Risk Index · Durham County · 2026-06-13
Durham, NC real-estate risk
- Risk score
- 89.6/100
- Relatively Moderate
- Expected annual loss
- $91M
- all hazards, county-wide
- Buildings-only loss
- $72M
- what owners and insurers carry
- Population
- 325K
- Durham County
Durham, NC (Durham County) carries a FEMA National Risk Index score of 89.6/100, rated "Relatively Moderate" and driven mainly by heat wave and tornado, with roughly $91M in expected natural-hazard losses per year (FEMA NRI, 2025).
Exhibit 1 · Hazard scores, national percentile
95th percentile- Heat wave94
- Tornado93.5
- Riverine flood92.4
- Hurricane89.4
- Hail89.1
- Strong wind88.1
- Earthquake81.9
- Drought42.8
- Wildfire34.5
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.
Durham risk questions
Is Durham, NC a high-risk area for real estate?
Durham scores 89.6/100 on FEMA's National Risk Index, rated "Relatively Moderate" versus all US counties. Its expected natural-hazard loss is about $91M per year.
What is the biggest natural hazard in Durham?
The highest-rated hazard is heat wave (94/100), followed by tornado (93.5/100).
How does hazard risk affect property insurance in Durham?
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.