San Francisco, CA real-estate risk
San Francisco, CA (San Francisco County) carries a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99.5/100 — rated "Very High" — driven mainly by earthquake and riverine flood, with roughly $853M in expected natural-hazard losses per year (FEMA NRI, 2025).
Hazard scores (0–100)
Expected annual loss
$853M/yr
all natural hazards, county-wide
Buildings-only loss
$540M/yr
the part that hits owners + insurers
What it means for insurance
Earthquake exposure sits behind most California deals — most policies exclude it, so a separate quake rider (or its absence) materially changes the risk-adjusted return.
San Francisco risk — FAQ
Is San Francisco, CA a high-risk area for real estate?
San Francisco scores 99.5/100 on FEMA's National Risk Index — rated "Very High" versus all US counties. Its expected natural-hazard loss is about $853M per year.
What is the biggest natural hazard in San Francisco?
The highest-rated hazard is earthquake (99.8/100), followed by riverine flood (98.6/100).
How does hazard risk affect property insurance in San Francisco?
Earthquake exposure sits behind most California deals — most policies exclude it, so a separate quake rider (or its absence) materially changes the risk-adjusted return.
Scan a San Francisco property — free
Drop in any San Franciscoaddress and PropHunt's AI pulls the cap rate, comps, permit history and the full hazard/insurance read — no card required.
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.
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