8,68831.8Very Low
Monona County8,55725.1Very Low
Decatur County7,75923.6Very Low
Monroe County7,51310.3Very Low
Adair County7,46049.5Relatively Low
Worth County7,3509.9Very Low
Van Buren County7,24133.6Very Low
Pocahontas County7,04633.0Very Low
Ida County6,91118.4Very Low
Wayne County6,53222.0Very Low
Fremont County6,51415.0Very Low
Osceola County6,10014.9Very Low
Taylor County5,86838.5Very Low
Audubon County5,59938.6Very Low
Ringgold County4,64514.2Very Low
Adams County3,62220.4Very 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 Iowa

Cities in Iowa

Frequently asked questions

Is Iowa safe from natural disasters?

Iowa's population-weighted county-score mean is 62.8 out of 100 (high county-score mean), #6 of 51 from the lowest mean in our state comparison. A state average cannot show whether an individual home is safe. No residents in this dataset live in counties FEMA rates relatively high or very high.

What natural disasters happen in Iowa?

The highest population-weighted county hazard-score means in Iowa are drought, hail, tornado (means 88, 85, 79 on the 0–100 county-score scale). These are not national state percentiles.

Which counties have the lowest modeled risk scores in Iowa?

Among counties with at least 20,000 people, the lowest FEMA county risk scores are in Buchanan County, Bremer County, Boone County. Conditions vary within each county; check an individual address separately.