Earthquake Risk in Minnesota
All Minnesota counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index earthquake score
Earthquake risk — ground shaking from sudden movement along geologic faults — is rated for 85 of 87 Minnesota counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Hennepin County carries the state's highest earthquake score at 49.8, with $325K in expected annual earthquake losses.
No Minnesota county reaches the High band for earthquake, and expected annual losses from earthquake total roughly $1M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Earthquake
| # | County | Earthquake Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hennepin County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $325K | |
| 2 | Ramsey County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $73K | |
| 3 | Stearns County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $51K | |
| 4 | Anoka County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $66K | |
| 5 | Dakota County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $53K | |
| 6 | Nobles County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $24K | |
| 7 | Otter Tail County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $24K | |
| 8 | Mower County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $24K | |
| 9 | Olmsted County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $37K | |
| 10 | Kandiyohi County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $20K | |
| 11 | Blue Earth County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $20K | |
| 12 | Lyon County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $27K | |
| 13 | Freeborn County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $18K | |
| 14 | Wright County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $30K | |
| 15 | Clay County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $20K | |
| 16 | Martin County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $14K | |
| 17 | Faribault County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $14K | |
| 18 | McLeod County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $17K | |
| 19 | Douglas County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $16K | |
| 20 | Renville County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $14K | |
| 21 | Washington County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $24K | |
| 22 | Rice County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $14K | |
| 23 | Winona County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $13K | |
| 24 | Pipestone County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $15K | |
| 25 | Crow Wing County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $11K | |
| 26 | Watonwan County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $10K | |
| 27 | Fillmore County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $11K | |
| 28 | Cottonwood County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $9K | |
| 29 | Scott County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $18K | |
| 30 | Chippewa County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $8K | |
| 31 | Waseca County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $10K | |
| 32 | Steele County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $17K | |
| 33 | Redwood County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $10K | |
| 34 | Carver County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $17K | |
| 35 | Yellow Medicine County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $9K | |
| 36 | Murray County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $9K | |
| 37 | Swift County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $8K | |
| 38 | Brown County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $12K | |
| 39 | Le Sueur County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $14K | |
| 40 | Nicollet County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $9K | |
| 41 | Becker County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $7K | |
| 42 | Lac qui Parle County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $7K | |
| 43 | Morrison County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $8K | |
| 44 | Todd County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $6K | |
| 45 | Rock County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $10K | |
| 46 | Benton County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $7K | |
| 47 | Sherburne County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $11K | |
| 48 | Beltrami County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $6K | |
| 49 | Meeker County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $8K | |
| 50 | Polk County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $6K | |
| 51 | Big Stone County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $6K | |
| 52 | Lincoln County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $6K | |
| 53 | Sibley County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $9K | |
| 54 | Stevens County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $9K | |
| 55 | Cass County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $4K | |
| 56 | Jackson County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $6K | |
| 57 | Traverse County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $5K | |
| 58 | Wadena County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $4K | |
| 59 | Chisago County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $7K | |
| 60 | Houston County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $6K | |
| 61 | Pope County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $4K | |
| 62 | Goodhue County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $7K | |
| 63 | Wabasha County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $4K | |
| 64 | Hubbard County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $4K | |
| 65 | St. Louis County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $3K | |
| 66 | Mille Lacs County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $4K | |
| 67 | Wilkin County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $4K | |
| 68 | Itasca County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $2K | |
| 69 | Pine County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $3K | |
| 70 | Grant County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $5K | |
| 71 | Dodge County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $4K | |
| 72 | Pennington County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $3K | |
| 73 | Isanti County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $4K | |
| 74 | Mahnomen County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $1K | |
| 75 | Norman County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $2K | |
| 76 | Aitkin County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $2K | |
| 77 | Kanabec County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $2K | |
| 78 | Roseau County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $2K | |
| 79 | Carlton County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $2K | |
| 80 | Marshall County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $2K | |
| 81 | Koochiching County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $822 | |
| 82 | Clearwater County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $1K | |
| 83 | Kittson County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $1K | |
| 84 | Red Lake County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $628 | |
| 85 | Lake of the Woods County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $672 |
85 Minnesota counties with measurable earthquake risk. See the national earthquake ranking or all Minnesota counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Minnesota county has the highest earthquake risk?
Hennepin County has the highest FEMA earthquake risk score in Minnesota at 49.8 (Very Low), with $325K in expected annual losses and about 0.00 events per year.
How many Minnesota counties face significant earthquake risk?
85 Minnesota counties record measurable earthquake risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 0 of them are rated High or Very High.