Risk Index · Maricopa County · 2026-06-13
Phoenix, AZ real-estate risk
- Risk score
- 99.9/100
- Very High
- Expected annual loss
- $2.2B
- all hazards, county-wide
- Buildings-only loss
- $1.2B
- what owners and insurers carry
- Population
- 4.4M
- Maricopa County
Phoenix, AZ (Maricopa County) carries a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99.9/100, rated "Very High" and driven mainly by heat wave and riverine flood, with roughly $2.2B in expected natural-hazard losses per year (FEMA NRI, 2025).
Exhibit 1 · Hazard scores, national percentile
95th percentile- Heat wave100
- Riverine flood99.9
- Wildfire99.6
- Hail99.5
- Strong wind99.1
- Drought97.7
- Earthquake96.8
- Tornado84
- Hurricane26.6
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.
Phoenix risk questions
Is Phoenix, AZ a high-risk area for real estate?
Phoenix 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 Phoenix?
The highest-rated hazard is heat wave (100/100), followed by riverine flood (99.9/100).
How does hazard risk affect property insurance in Phoenix?
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.