Safest places to live in New Jersey from natural disasters
The lowest natural-disaster risk in New Jersey is in Hunterdon County, Warren County, Sussex County, where FEMA rates few or no severe perils. The most exposed county is Atlantic County, driven by coastal flooding. This page ranks every New Jersey county by physical peril exposure, from official FEMA National Risk Index data.
Lowest-risk counties in New Jersey
| County | Physical risk | Top severe peril |
|---|---|---|
| Hunterdon County | Low | riverine flooding |
| Warren County | Low | riverine flooding |
| Sussex County | Moderate | riverine flooding |
| Burlington County | Elevated | riverine flooding |
| Camden County | Elevated | riverine flooding |
| Cumberland County | Elevated | coastal flooding |
| Essex County | Elevated | tornado |
| Gloucester County | Elevated | coastal flooding |
Highest-risk counties in New Jersey
| County | Physical risk | Driven by |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic County | High | coastal flooding |
| Bergen County | High | coastal flooding |
| Cape May County | High | coastal flooding |
| Hudson County | High | coastal flooding |
| Ocean County | High | coastal flooding |
Dominant perils in New Jersey
Across New Jersey, the perils most often rated Relatively High or higher by FEMA are coastal flooding, riverine flooding, 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 New Jersey address on the Safe Havens map, or read how Plattow scores risk and FEMA flood zones. See all states on the states index.