Safest places to live in Vermont from natural disasters
The lowest natural-disaster risk in Vermont is in Addison County, Bennington County, Caledonia County, where FEMA rates few or no severe perils. The most exposed county is Chittenden County, driven by riverine flooding. This page ranks every Vermont county by physical peril exposure, from official FEMA National Risk Index data.
Lowest-risk counties in Vermont
| County | Physical risk | Top severe peril |
|---|---|---|
| Addison County | Low | none rated high |
| Bennington County | Low | none rated high |
| Caledonia County | Low | none rated high |
| Essex County | Low | none rated high |
| Franklin County | Low | none rated high |
| Grand Isle County | Low | none rated high |
| Lamoille County | Low | none rated high |
| Orange County | Low | none rated high |
Highest-risk counties in Vermont
| County | Physical risk | Driven by |
|---|---|---|
| Chittenden County | Low | riverine flooding |
| Washington County | Low | landslide |
| Windsor County | Low | landslide |
| Addison County | Low | none rated high |
| Bennington County | Low | none rated high |
Dominant perils in Vermont
Across Vermont, the perils most often rated Relatively High or higher by FEMA are no severe perils rated high in most counties. 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 Vermont address on the Safe Havens map, or read how Plattow scores risk and FEMA flood zones. See all states on the states index.