Ranked from FEMA National Risk Index
Lowest Expected Disaster Loss per Household in America
The counties where FEMA's expected annual loss per household is smallest. Low exposure is one of the few housing-cost advantages that never shows up in the listing price. It shows up in what an insurer actually charges, which is not the same as the insurance figure in these tables, since that is a statewide average and cannot vary by county. Expected annual loss is FEMA's National Risk Index figure for the county, divided by the number of occupied housing units the Census reports there.
Where does yours land?
Every county in America is somewhere on this scale, including the one you live in.
Top 100
| # | County | State | Disaster loss per household | FEMA risk rating | Median home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Beach city | VA | $170 | Relatively Low | $366,300 |
| 2 | Wrangell City and Borough | AK | $188 | Very Low | $289,700 |
| 3 | Uintah County | UT | $321 | Very Low | $270,200 |
| 4 | Montgomery County | MD | $326 | Relatively Moderate | $615,200 |
| 5 | Ketchikan Gateway Borough | AK | $332 | Very Low | $379,000 |
| 6 | Anne Arundel County | MD | $334 | Relatively Moderate | $450,300 |
| 7 | Arlington County | VA | $339 | Relatively Low | $864,800 |
| 8 | Prince George's County | MD | $353 | Relatively Moderate | $404,300 |
| 9 | Suffolk County | MA | $357 | Relatively Moderate | $680,700 |
| 10 | Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area | AK | $357 | Very Low | $221,800 |
| 11 | Petersburg city | VA | $365 | Very Low | $157,900 |
| 12 | Kings County | NY | $371 | Relatively High | $889,700 |
| 13 | Charles County | MD | $374 | Relatively Low | $402,300 |
| 14 | Bristol County | MA | $376 | Relatively Moderate | $421,800 |
| 15 | Newport County | RI | $383 | Very Low | $559,700 |
| 16 | Richmond city | VA | $383 | Relatively Low | $328,100 |
| 17 | New York County | NY | $396 | Relatively High | $1,108,900 |
| 18 | Bristol city | VA | $396 | Very Low | $168,700 |
| 19 | Bronx County | NY | $400 | Relatively High | $517,000 |
| 20 | Washington County | TN | $402 | Relatively Low | $231,700 |
| 21 | Hampton city | VA | $405 | Relatively Low | $234,100 |
| 22 | El Paso County | TX | $408 | Relatively High | $167,300 |
| 23 | Campbell County | VA | $411 | Very Low | $199,200 |
| 24 | Muskegon County | MI | $413 | Relatively Low | $180,900 |
| 25 | Sullivan County | TN | $417 | Relatively Low | $190,800 |
| 26 | Lake County | OH | $417 | Relatively Low | $199,900 |
| 27 | Newport News city | VA | $419 | Relatively Low | $243,300 |
| 28 | Centre County | PA | $422 | Relatively Low | $308,100 |
| 29 | Henrico County | VA | $426 | Relatively Moderate | $333,600 |
| 30 | Orleans County | NY | $428 | Very Low | $126,200 |
| 31 | Loudoun County | VA | $431 | Relatively Low | $701,000 |
| 32 | Erie County | PA | $432 | Relatively Moderate | $169,500 |
| 33 | Howard County | MD | $433 | Relatively Low | $576,700 |
| 34 | Mahoning County | OH | $433 | Relatively Moderate | $141,100 |
| 35 | Canyon County | ID | $436 | Relatively Low | $350,300 |
| 36 | Kent County | RI | $444 | Relatively Low | $333,900 |
| 37 | Richland County | OH | $445 | Relatively Low | $154,000 |
| 38 | Summit County | OH | $445 | Relatively Moderate | $195,700 |
| 39 | Monroe County | NY | $446 | Relatively Moderate | $197,100 |
| 40 | Prince William County | VA | $446 | Relatively Moderate | $500,600 |
| 41 | Portage County | OH | $447 | Relatively Low | $210,500 |
| 42 | Montgomery County | VA | $452 | Relatively Low | $283,600 |
| 43 | Washington County | MD | $452 | Relatively Low | $275,900 |
| 44 | Queens County | NY | $455 | Relatively High | $699,200 |
| 45 | Juneau City and Borough | AK | $457 | Very Low | $432,500 |
| 46 | Spokane County | WA | $458 | Relatively Moderate | $370,500 |
| 47 | Portsmouth city | VA | $458 | Relatively Low | $229,400 |
| 48 | Garrett County | MD | $463 | Very Low | $217,000 |
| 49 | Radford city | VA | $464 | Very Low | $211,700 |
| 50 | Hamblen County | TN | $468 | Relatively Low | $188,800 |
| 51 | Staunton city | VA | $469 | Very Low | $239,300 |
| 52 | Hopewell city | VA | $472 | Very Low | $165,100 |
| 53 | Baltimore County | MD | $476 | Relatively Moderate | $330,000 |
| 54 | Calvert County | MD | $477 | Very Low | $440,200 |
| 55 | Medina County | OH | $482 | Relatively Low | $268,000 |
| 56 | Richmond County | NY | $483 | Relatively Moderate | $658,500 |
| 57 | Bristol County | RI | $483 | Very Low | $468,000 |
| 58 | Norfolk city | VA | $484 | Relatively Moderate | $271,900 |
| 59 | Albany County | NY | $484 | Relatively Moderate | $277,400 |
| 60 | Muscogee County | GA | $485 | Relatively Moderate | $182,300 |
| 61 | Appomattox County | VA | $485 | Very Low | $189,200 |
| 62 | Androscoggin County | ME | $487 | Relatively Low | $232,000 |
| 63 | Schenectady County | NY | $488 | Relatively Low | $223,100 |
| 64 | Twin Falls County | ID | $488 | Relatively Low | $292,700 |
| 65 | Worcester County | MA | $489 | Relatively Moderate | $390,700 |
| 66 | Franklin County | VA | $490 | Very Low | $222,800 |
| 67 | Frederick County | MD | $490 | Relatively Low | $437,700 |
| 68 | Beaver County | PA | $493 | Relatively Low | $185,500 |
| 69 | Spotsylvania County | VA | $493 | Relatively Low | $375,000 |
| 70 | Greene County | TN | $493 | Relatively Low | $186,400 |
| 71 | Stark County | OH | $493 | Relatively Moderate | $177,700 |
| 72 | Westmoreland County | PA | $494 | Relatively Moderate | $193,100 |
| 73 | Wayne County | NY | $498 | Relatively Low | $163,400 |
| 74 | Ashtabula County | OH | $499 | Relatively Low | $149,600 |
| 75 | Wayne County | OH | $503 | Relatively Low | $204,600 |
| 76 | Providence County | RI | $505 | Relatively Moderate | $339,100 |
| 77 | Roanoke County | VA | $507 | Relatively Low | $267,300 |
| 78 | Carroll County | MD | $509 | Relatively Low | $406,400 |
| 79 | Trumbull County | OH | $510 | Relatively Moderate | $128,100 |
| 80 | Cuyahoga County | OH | $510 | Relatively High | $183,200 |
| 81 | Middlesex County | MA | $510 | Relatively High | $687,200 |
| 82 | Amherst County | VA | $511 | Very Low | $197,200 |
| 83 | Harford County | MD | $512 | Relatively Low | $367,300 |
| 84 | Fulton County | GA | $512 | Relatively High | $431,200 |
| 85 | Lynchburg city | VA | $515 | Relatively Low | $211,800 |
| 86 | Spalding County | GA | $517 | Very Low | $196,600 |
| 87 | Falls Church city | VA | $517 | Very Low | $1,005,400 |
| 88 | Montgomery County | OH | $518 | Relatively Moderate | $167,400 |
| 89 | Kalamazoo County | MI | $519 | Relatively Moderate | $227,500 |
| 90 | Charlottesville city | VA | $519 | Very Low | $448,400 |
| 91 | Chemung County | NY | $519 | Relatively Low | $132,100 |
| 92 | Harrisonburg city | VA | $520 | Very Low | $278,200 |
| 93 | Norfolk County | MA | $522 | Relatively Moderate | $649,400 |
| 94 | Fairfax city | VA | $523 | Very Low | $677,400 |
| 95 | Lorain County | OH | $523 | Relatively Moderate | $207,200 |
| 96 | Mason County | MI | $526 | Very Low | $199,300 |
| 97 | Smith County | TX | $528 | Relatively Moderate | $220,800 |
| 98 | Onondaga County | NY | $529 | Relatively Moderate | $185,300 |
| 99 | Jones County | GA | $530 | Very Low | $174,600 |
| 100 | Saratoga County | NY | $531 | Relatively Low | $324,800 |
Every figure is modelled on the county's own median home with 20% down at 7.03%. Property tax and electricity are county and state specific; homeowners insurance uses the NAIC average premium for that state, which ranges from 0.16% of home value in Hawaii to 1.16% in Oklahoma. Maintenance and water are national estimates. Full methodology.
Lowest Expected Disaster Loss per Household by state
The same ranking within a single state.
Alabama67Alaska26Arizona15Arkansas75California58Colorado64Florida67Georgia159Idaho44Illinois102Indiana92Iowa99Kansas105Kentucky120Louisiana64Maine16Maryland24Massachusetts14Michigan83Minnesota87Mississippi82Missouri115Montana56Nebraska93Nevada16New Jersey21New Mexico33New York62North Carolina100North Dakota53Ohio88Oklahoma77Oregon36Pennsylvania67South Carolina46South Dakota65Tennessee95Texas250Utah29Vermont14Virginia133Washington39West Virginia55Wisconsin72Wyoming23