Risk Index · Knox County · 2026-06-13
Knoxville, TN real-estate risk
- Risk score
- 92.1/100
- Relatively Moderate
- Expected annual loss
- $131M
- all hazards, county-wide
- Buildings-only loss
- $92M
- what owners and insurers carry
- Population
- 479K
- Knox County
Knoxville, TN (Knox County) carries a FEMA National Risk Index score of 92.1/100, rated "Relatively Moderate" and driven mainly by earthquake and tornado, with roughly $131M in expected natural-hazard losses per year (FEMA NRI, 2025).
Exhibit 1 · Hazard scores, national percentile
95th percentile- Earthquake96.8
- Tornado96.7
- Riverine flood92.8
- Strong wind89.3
- Heat wave72.6
- Hurricane65.8
- Wildfire63
- Hail59.7
- Drought39.4
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.
Knoxville risk questions
Is Knoxville, TN a high-risk area for real estate?
Knoxville scores 92.1/100 on FEMA's National Risk Index, rated "Relatively Moderate" versus all US counties. Its expected natural-hazard loss is about $131M per year.
What is the biggest natural hazard in Knoxville?
The highest-rated hazard is earthquake (96.8/100), followed by tornado (96.7/100).
How does hazard risk affect property insurance in Knoxville?
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.