Minnesota natural disaster risk
Minnesota ranks #18 of 51 from the lowest population-weighted county-score mean in our state comparison. Its highest hazard-score means are hail, strong wind, cold 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 Minnesota
All 87 county rows with a FEMA score are available below, initially ordered by population.
| County | Population | Risk score | FEMA rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hennepin County | 1,269,496 | 98.3 | Relatively High |
| Ramsey County | 542,945 | 94.6 | Relatively High |
| Dakota County | 445,771 | 89.5 | Relatively Moderate |
| Anoka County | 370,349 | 88.0 | Relatively Moderate |
| Washington County | 276,238 | 83.9 | Relatively Moderate |
| St. Louis County | 200,123 | 91.6 | Relatively Moderate |
| Olmsted County | 164,498 | 82.3 | Relatively Moderate |
| Stearns County | 160,865 | 87.6 | Relatively Moderate |
| Scott County | 154,557 | 76.6 | Relatively Low |
| Wright County | 148,269 | 68.4 | Relatively Low |
| Carver County | 110,041 | 59.7 | Relatively Low |
| Sherburne County | 100,560 | 53.6 | Relatively Low |
| Blue Earth County | 69,871 | 72.2 | Relatively Low |
| Rice County | 67,917 | 75.4 | Relatively Low |
| Crow Wing County | 67,686 | 77.5 | Relatively Low |
| Clay County | 66,059 | 73.7 | Relatively Low |
| Otter Tail County | 60,475 | 79.4 | Relatively Low |
| Chisago County | 57,991 | 44.5 | Relatively Low |
| Winona County | 49,779 | 69.5 | Relatively Low |
| Goodhue County | 47,943 | 43.3 | Relatively Low |
| Beltrami County | 46,512 | 60.6 | Relatively Low |
| Itasca County | 45,275 | 76.7 | Relatively Low |
| Kandiyohi County | 44,079 | 51.4 | Relatively Low |
| Isanti County | 42,596 | 26.9 | Very Low |
| Benton County | 41,593 | 51.3 | Relatively Low |
| Mower County | 40,343 | 67.3 | Relatively Low |
| Douglas County | 39,575 | 44.3 | Relatively Low |
| Steele County | 37,439 | 37.2 | Very Low |
| McLeod County | 36,798 | 46.6 | Relatively Low |
| Carlton County | 36,518 | 70.1 | Relatively Low |
| Becker County | 35,343 | 37.4 | Very Low |
| Nicollet County | 34,411 | 45.4 | Relatively Low |
| Morrison County | 34,249 | 66.9 | Relatively Low |
| Cass County | 30,992 | 53.5 | Relatively Low |
| Polk County | 30,705 | 67.0 | Relatively Low |
| Freeborn County | 30,623 | 51.0 | Relatively Low |
| Pine County | 29,640 | 62.2 | Relatively Low |
| Le Sueur County | 29,113 | 22.8 | Very Low |
| Mille Lacs County | 27,125 | 28.5 | Very Low |
| Brown County | 25,800 | 50.4 | Relatively Low |
| Todd County | 25,575 | 37.7 | Very Low |
| Lyon County | 25,503 | 43.5 | Relatively Low |
| Meeker County | 23,468 | 27.0 | Very Low |
| Nobles County | 22,041 | 50.2 | Relatively Low |
| Hubbard County | 21,831 | 35.2 | Very Low |
| Wabasha County | 21,565 | 45.5 | Relatively Low |
| Fillmore County | 21,414 | 49.8 | Relatively Low |
| Dodge County | 21,045 | 14.2 | Very Low |
| Martin County | 19,780 | 45.5 | Relatively Low |
| Waseca County | 18,885 | 24.7 | Very Low |
| Houston County | 18,653 | 29.5 | Very Low |
| Kanabec County | 16,390 | 21.3 | Very Low |
| Aitkin County | 16,056 | 56.6 | Relatively Low |
| Redwood County | 15,350 | 35.1 | Very Low |
| Roseau County | 15,302 | 43.9 | Relatively Low |
| Sibley County | 15,005 | 23.0 | Very Low |
| Renville County | 14,558 | 38.5 | Very Low |
| Wadena County | 14,256 | 12.9 | Very Low |
| Faribault County | 13,914 | 45.5 | Relatively Low |
| Pennington County | 13,791 | 47.0 | Relatively Low |
| Chippewa County | 12,377 | 37.0 | Very Low |
| Koochiching County | 11,833 | 31.5 | Very Low |
| Cottonwood County | 11,458 | 27.7 | Very Low |
| Pope County | 11,418 | 20.5 | Very Low |
| Watonwan County | 11,205 | 23.9 | Very Low |
| Lake County | 10,879 | 33.9 | Very Low |
| Jackson County | 9,933 | 22.4 | Very Low |
| Swift County | 9,748 | 25.1 | Very Low |
| Stevens County | 9,739 | 7.0 | Very Low |
| Rock County | 9,621 | 9.4 | Very Low |
| Yellow Medicine County | 9,451 | 30.0 | Very Low |
| Pipestone County | 9,284 | 14.7 | Very Low |
| Marshall County | 8,909 | 23.6 | Very Low |
| Clearwater County | 8,616 | 4.2 | Very Low |
| Murray County | 8,097 | 19.8 | Very Low |
| Lac qui Parle County | 6,682 | 18.8 | Very Low |
| Wilkin County | 6,371 | 5.3 | Very Low |
| Norman County | 6,367 | 14.4 | Very Low |
| Grant County | 6,127 | 3.0 | Very Low |
| Cook County | 5,635 | 11.2 | Very Low |
| Lincoln County | 5,603 | 18.2 | Very Low |
| Mahnomen County | 5,358 | 7.1 | Very Low |
| Big Stone County | 5,127 | 8.5 | Very Low |
| Kittson County | 4,084 | 4.8 | Very Low |
| Red Lake County | 3,915 | 2.2 | Very Low |
| Lake of the Woods County | 3,821 | 3.5 | Very Low |
| Traverse County | 3,243 | 6.2 | 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 Minnesota
- Dodge County 14.2
- Le Sueur County 22.8
- Isanti County 26.9
- Meeker County 27.0
- Mille Lacs County 28.5
- Hubbard County 35.2
- Steele County 37.2
- Becker County 37.4
Cities in Minnesota
- Minneapolis, MN county-score mean 86.1
- Sioux Falls, SD county-score mean 77.9
- Fargo, ND county-score mean 80.1
Frequently asked questions
Is Minnesota safe from natural disasters?
Minnesota's population-weighted county-score mean is 76.7 out of 100 (high county-score mean), #18 of 51 from the lowest mean in our state comparison. A state average cannot show whether an individual home is safe. About 32% of residents live in counties FEMA rates relatively high or very high.
What natural disasters happen in Minnesota?
The highest population-weighted county hazard-score means in Minnesota are hail, strong wind, cold wave (means 87, 85, 84 on the 0–100 county-score scale). These are not national state percentiles.
Which counties have the lowest modeled risk scores in Minnesota?
Among counties with at least 20,000 people, the lowest FEMA county risk scores are in Dodge County, Le Sueur County, Isanti County. Conditions vary within each county; check an individual address separately.