Risk Index · Polk County · 2026-06-13
Des Moines, IA real-estate risk
- Risk score
- 92/100
- Relatively Moderate
- Expected annual loss
- $138M
- all hazards, county-wide
- Buildings-only loss
- $88M
- what owners and insurers carry
- Population
- 492K
- Polk County
Des Moines, IA (Polk County) carries a FEMA National Risk Index score of 92/100, rated "Relatively Moderate" and driven mainly by strong wind and tornado, with roughly $138M in expected natural-hazard losses per year (FEMA NRI, 2025).
Exhibit 1 · Hazard scores, national percentile
95th percentile- Strong wind99.2
- Tornado98.1
- Hail97.9
- Heat wave96.7
- Drought94.8
- Riverine flood92.1
- Earthquake66.8
- Wildfire57.7
- Hurricane27.5
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.
Des Moines risk questions
Is Des Moines, IA a high-risk area for real estate?
Des Moines scores 92/100 on FEMA's National Risk Index, rated "Relatively Moderate" versus all US counties. Its expected natural-hazard loss is about $138M per year.
What is the biggest natural hazard in Des Moines?
The highest-rated hazard is strong wind (99.2/100), followed by tornado (98.1/100).
How does hazard risk affect property insurance in Des Moines?
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.