Approximately 5.2 million properties in England are at risk of flooding, according to Environment Agency data. This represents roughly 1 in 6 properties. Of these, around 2.4 million are at risk from rivers and the sea, and 3.2 million from surface water flooding (some properties face both risks).
| Flood type | Properties at risk (England) | % of total housing stock |
|---|---|---|
| River & sea | 2.4 million | ~10% |
| Surface water | 3.2 million | ~13% |
| Groundwater | ~1 million | ~4% |
| Reservoir | ~2.1 million | ~9% |
You can check flood risk for any property on HouseData by searching its postcode. Our flood risk data comes from the Environment Agency real-time flood monitoring API and flood zone classifications. We combine this with machine learning models to produce a property-level flood risk score from 0 to 100.
Areas along major river floodplains and low-lying coastal regions face the highest risk. The Environment Agency publishes flood zone maps covering all of England. Key high-risk areas include the Humber estuary, Somerset Levels, Thames estuary, and low-lying parts of East Anglia.
Source: Environment Agency National Flood Risk Assessment (NaFRA) data, HM Government. HouseData aggregates this data and applies machine learning to produce property-level risk scores. Read our methodology.