State Rankings
Safest States from Natural Disasters
Ranked by inverse FEMA National Risk Index scores — lower hazard exposure means higher ranking.
| # | State | Score | Safety score | Risk level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | 78 | 78/100 | Low |
| 2 | Maine | 75 | 75/100 | Low |
| 3 | New Hampshire | 75 | 75/100 | Low |
| 4 | Wyoming | 72 | 72/100 | Low |
| 5 | Montana | 70 | 70/100 | Low |
| 6 | District of Columbia | 70 | 70/100 | Low |
| 7 | Nevada | 68 | 68/100 | Low |
| 8 | Rhode Island | 68 | 68/100 | Low |
| 9 | Connecticut | 65 | 65/100 | Low |
| 10 | Idaho | 65 | 65/100 | Low |
| 11 | Massachusetts | 65 | 65/100 | Low |
| 12 | Utah | 65 | 65/100 | Low |
| 13 | West Virginia | 65 | 65/100 | Low |
| 14 | Delaware | 62 | 62/100 | Moderate |
| 15 | New Mexico | 62 | 62/100 | Moderate |
| 16 | Maryland | 60 | 60/100 | Moderate |
| 17 | New York | 60 | 60/100 | Moderate |
| 18 | Michigan | 58 | 58/100 | Moderate |
| 19 | New Jersey | 58 | 58/100 | Moderate |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | 58 | 58/100 | Moderate |
| 21 | Wisconsin | 58 | 58/100 | Moderate |
| 22 | Alaska | 55 | 55/100 | Moderate |
| 23 | Minnesota | 55 | 55/100 | Moderate |
| 24 | Oregon | 55 | 55/100 | Moderate |
| 25 | Arizona | 52 | 52/100 | Moderate |
| 26 | Ohio | 52 | 52/100 | Moderate |
| 27 | Washington | 52 | 52/100 | Moderate |
| 28 | North Dakota | 50 | 50/100 | Moderate |
| 29 | Virginia | 50 | 50/100 | Moderate |
| 30 | Colorado | 48 | 48/100 | Moderate |
| 31 | Kentucky | 48 | 48/100 | Moderate |
| 32 | South Dakota | 48 | 48/100 | Moderate |
| 33 | Hawaii | 45 | 45/100 | Moderate |
| 34 | Indiana | 45 | 45/100 | Moderate |
| 35 | Iowa | 45 | 45/100 | Moderate |
| 36 | Illinois | 42 | 42/100 | High |
| 37 | Nebraska | 42 | 42/100 | High |
| 38 | Georgia | 38 | 38/100 | High |
| 39 | Missouri | 38 | 38/100 | High |
| 40 | Kansas | 35 | 35/100 | High |
| 41 | North Carolina | 35 | 35/100 | High |
| 42 | Tennessee | 35 | 35/100 | High |
| 43 | Arkansas | 32 | 32/100 | High |
| 44 | South Carolina | 32 | 32/100 | High |
| 45 | Alabama | 28 | 28/100 | High |
| 46 | California | 25 | 25/100 | High |
| 47 | Oklahoma | 25 | 25/100 | High |
| 48 | Mississippi | 22 | 22/100 | High |
| 49 | Texas | 22 | 22/100 | High |
| 50 | Florida | 20 | 20/100 | High |
| 51 | Louisiana | 18 | 18/100 | High |
Short growing season. very low natural disaster risk.
Moderate growing season. very low natural disaster risk.
Moderate growing season. moderate disaster risk.
Moderate growing season. moderate disaster risk.
Moderate growing season. moderate disaster risk.
Moderate growing season. moderate disaster risk.
Moderate growing season. moderate disaster risk.
Moderate growing season. moderate disaster risk.
Moderate growing season. moderate disaster risk.
Moderate growing season. moderate disaster risk.
Year-round growing season. moderate disaster risk.
Moderate growing season. moderate disaster risk.
Short growing season. moderate disaster risk.
Moderate growing season. elevated disaster risk.
Moderate growing season. elevated disaster risk.
Short growing season. elevated disaster risk.
Year-round growing season. elevated disaster risk.
Moderate growing season. elevated disaster risk.
Year-round growing season. elevated disaster risk.
Year-round growing season. elevated disaster risk.
Rankings based on public data from USDA, FEMA, state regulatory databases, and our species databases. How we calculate these scores →
More Rankings
Best States for Homesteading
Ranked by growing capacity, wild edible diversity, season length, and regulatory friendliness.
Best States for Off-Grid Living
Ranked by rainwater legality, building code leniency, land affordability, and natural hazard safety.
Best States for Foraging
Ranked by edible and medicinal plant diversity plus game animal availability.
States Ranked by Growing Season Length
Ranked by frost-free days — longer seasons mean more food production capacity.
Most Self-Sufficient States
Composite ranking of food production, foraging, off-grid friendliness, and disaster resilience.
Get Your Personalized Location Report
Enter your zip code for a free dashboard preview — full field guide PDF from $14.99