Property Flood Risk Index
UK Property Flood Risk Index 2026
We ranked all 296 English local authorities by the share of homes at flood risk, using the Environment Agency's latest National Flood Risk Assessment (NaFRA2). The finding most buyers get wrong: surface water, not rivers, is the dominant flood threat in 261 of the 296 areas.
Headline findings
- Thurrock has the highest surface-water flood risk: 37.81% of homes in a High or Medium risk band.
- In Boston, 94.87% of all properties sit in an at-risk band from rivers and the sea: 38,849 homes.
- Surface water is the leading flood source in 261 of 296 local authorities.
Last updated: .
Media and citation pack
Use this flood-risk dataset in a story
Journalists, local publishers and property writers can cite the index freely with attribution to MyPropertyScan and the Environment Agency. The strongest local angle is surface-water flooding: it is less visible than river flooding and is the dominant risk source in 261 of the 296 local authorities ranked.
Top local hook
Thurrock has the highest surface-water exposure, with 40,321 homes in an at-risk band.
Citation
MyPropertyScan analysis of Environment Agency NaFRA2 flood-risk data, 2026.
Downloads
Download CSV datasetIncludes ranks, local authorities, flood source, and high/medium risk percentages.
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Every area in the ranking has a badge you can drop into a page. It shows that authority's Environment Agency figures and credits the source. Swap thurrock for any slug in the table below.
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Suggested attribution
Source: MyPropertyScan analysis of Environment Agency National Flood Risk Assessment data. Full ranking and downloadable dataset: UK Property Flood Risk Index 2026.
Cite this dataset: MyPropertyScan (2026). UK Property Flood Risk Index 2026 (Version 2026-08-24) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22791507
Key statistics
UK flood risk in numbers
Thurrock has the highest single-source flood-risk share of the 296 English local authorities ranked
Thurrock tops the UK Property Flood Risk Index (which ranks all 296 English local authorities; Welsh and Scottish authorities are outside the dataset), with 37.81% of properties in a High or Medium risk band from its dominant flood source alone (river/sea and surface-water shares are reported separately and can overlap, so single-source shares are not additive), driven by surface water flooding. Source: MyPropertyScan UK Property Flood Risk Index 2026, built from Environment Agency NaFRA2 data.
38 of 296 English local authorities have at least 10% of homes at flood risk from a single source
38 English local authorities (Thurrock, Spalding, Southport, Barking and Dagenham, Wisbech, Hackney, Hastings, Basildon and 30 others) have at least 10% of properties in a High or Medium flood-risk band from a single flood source. Source: MyPropertyScan UK Property Flood Risk Index 2026, built from Environment Agency NaFRA2 data.
Surface water is the dominant flood source in 88.2% of English local authorities
261 of the 296 English local authorities in the index have surface water, not rivers or the sea, as their dominant flood-risk source. Source: MyPropertyScan UK Property Flood Risk Index 2026, built from Environment Agency NaFRA2 data.
Cite this data: journalists and researchers may reuse these statistics with attribution to MyPropertyScan and the Environment Agency, and a link back to this page. For city-level breakdowns or a methodology walkthrough, see Press & Data.
Tool shortcut
Check flood signals for a UK address in 15 seconds
Flood-zone signals where available, with the manual follow-up checks spelled out.
Run a free previewHighest surface-water flood risk
Surface water (pluvial) flooding happens when heavy rain overwhelms drains, and it can affect homes nowhere near a river. It is the most under-reported flood risk for buyers because it rarely shows on the headline river map. Share of homes in a High or Medium surface-water band:
#1
Thurrock
37.81%
#2
Southport
29.31%
#3
Barking and Dagenham
26.17%
#4
Hackney
23.58%
#5
Hastings
20.4%
The classic river and tidal flood areas
Some areas are dominated by river and coastal flood risk rather than surface water. Ranked by the share of all properties in any at-risk band from rivers and the sea:
- Boston: 94.87% of properties at risk (38,849 homes).
- Kingston upon Hull: 85.99% of properties at risk (126,452 homes).
- Spalding: 82.6% of properties at risk (48,698 homes).
- Skegness: 54.72% of properties at risk (70,375 homes).
- Wyre: 48.6% of properties at risk (34,731 homes).
Full ranking: 296 local authorities
Download the dataset (CSV)Ranked by the higher of the two “meaningful risk” figures (the share of homes in a High or Medium band, for surface water or for rivers and sea). Areas with a local flood-risk guide link through to it; the rest are dataset rows only.
| # | Local authority | Surface water (H+M) | Rivers & sea (H+M) | Dominant source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thurrock | 37.81% | 0.6% | Surface water |
| 2 | Spaldingwider authority area | 2.4% | 35.33% | Rivers & sea |
| 3 | Southportwider authority area | 29.31% | 0.18% | Surface water |
| 4 | Barking and Dagenham | 26.17% | 0.89% | Surface water |
| 5 | Wisbechwider authority area | 6.58% | 24.86% | Rivers & sea |
| 6 | Hackney | 23.58% | 1.06% | Surface water |
| 7 | Hastings | 20.4% | 3.66% | Surface water |
| 8 | Basildon | 19.22% | 0.29% | Surface water |
| 9 | Canvey Islandwider authority area | 18.82% | 0.34% | Surface water |
| 10 | Haringey | 18.67% | 0.75% | Surface water |
| 11 | Eghamwider authority area | 3.81% | 18.22% | Rivers & sea |
| 12 | Skegnesswider authority area | 4.47% | 17.54% | Rivers & sea |
| 13 | Rochford | 17.08% | 2.2% | Surface water |
| 14 | Harlow | 16.08% | 0.19% | Surface water |
| 15 | Camden | 15.79% | 0% | Surface water |
| 16 | Islington | 15.6% | 0% | Surface water |
| 17 | Westminster | 14.93% | 0.01% | Surface water |
| 18 | Kensington and Chelsea | 14.75% | 0.03% | Surface water |
| 19 | Bristol | 14.71% | 1.44% | Surface water |
| 20 | Brent | 14.12% | 1.72% | Surface water |
| 21 | Harrow | 14.09% | 1.29% | Surface water |
| 22 | West Suffolk | 13.1% | 1.62% | Surface water |
| 23 | North Hertfordshire | 12.97% | 0.44% | Surface water |
| 24 | Cambridge | 12.47% | 1.56% | Surface water |
| 25 | Hillingdon | 12.45% | 1.58% | Surface water |
| 26 | Barnet | 11.74% | 1.23% | Surface water |
| 27 | Wandsworth | 11.61% | 1.23% | Surface water |
| 28 | Southwark | 11.59% | 0.01% | Surface water |
| 29 | Ipswich | 11.24% | 0.05% | Surface water |
| 30 | Cheltenham | 10.93% | 2.12% | Surface water |
| 31 | Hammersmith and Fulham | 10.93% | 0.04% | Surface water |
| 32 | North East Lincolnshire | 9.82% | 10.89% | Rivers & sea |
| 33 | Croydon | 10.74% | 2.69% | Surface water |
| 34 | Hertsmere | 10.73% | 1.03% | Surface water |
| 35 | Lewisham | 10.73% | 4.14% | Surface water |
| 36 | Isles of Scilly | 5.24% | 10.62% | Rivers & sea |
| 37 | Luton | 10.54% | 0.44% | Surface water |
| 38 | King's Lynn and West Norfolk | 3.53% | 10.52% | Rivers & sea |
| 39 | Gloucester | 9.93% | 4.86% | Surface water |
| 40 | Lincoln | 9.77% | 9.86% | Rivers & sea |
| 41 | Huntingdonshire | 9.8% | 5.21% | Surface water |
| 42 | Redcar and Cleveland | 9.57% | 1.03% | Surface water |
| 43 | Greenwich | 9.49% | 2.74% | Surface water |
| 44 | Epping Forest | 9.06% | 1.76% | Surface water |
| 45 | Merton | 9.06% | 2.85% | Surface water |
| 46 | Newcastle-under-Lyme | 8.94% | 0.82% | Surface water |
| 47 | Brentwood | 8.84% | 0.45% | Surface water |
| 48 | Ealing | 8.83% | 0.59% | Surface water |
| 49 | Waltham Forest | 8.8% | 1.97% | Surface water |
| 50 | Windsor and Maidenhead | 5.02% | 8.7% | Rivers & sea |
| 51 | East Riding of Yorkshire | 3.99% | 8.62% | Rivers & sea |
| 52 | Tower Hamlets | 8.5% | 0.77% | Surface water |
| 53 | Hounslow | 8.49% | 0.38% | Surface water |
| 54 | Bedford | 8.34% | 0.86% | Surface water |
| 55 | Lambeth | 8.31% | 0.29% | Surface water |
| 56 | Spelthorne | 2.21% | 8.19% | Rivers & sea |
| 57 | Doncasterwider authority area | 4.24% | 8.16% | Rivers & sea |
| 58 | Babergh | 8.1% | 0.99% | Surface water |
| 59 | Havering | 7.98% | 0.94% | Surface water |
| 60 | Sutton | 7.8% | 1.07% | Surface water |
| 61 | Harborough | 7.72% | 0.65% | Surface water |
| 62 | Hartlepool | 7.72% | 0.53% | Surface water |
| 63 | South Ribble | 7.63% | 3.92% | Surface water |
| 64 | Boston | 3.37% | 7.59% | Rivers & sea |
| 65 | Enfield | 7.55% | 1.45% | Surface water |
| 66 | Stratford-on-Avon | 7.5% | 2.99% | Surface water |
| 67 | Leicester | 7.43% | 2.37% | Surface water |
| 68 | Derby | 7.36% | 1.53% | Surface water |
| 69 | Crawley | 7.26% | 1.88% | Surface water |
| 70 | Redditch | 7.23% | 1.1% | Surface water |
| 71 | Wolverhampton | 7.2% | 0.91% | Surface water |
| 72 | Epsom and Ewell | 7.03% | 0.76% | Surface water |
| 73 | Canterbury | 6.99% | 5.03% | Surface water |
| 74 | Milton Keynes | 6.94% | 0.39% | Surface water |
| 75 | Bromley | 6.93% | 2.18% | Surface water |
| 76 | Blackburn with Darwen | 6.86% | 1.78% | Surface water |
| 77 | Broxbourne | 6.86% | 1.98% | Surface water |
| 78 | Oxford | 6.86% | 4.59% | Surface water |
| 79 | Brighton and Hove | 6.83% | 0.64% | Surface water |
| 80 | East Hertfordshire | 6.73% | 3.07% | Surface water |
| 81 | Middlesbrough | 6.72% | 0.74% | Surface water |
| 82 | Mid Suffolk | 6.68% | 1.16% | Surface water |
| 83 | Salford | 6.65% | 1.48% | Surface water |
| 84 | Elywider authority area | 6.59% | 5% | Surface water |
| 85 | Blackpool | 6.49% | 2.33% | Surface water |
| 86 | Mole Valley | 6.47% | 1.46% | Surface water |
| 87 | Darlington | 6.45% | 1.05% | Surface water |
| 88 | Peterborough | 6.44% | 2.32% | Surface water |
| 89 | Redbridge | 6.34% | 1.05% | Surface water |
| 90 | Preston | 6.25% | 3.28% | Surface water |
| 91 | Havant | 6.24% | 2.76% | Surface water |
| 92 | Central Bedfordshire | 6.2% | 0.79% | Surface water |
| 93 | Kingston upon Hull | 2.91% | 6.19% | Rivers & sea |
| 94 | East Staffordshire | 6.16% | 0.86% | Surface water |
| 95 | Worthing | 6.16% | 3.11% | Surface water |
| 96 | South Cambridgeshire | 6.13% | 2.87% | Surface water |
| 97 | Buckinghamshire | 6.11% | 1.1% | Surface water |
| 98 | Richmond upon Thames | 6.04% | 2.57% | Surface water |
| 99 | Coventry | 6.03% | 0.54% | Surface water |
| 100 | North Gloucestershire | 5.99% | 1.94% | Surface water |
| 101 | West Lindsey | 5.95% | 5.2% | Surface water |
| 102 | Woking | 5.95% | 1.14% | Surface water |
| 103 | Three Rivers | 5.94% | 0.92% | Surface water |
| 104 | Bracknell Forest | 5.85% | 1.94% | Surface water |
| 105 | Ribble Valley | 5.85% | 3.27% | Surface water |
| 106 | North Tyneside | 5.83% | 0.33% | Surface water |
| 107 | Tameside | 5.8% | 0.69% | Surface water |
| 108 | Rushcliffe | 5.79% | 1.9% | Surface water |
| 109 | Maldon | 5.78% | 5.54% | Surface water |
| 110 | Burnley | 5.77% | 1.86% | Surface water |
| 111 | South Gloucestershire | 5.77% | 0.59% | Surface water |
| 112 | Manchester | 5.73% | 1.3% | Surface water |
| 113 | Kingston upon Thames | 5.65% | 5.06% | Surface water |
| 114 | Elmbridge | 4.58% | 5.64% | Rivers & sea |
| 115 | Charnwood | 5.61% | 3.61% | Surface water |
| 116 | Stockport | 5.61% | 0.85% | Surface water |
| 117 | Dacorum | 5.6% | 0.28% | Surface water |
| 118 | Northumberland | 5.58% | 1.14% | Surface water |
| 119 | Bexley | 5.54% | 1.13% | Surface water |
| 120 | Stockton-on-Tees | 5.54% | 1.74% | Surface water |
| 121 | Walsall | 5.52% | 0.43% | Surface water |
| 122 | East Devon | 4.22% | 5.5% | Rivers & sea |
| 123 | Wigan | 5.49% | 1.75% | Surface water |
| 124 | Wyre | 4.02% | 5.47% | Rivers & sea |
| 125 | Oadby and Wigston | 5.46% | 0.36% | Surface water |
| 126 | East Suffolk | 5.45% | 2.24% | Surface water |
| 127 | Swale | 5.41% | 3.19% | Surface water |
| 128 | Worcester | 5.39% | 1.52% | Surface water |
| 129 | Teignbridge | 2.85% | 5.36% | Rivers & sea |
| 130 | Tandridge | 5.34% | 1.7% | Surface water |
| 131 | Sandwell | 5.29% | 0.57% | Surface water |
| 132 | Erewash | 5.15% | 0.94% | Surface water |
| 133 | Newark and Sherwood | 5.14% | 4.7% | Surface water |
| 134 | Wychavon | 5.13% | 2.12% | Surface water |
| 135 | Bolton | 5.12% | 0.8% | Surface water |
| 136 | Solihull | 5.1% | 0.68% | Surface water |
| 137 | Reigate and Banstead | 5.07% | 0.97% | Surface water |
| 138 | South Hams | 2.81% | 5.07% | Rivers & sea |
| 139 | Tunbridge Wells | 5.07% | 2.35% | Surface water |
| 140 | West Berkshire | 5.07% | 2.41% | Surface water |
| 141 | Rugby | 5.06% | 0.55% | Surface water |
| 142 | Bassetlaw | 5.04% | 2.66% | Surface water |
| 143 | Leeds | 5.04% | 1.31% | Surface water |
| 144 | Slough | 5.04% | 3.02% | Surface water |
| 145 | Newham | 5.01% | 0.03% | Surface water |
| 146 | Melton | 5% | 1.22% | Surface water |
| 147 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 5% | 0.17% | Surface water |
| 148 | Liverpool | 4.96% | 0.49% | Surface water |
| 149 | Eastbourne | 4.93% | 1.01% | Surface water |
| 150 | Telford and Wrekin | 4.93% | 0.36% | Surface water |
| 151 | Tonbridge and Malling | 4.07% | 4.93% | Rivers & sea |
| 152 | Norwich | 4.89% | 0.13% | Surface water |
| 153 | Wakefield | 4.89% | 1.44% | Surface water |
| 154 | City of London | 4.87% | 0% | Surface water |
| 155 | North Lincolnshire | 4.41% | 4.87% | Rivers & sea |
| 156 | Calderdale | 3.47% | 4.85% | Rivers & sea |
| 157 | North Northamptonshire | 4.83% | 0.57% | Surface water |
| 158 | Wokingham | 4.81% | 1.81% | Surface water |
| 159 | Northamptonwider authority area | 4.79% | 1.07% | Surface water |
| 160 | Dudley | 4.76% | 0.19% | Surface water |
| 161 | North Devon | 2.89% | 4.73% | Rivers & sea |
| 162 | Warwick | 4.72% | 1.68% | Surface water |
| 163 | North Yorkshire | 4.31% | 4.7% | Rivers & sea |
| 164 | Stoke-on-Trent | 4.7% | 1.15% | Surface water |
| 165 | Bury | 4.69% | 1.85% | Surface water |
| 166 | Watford | 4.69% | 0.1% | Surface water |
| 167 | Blaby | 4.68% | 0.63% | Surface water |
| 168 | Gedling | 4.67% | 3.02% | Surface water |
| 169 | Nottingham | 4.66% | 4.49% | Surface water |
| 170 | Carlislewider authority area | 4.65% | 3.55% | Surface water |
| 171 | South Kesteven | 4.65% | 1.82% | Surface water |
| 172 | Knowsley | 4.63% | 0.36% | Surface water |
| 173 | Portsmouth | 4.6% | 3.12% | Surface water |
| 174 | Cherwell | 4.57% | 0.64% | Surface water |
| 175 | York | 4.49% | 4.55% | Rivers & sea |
| 176 | Chorley | 4.51% | 0.4% | Surface water |
| 177 | Southend-on-Sea | 4.51% | 0.5% | Surface water |
| 178 | Somerset | 4.5% | 3.03% | Surface water |
| 179 | Nuneaton and Bedworth | 4.48% | 1.2% | Surface water |
| 180 | Exeter | 4.46% | 1.85% | Surface water |
| 181 | Malvern Hills | 4.46% | 2.36% | Surface water |
| 182 | Medway | 4.44% | 2.34% | Surface water |
| 183 | Thanet | 4.43% | 0.75% | Surface water |
| 184 | Chelmsfordwider authority area | 4.41% | 2.15% | Surface water |
| 185 | St. Helens | 4.41% | 0.35% | Surface water |
| 186 | Cheshire East | 4.4% | 0.51% | Surface water |
| 187 | Chichester | 2.54% | 4.4% | Rivers & sea |
| 188 | County Durham | 4.4% | 0.63% | Surface water |
| 189 | Oldham | 4.39% | 0.65% | Surface water |
| 190 | Rossendale | 3.84% | 4.39% | Rivers & sea |
| 191 | Breckland | 4.38% | 0.58% | Surface water |
| 192 | Horsham | 4.38% | 0.58% | Surface water |
| 193 | Great Yarmouth | 4.37% | 2.34% | Surface water |
| 194 | Guildford | 4.37% | 2.14% | Surface water |
| 195 | Ashford | 4.35% | 1.18% | Surface water |
| 196 | North Kesteven | 4.31% | 3.39% | Surface water |
| 197 | South Staffordshire | 4.3% | 0.56% | Surface water |
| 198 | Cannock Chase | 4.29% | 1.12% | Surface water |
| 199 | South Norfolk | 4.29% | 1.11% | Surface water |
| 200 | Gravesham | 4.28% | 0.51% | Surface water |
| 201 | Dover | 4.27% | 2.1% | Surface water |
| 202 | Birmingham | 4.26% | 1.38% | Surface water |
| 203 | Bradford | 4.26% | 1.35% | Surface water |
| 204 | Lancaster | 4.26% | 3.2% | Surface water |
| 205 | Broxtowe | 4.24% | 1.5% | Surface water |
| 206 | Wyre Forest | 4.23% | 3.2% | Surface water |
| 207 | Cheshire West and Chester | 4.22% | 1.49% | Surface water |
| 208 | Mid Sussex | 4.22% | 0.34% | Surface water |
| 209 | Herefordwider authority area | 4.2% | 2.51% | Surface water |
| 210 | Folkestone and Hythe | 4.17% | 3.78% | Surface water |
| 211 | St Albans | 4.16% | 0.39% | Surface water |
| 212 | Sunderland | 4.16% | 0.22% | Surface water |
| 213 | Bathwider authority area | 3.7% | 4.15% | Rivers & sea |
| 214 | Shrewsburywider authority area | 4.13% | 1.39% | Surface water |
| 215 | Fylde | 4.12% | 0.75% | Surface water |
| 216 | North West Leicestershire | 4.12% | 1.36% | Surface water |
| 217 | Wirral | 4.1% | 0.2% | Surface water |
| 218 | Hyndburn | 4.06% | 1.34% | Surface water |
| 219 | Fareham | 4.05% | 1.09% | Surface water |
| 220 | Adur | 4.04% | 2.44% | Surface water |
| 221 | Sevenoaks | 4.04% | 1.73% | Surface water |
| 222 | Westmorland and Furness | 4.04% | 4.02% | Surface water |
| 223 | South Oxfordshire | 4.03% | 1.97% | Surface water |
| 224 | Rushmoor | 4.02% | 0.23% | Surface water |
| 225 | Swindon | 4.02% | 0.76% | Surface water |
| 226 | Stafford | 4% | 0.51% | Surface water |
| 227 | Warrington | 4% | 2.81% | Surface water |
| 228 | Chesterfield | 3.99% | 1.24% | Surface water |
| 229 | Vale of White Horse | 3.97% | 2.03% | Surface water |
| 230 | Mid Devon | 2.5% | 3.95% | Rivers & sea |
| 231 | Basingstoke and Deane | 3.94% | 1.09% | Surface water |
| 232 | Ashfield | 3.91% | 0.44% | Surface water |
| 233 | Reading | 3.91% | 3.16% | Surface water |
| 234 | Hart | 3.89% | 2.11% | Surface water |
| 235 | Lichfield | 3.89% | 0.43% | Surface water |
| 236 | Rochdale | 3.88% | 1.29% | Surface water |
| 237 | Dartford | 3.85% | 0.64% | Surface water |
| 238 | Welwyn Hatfield | 3.85% | 0.18% | Surface water |
| 239 | Derbyshire Dales | 3.33% | 3.83% | Rivers & sea |
| 240 | Pendle | 3.82% | 3.22% | Surface water |
| 241 | Halton | 3.77% | 0.78% | Surface water |
| 242 | Sheffield | 3.77% | 1.51% | Surface water |
| 243 | Tamworth | 3.74% | 0.59% | Surface water |
| 244 | Isle of Wight | 3.73% | 2.35% | Surface water |
| 245 | Rother | 3.14% | 3.69% | Rivers & sea |
| 246 | Southampton | 3.69% | 2.27% | Surface water |
| 247 | Lewes | 3.35% | 3.67% | Rivers & sea |
| 248 | Hinckley and Bosworth | 3.65% | 0.13% | Surface water |
| 249 | Wiltshire | 3.65% | 1.62% | Surface water |
| 250 | Dorset | 3.61% | 1.87% | Surface water |
| 251 | Amber Valley | 3.6% | 1.67% | Surface water |
| 252 | Waverley | 3.6% | 1.85% | Surface water |
| 253 | Surrey Heath | 3.55% | 1.85% | Surface water |
| 254 | Maidstone | 3.53% | 2.88% | Surface water |
| 255 | Rotherham | 3.5% | 0.97% | Surface water |
| 256 | West Lancashire | 3.5% | 0.73% | Surface water |
| 257 | Barnsley | 3.48% | 1.1% | Surface water |
| 258 | High Peak | 3.48% | 2.65% | Surface water |
| 259 | North Somerset | 3.46% | 2.51% | Surface water |
| 260 | Cotswold | 3.37% | 3.44% | Rivers & sea |
| 261 | North Warwickshire | 3.42% | 0.73% | Surface water |
| 262 | South Derbyshire | 3.38% | 0.94% | Surface water |
| 263 | Trafford | 3.36% | 0.63% | Surface water |
| 264 | Gateshead | 3.35% | 0.64% | Surface water |
| 265 | Stroud | 3.35% | 2.33% | Surface water |
| 266 | Arun | 3.32% | 2.27% | Surface water |
| 267 | Rutland | 3.29% | 0.55% | Surface water |
| 268 | West Devon | 1.93% | 3.29% | Rivers & sea |
| 269 | Bromsgrove | 3.28% | 1.62% | Surface water |
| 270 | Plymouth | 3.28% | 1.07% | Surface water |
| 271 | Mansfield | 3.23% | 0.3% | Surface water |
| 272 | Eastleigh | 3.19% | 1.15% | Surface water |
| 273 | Torbay | 3.19% | 2.22% | Surface water |
| 274 | Uttlesford | 3.19% | 0.87% | Surface water |
| 275 | Winchester | 3.09% | 0.77% | Surface water |
| 276 | South Tyneside | 3.03% | 0.05% | Surface water |
| 277 | Tendring | 2.31% | 3.03% | Rivers & sea |
| 278 | Cornwall | 2.94% | 2.59% | Surface water |
| 279 | Staffordshire Moorlands | 2.93% | 1.1% | Surface water |
| 280 | Kirklees | 2.92% | 1.9% | Surface water |
| 281 | Bolsover | 2.79% | 0.66% | Surface water |
| 282 | Forest of Dean | 2.74% | 2.26% | Surface water |
| 283 | Stevenage | 2.73% | 0.1% | Surface water |
| 284 | New Forest | 2.68% | 2.17% | Surface water |
| 285 | Wealden | 2.63% | 0.71% | Surface water |
| 286 | North East Derbyshire | 2.58% | 0.44% | Surface water |
| 287 | Test Valley | 2.58% | 1.57% | Surface water |
| 288 | Braintree | 2.53% | 1.51% | Surface water |
| 289 | East Hampshire | 2.51% | 0.52% | Surface water |
| 290 | Gosport | 2.4% | 1.45% | Surface water |
| 291 | West Oxfordshire | 2.26% | 1.83% | Surface water |
| 292 | North Norfolk | 2.24% | 1.12% | Surface water |
| 293 | Torridge | 2.05% | 1.79% | Surface water |
| 294 | Broadland | 1.99% | 1.06% | Surface water |
| 295 | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | 1.98% | 0.94% | Surface water |
| 296 | Colchester | 1.85% | 0.93% | Surface water |
England only. Welsh and Scottish authorities are assessed by Natural Resources Wales and SEPA respectively and are not included. London appears as its 33 individually ranked boroughs rather than as one row, so the same homes are never counted twice. 14 rows are marked “wider authority area”: the city they are named for sits inside a larger authority, so the figures cover more ground than the city itself.
Method and sources
Figures are the percentage of properties in each local authority that fall in a High (≥3.3% annual chance) or Medium (1–3.3%) flood-risk band, from the Environment Agency's National Flood Risk Assessment (NaFRA2, published December 2024). Rivers and sea and surface water are reported separately because a single property can sit in both, so the two are never added together. Every English local authority in the NaFRA2 workbooks is ranked, including all 33 London boroughs.
Data source: Environment Agency Risk of Flooding from Rivers and Sea and Risk of Flooding from Surface Water Key Summary Information, under the Open Government Licence v3.0. You are free to reuse this analysis and the dataset with attribution to MyPropertyScan and the Environment Agency.
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A city-level ranking is a starting point, not an address verdict. Flood risk varies street by street. Run the postcode through the flood risk checker and read the flood risk buying guide before you make an offer.
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Check flood signals for a UK address in 15 seconds
Flood-zone signals where available, with the manual follow-up checks spelled out.
Run a free previewFrequently asked questions
Which part of England has the highest flood risk?
Based on Environment Agency NaFRA2 data across all 296 English local authorities, Thurrock (37.81%), Southport (29.31%), Barking and Dagenham (26.17%) have the highest share of homes in a High or Medium surface-water band. For rivers and sea, the highest shares are Spalding (35.33%), Wisbech (24.86%), Egham (18.22%). Surface water is the dominant threat in 261 of the 296 authorities ranked in this index.
What is the difference between surface water flood risk and river flood risk?
River flood risk (also called fluvial) is caused by rivers overflowing their banks, typically after sustained rainfall. Surface water flood risk (pluvial) is caused by heavy rainfall that overwhelms urban drains and runs off hard surfaces faster than the ground can absorb it. A property can be far from any river and still face significant surface water risk. This is the most commonly overlooked flood risk for UK buyers.
Does flood risk affect house prices in the UK?
Properties in flood-risk areas typically sell at a discount of 2–10% compared to equivalent properties outside flood zones, and flood insurance premiums are higher. Properties built after 2009 do not qualify for Flood Re, the government-backed scheme that caps flood insurance costs for older stock. The combination of price discount, insurance loading, and resale risk makes flood zone classification a key check before making an offer.
Where can I check flood risk for a specific address?
The Environment Agency provides a free online flood map for England showing river, sea, and surface water risk at address resolution. For Wales, use Natural Resources Wales; for Scotland, use SEPA. A paid environmental flood search (usually part of the conveyancer's search package) assesses all flood types for the specific address and is the document lenders and insurers rely on.
Keep going
Related guides
- Flood risk when buying a house , how to check all three flood types and what lenders and insurers look at.
- Subsidence risk when buying a house , the other major environmental risk to check before offering.
- House buying checklist , every pre-offer check in one place.
How MyPropertyScan produces this guide, and what it is not
Published by MyPropertyScan and written by Ziad Nasr, who is accountable for its accuracy. No page here is written or reviewed by a chartered surveyor, conveyancer or regulated adviser, and we do not claim otherwise.
This page is not:
- Chartered surveying: we do not inspect properties or produce RICS Home Survey reports
- Legal advice: we do not act as conveyancers or advise on title, tenure or contracts
- Mortgage or insurance advice: we are not regulated by the FCA and give no recommendations
Figures and process steps come from the published UK datasets and standards listed on this page, not from professional practice. Pages are updated when source coverage, survey cost assumptions, or lender and legal requirements materially change. Dataset limitations are set out on the methodology page.
Spotted something out of date or wrong? Email [email protected] and we will correct it and change the update date.
Sources used
We use UK public and specialist sources where they are available. Public datasets can be incomplete, delayed, or missing for some addresses. Treat them as a starting point, not as a replacement for professional advice.
Source standard: preference goes to official government datasets, statutory bodies, professional standards, and primary dataset publishers. We cite the source family on the page and explain coverage limits rather than filling gaps with unsupported estimates.
- Check this with: Environment Agency long-term flood risk mapOfficial flood-risk service for England, including river, sea, surface water, reservoir and groundwater where available.
- Data source: HM Land Registry Price Paid DataRegistered residential sale prices for England and Wales.
- Official register: Energy Performance Certificate RegisterPublic EPC certificate lookup for an address, postcode, street or certificate number.
- Data source: British Geological Survey Engineering Geology (1:1 million)National-scale bedrock and superficial-deposit mapping used as a directional ground indicator, not parcel-level GeoSure data or a site investigation.
- Data source: Copernicus CAMS via Open-MeteoCurrent modelled PM2.5, NO₂ and European AQI from a nearby CAMS grid cell.
- Data source: DEFRA Environmental Noise Directive mappingMapped road and rail noise contour data for England, classified into MyPropertyScan's low/moderate/high bands, and separate from the CAMS air-quality source.
- Data source: Police.uk crime dataOpen street-level crime data for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Check this with: Ofcom broadband checkerOfficial checker for broadband availability and speeds.
- Check this with: Ofcom mobile coverage checkerOfficial predicted mobile coverage by network.
- Data source: Food Standards Agency food hygiene ratingsPublic register used to identify nearby food and drink venues.
- Official register: Ofsted inspection reportsSchool and provider inspection report lookup for England. Fee-paying schools come from the DfE Get Information About Schools register, since around half are inspected by ISI and carry no Ofsted grade.
- Official register: Historic England National Heritage ListListed buildings, scheduled monuments and other protected heritage entries in England.