Safest places to live in Iowa from natural disasters
The lowest natural-disaster risk in Iowa is in Benton County, Bremer County, Buchanan County, where FEMA rates few or no severe perils. The most exposed county is Black Hawk County, driven by tornado. This page ranks every Iowa county by physical peril exposure, from official FEMA National Risk Index data.
Lowest-risk counties in Iowa
| County | Physical risk | Top severe peril |
|---|---|---|
| Benton County | Low | none rated high |
| Bremer County | Low | none rated high |
| Buchanan County | Low | none rated high |
| Butler County | Low | none rated high |
| Cedar County | Low | none rated high |
| Cherokee County | Low | none rated high |
| Chickasaw County | Low | none rated high |
| Clay County | Low | none rated high |
Highest-risk counties in Iowa
| County | Physical risk | Driven by |
|---|---|---|
| Black Hawk County | Elevated | tornado |
| Johnson County | Elevated | tornado |
| Linn County | Elevated | tornado |
| Polk County | Elevated | tornado |
| Pottawattamie County | Elevated | tornado |
Dominant perils in Iowa
Across Iowa, the perils most often rated Relatively High or higher by FEMA are 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 Iowa address on the Safe Havens map, or read how Plattow scores risk and FEMA flood zones. See all states on the states index.