Safest places to live in Idaho from natural disasters
The lowest natural-disaster risk in Idaho is in Bear Lake County, Butte County, Caribou County, where FEMA rates few or no severe perils. The most exposed county is Ada County, driven by wildfire. This page ranks every Idaho county by physical peril exposure, from official FEMA National Risk Index data.
Lowest-risk counties in Idaho
| County | Physical risk | Top severe peril |
|---|---|---|
| Bear Lake County | Low | none rated high |
| Butte County | Low | none rated high |
| Caribou County | Low | none rated high |
| Clark County | Low | none rated high |
| Franklin County | Low | none rated high |
| Jefferson County | Low | none rated high |
| Lewis County | Low | none rated high |
| Minidoka County | Low | none rated high |
Highest-risk counties in Idaho
| County | Physical risk | Driven by |
|---|---|---|
| Ada County | Elevated | wildfire |
| Custer County | Elevated | landslide |
| Elmore County | Elevated | wildfire |
| Idaho County | Elevated | wildfire |
| Shoshone County | Elevated | landslide |
Dominant perils in Idaho
Across Idaho, the perils most often rated Relatively High or higher by FEMA are wildfire, landslide. 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 Idaho address on the Safe Havens map, or read how Plattow scores risk and FEMA flood zones. See all states on the states index.