Washington earthquake risk
King County has the highest earthquake risk in Washington, scoring 99.9 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King County | 99.9 | Very High |
| 2 | Pierce County | 99.6 | Relatively High |
| 3 | Snohomish County | 99.3 | Relatively High |
| 4 | Thurston County | 98.9 | Relatively High |
| 5 | Kitsap County | 98.7 | Relatively High |
| 6 | Clallam County | 98.1 | Relatively Moderate |
| 7 | Grays Harbor County | 98.1 | Relatively High |
| 8 | Whatcom County | 97.8 | Relatively Moderate |
| 9 | Clark County | 97.6 | Relatively Moderate |
| 10 | Cowlitz County | 97.5 | Relatively Moderate |
| 11 | Yakima County | 97.4 | Relatively Moderate |
| 12 | Lewis County | 97.3 | Relatively Moderate |
| 13 | Mason County | 97.2 | Relatively Moderate |
| 14 | Skagit County | 97 | Relatively Moderate |
| 15 | Island County | 96.3 | Relatively Moderate |
| 16 | Pacific County | 95.1 | Relatively Moderate |
| 17 | Jefferson County | 95 | Relatively Moderate |
| 18 | Kittitas County | 93.9 | Relatively Moderate |
| 19 | Benton County | 93.1 | Relatively Moderate |
| 20 | Walla Walla County | 90.6 | Relatively Moderate |
| 21 | San Juan County | 89.4 | Relatively Low |
| 22 | Grant County | 89.2 | Relatively Low |
| 23 | Chelan County | 88.8 | Relatively Low |
| 24 | Skamania County | 87.1 | Relatively Low |
| 25 | Okanogan County | 86.2 | Relatively Low |
| 26 | Spokane County | 85.9 | Relatively Low |
| 27 | Douglas County | 81.6 | Relatively Low |
| 28 | Franklin County | 80.7 | Relatively Low |
| 29 | Klickitat County | 78.4 | Relatively Low |
| 30 | Wahkiakum County | 75.2 | Relatively Low |
| 31 | Adams County | 64.6 | Relatively Low |
| 32 | Lincoln County | 63 | Relatively Low |
| 33 | Whitman County | 55.1 | Very Low |
| 34 | Ferry County | 45.1 | Very Low |
| 35 | Stevens County | 43 | Very Low |
| 36 | Columbia County | 34 | Very Low |
| 37 | Asotin County | 32.7 | Very Low |
| 38 | Pend Oreille County | 27.7 | Very Low |
| 39 | Garfield County | 18.9 | Very Low |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Earthquake risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Washington:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest earthquake risk county in Washington?
King County, WA has the highest earthquake risk in Washington, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99.9 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in Washington are rated Very High for earthquake risk?
1 of 39 scored Washington counties are rated "Very High" for earthquake risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes earthquake risk in Washington?
Earthquake risk reflects expected annual losses from ground shaking. High scores concentrate in California, the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and the New Madrid Seismic Zone (spanning Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, and neighboring states). NOAA's Storm Events Database does not track earthquakes, so recorded event counts are not shown.