Safest places to live in New Hampshire from natural disasters
The lowest natural-disaster risk in New Hampshire is in Sullivan County, Belknap County, Carroll County, where FEMA rates few or no severe perils. The most exposed county is Rockingham County, driven by coastal flooding. This page ranks every New Hampshire county by physical peril exposure, from official FEMA National Risk Index data.
Lowest-risk counties in New Hampshire
| County | Physical risk | Top severe peril |
|---|---|---|
| Sullivan County | Low | none rated high |
| Belknap County | Low | none rated high |
| Carroll County | Low | hurricane |
| Cheshire County | Low | riverine flooding |
| Grafton County | Low | landslide |
| Merrimack County | Low | hurricane |
| Strafford County | Low | riverine flooding |
| Coos County | Moderate | riverine flooding |
Highest-risk counties in New Hampshire
| County | Physical risk | Driven by |
|---|---|---|
| Rockingham County | Elevated | coastal flooding |
| Coos County | Moderate | riverine flooding |
| Hillsborough County | Moderate | hurricane |
| Carroll County | Low | hurricane |
| Cheshire County | Low | riverine flooding |
Dominant perils in New Hampshire
Across New Hampshire, the perils most often rated Relatively High or higher by FEMA are coastal flooding. 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 New Hampshire address on the Safe Havens map, or read how Plattow scores risk and FEMA flood zones. See all states on the states index.