Risk Index · Harris County · 2026-06-13
Houston, TX real-estate risk
- Risk score
- 99.9/100
- Very High
- Expected annual loss
- $2.2B
- all hazards, county-wide
- Buildings-only loss
- $1.6B
- what owners and insurers carry
- Population
- 4.7M
- Harris County
Houston, TX (Harris County) carries a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99.9/100, rated "Very High" and driven mainly by riverine flood and hurricane, with roughly $2.2B in expected natural-hazard losses per year (FEMA NRI, 2025).
Exhibit 1 · Hazard scores, national percentile
95th percentile- Riverine flood100
- Hurricane100
- Tornado100
- Heat wave99.7
- Strong wind99.3
- Earthquake92.1
- Hail92
- Wildfire85.4
- Coastal flood83.2
- Drought75.1
Each score is the county's percentile against every US county for that hazard (0-100).
What it means for insurance
Coastal flood and hurricane exposure make property insurance the swing cost in this market. Premiums and deductibles here can move a deal's NOI by double digits. Treat the insurance binder as a Day-1 diligence item.
Houston risk questions
Is Houston, TX a high-risk area for real estate?
Houston scores 99.9/100 on FEMA's National Risk Index, rated "Very High" versus all US counties. Its expected natural-hazard loss is about $2.2B per year.
What is the biggest natural hazard in Houston?
The highest-rated hazard is riverine flood (100/100), followed by hurricane (100/100).
How does hazard risk affect property insurance in Houston?
Coastal flood and hurricane exposure make property insurance the swing cost in this market. Premiums and deductibles here can move a deal's NOI by double digits. Treat the insurance binder as a Day-1 diligence item.
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.