Risk Index · Franklin County · 2026-06-13
Columbus, OH real-estate risk
- Risk score
- 98.1/100
- Relatively High
- Expected annual loss
- $331M
- all hazards, county-wide
- Buildings-only loss
- $245M
- what owners and insurers carry
- Population
- 1.3M
- Franklin County
Columbus, OH (Franklin County) carries a FEMA National Risk Index score of 98.1/100, rated "Relatively High" and driven mainly by heat wave and riverine flood, with roughly $331M in expected natural-hazard losses per year (FEMA NRI, 2025).
Exhibit 1 · Hazard scores, national percentile
95th percentile- Heat wave98.9
- Riverine flood98.8
- Hail98.5
- Tornado98.4
- Strong wind96
- Earthquake93.3
- Drought57.6
- Hurricane49.7
- Wildfire29.1
Each score is the county's percentile against every US county for that hazard (0-100).
What it means for insurance
Severe convective storms (tornado/hail) drive the insurance cost here. Wind/hail deductibles and roof age are what underwriters price, and what's been pushing Midwest/Plains premiums up.
Columbus risk questions
Is Columbus, OH a high-risk area for real estate?
Columbus scores 98.1/100 on FEMA's National Risk Index, rated "Relatively High" versus all US counties. Its expected natural-hazard loss is about $331M per year.
What is the biggest natural hazard in Columbus?
The highest-rated hazard is heat wave (98.9/100), followed by riverine flood (98.8/100).
How does hazard risk affect property insurance in Columbus?
Severe convective storms (tornado/hail) drive the insurance cost here. Wind/hail deductibles and roof age are what underwriters price, and what's been pushing Midwest/Plains premiums up.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (Counties), v1.20 (2026-06-13). Scores are national percentiles (0-100). Insurance commentary is PropHunt's interpretation of the hazard data, not an insurance quote.