Bedford, NY
Bedford, NY's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS scores Bedford at the 45th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (modestly above the national average for wildfire risk), a figure built from 910 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Bedford's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 43rd percentile nationally.
Where Bedford's buildings actually sit
Direct exposure dominates in Bedford: 96.5% of its 910 buildings, versus 3.5% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Where Bedford ranks
Within New York, Bedford ranks higher (90th percentile) than it does nationally (45th) — one of the more fire-exposed places in a state that, overall, scores lower than that. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Bedford ranks 17,460 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 12,638 by building count (1 is largest). Within New York alone, it ranks 136 of 1,289 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New York on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Bedford's elevated rating (45th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in Bedford (96.5%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
Bedford's 45th-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Bedford, see the exposure-zones guide.