RelocateMath
Natural disaster risk FEMA county data

Tennessee natural disaster risk

Tennessee ranks #19 of 51 from the lowest population-weighted county-score mean in our state comparison. Its highest hazard-score means are earthquake, tornado, cold wave.

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

County-score mean
77.8
High county-score mean
Expected loss per resident
$435
per year, all hazards
Home insurance (median)
$1,402
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 Tennessee
County-score mean above 50
Earthquake90
Tornado84
Cold wave82
Strong wind79
Riverine flooding76
Lightning76

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

Find your county's risk in Tennessee

All 95 county rows with a FEMA score are available below, initially ordered by population.

FEMA v1.20 county risk scores in Tennessee; population from Census ACS 2020–2024
CountyPopulationRisk scoreFEMA rating
Shelby County919,17399.4Relatively High
Davidson County715,38897.2Relatively High
Knox County494,14892.1Relatively Moderate
Hamilton County376,19293.3Relatively Moderate
Rutherford County360,64691.7Relatively Moderate
Williamson County260,35185.1Relatively Moderate
Montgomery County234,15387.4Relatively Moderate
Sumner County204,42487.7Relatively Moderate
Sullivan County160,62471.5Relatively Low
Wilson County158,80580.0Relatively Low
Blount County139,33374.2Relatively Low
Washington County136,26161.2Relatively Low
Bradley County111,06573.4Relatively Low
Maury County107,79179.3Relatively Low
Sevier County99,65277.4Relatively Low
Madison County99,29592.1Relatively Moderate
Putnam County82,55865.8Relatively Low
Anderson County79,15373.2Relatively Low
Robertson County75,53960.4Relatively Low
Greene County71,62856.3Relatively Low
Hamblen County65,66947.1Relatively Low
Cumberland County63,55367.2Relatively Low
Tipton County61,55381.0Relatively Moderate
Coffee County59,71063.5Relatively Low
Loudon County58,58068.4Relatively Low
Hawkins County57,96455.8Relatively Low
Jefferson County56,86444.9Relatively Low
Carter County56,71263.2Relatively Low
Dickson County55,98353.5Relatively Low
Roane County55,20869.0Relatively Low
McMinn County54,88460.2Relatively Low
Bedford County52,23769.2Relatively Low
Gibson County50,86985.9Relatively Moderate
Monroe County47,69560.9Relatively Low
Lawrence County45,38569.7Relatively Low
Franklin County43,99057.5Relatively Low
Fayette County43,26776.0Relatively Low
Warren County42,16663.5Relatively Low
Cheatham County41,82946.3Relatively Low
Campbell County39,76158.0Relatively Low
Cocke County36,81354.5Relatively Low
Dyer County36,50886.6Relatively Moderate
Marshall County36,04945.4Relatively Low
Lincoln County35,94658.9Relatively Low
Rhea County33,99249.2Relatively Low
Weakley County33,01674.0Relatively Low
Claiborne County32,46642.8Relatively Low
Henry County32,41284.7Relatively Moderate
Giles County30,62060.9Relatively Low
Obion County30,45381.3Relatively Moderate
Marion County29,25058.2Relatively Low
Carroll County28,64172.8Relatively Low
White County28,16038.5Very Low
Henderson County27,98063.1Relatively Low
Hardin County27,24970.7Relatively Low
Macon County26,24034.6Very Low
McNairy County25,97050.5Relatively Low
Hickman County25,43647.2Relatively Low
Hardeman County25,43363.0Relatively Low
Lauderdale County24,78471.6Relatively Low
Grainger County24,26618.6Very Low
Overton County23,06522.2Very Low
Scott County22,11326.1Very Low
Morgan County21,36119.1Very Low
DeKalb County20,95925.5Very Low
Union County20,43112.9Very Low
Smith County20,38918.8Very Low
Fentress County19,30928.4Very Low
Humphreys County19,21448.3Relatively Low
Johnson County18,19628.2Very Low
Polk County17,89831.2Very Low
Unicoi County17,75610.6Very Low
Chester County17,61144.5Relatively Low
Haywood County17,47564.7Relatively Low
Sequatchie County16,80940.2Very Low
Wayne County16,16843.0Relatively Low
Benton County16,00639.1Very Low
Bledsoe County15,03224.1Very Low
Cannon County14,81822.9Very Low
Stewart County14,02729.4Very Low
Crockett County13,94452.6Relatively Low
Grundy County13,81934.3Very Low
Meigs County13,34312.7Very Low
Lewis County12,99213.9Very Low
Jackson County12,02922.5Very Low
Trousdale County11,9576.1Very Low
Decatur County11,57938.4Very Low
Perry County8,69733.4Very Low
Houston County8,35313.1Very Low
Clay County7,67013.3Very Low
Hancock County6,85211.9Very Low
Moore County6,6749.9Very Low
Lake County6,57947.8Relatively Low
Van Buren County6,4372.7Very Low
Pickett County5,0794.6Very 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 Tennessee

Cities in Tennessee

Frequently asked questions

Is Tennessee safe from natural disasters?

Tennessee's population-weighted county-score mean is 77.8 out of 100 (high county-score mean), #19 of 51 from the lowest mean in our state comparison. A state average cannot show whether an individual home is safe. About 24% of residents live in counties FEMA rates relatively high or very high.

What natural disasters happen in Tennessee?

The highest population-weighted county hazard-score means in Tennessee are earthquake, tornado, cold wave (means 90, 84, 82 on the 0–100 county-score scale). These are not national state percentiles.

Which counties have the lowest modeled risk scores in Tennessee?

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