Safest places to live in Colorado from natural disasters
The lowest natural-disaster risk in Colorado is in Bent County, Cheyenne County, Costilla County, where FEMA rates few or no severe perils. The most exposed county is Adams County, driven by tornado. This page ranks every Colorado county by physical peril exposure, from official FEMA National Risk Index data.
Lowest-risk counties in Colorado
| County | Physical risk | Top severe peril |
|---|---|---|
| Bent County | Low | none rated high |
| Cheyenne County | Low | none rated high |
| Costilla County | Low | none rated high |
| Crowley County | Low | none rated high |
| Custer County | Low | none rated high |
| Gilpin County | Low | none rated high |
| Hinsdale County | Low | none rated high |
| Huerfano County | Low | none rated high |
Highest-risk counties in Colorado
| County | Physical risk | Driven by |
|---|---|---|
| Adams County | Elevated | tornado |
| Arapahoe County | Elevated | tornado |
| Boulder County | Elevated | wildfire |
| Denver County | Elevated | tornado |
| Dolores County | Elevated | landslide |
Dominant perils in Colorado
Across Colorado, the perils most often rated Relatively High or higher by FEMA are wildfire, landslide, tornado. County rankings reflect physical exposure, not dollar value, so a county can rank low here even if it is densely developed. For a specific property, the flood zone and exact peril ratings matter more than the county summary.
Look up any Colorado address on the Safe Havens map, or read how Plattow scores risk and FEMA flood zones. See all states on the states index.