Bennett, NC
Bennett wildfire risk explained
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Bennett at the 55th national percentile for risk to structures, modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a score built from 323 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Bennett at the 58th percentile, close to its 55th-percentile risk score.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
323 buildings are counted in Bennett, and 92.9% of them sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone — flame contact, not just ember cast, is the live possibility for most of them, against 0% rated Minimal.
Bennett against the rest of the country
Bennett's risk sits at a similar level relative to North Carolina (51st percentile statewide) as it does nationally (55th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Bennett ranks 14,339 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 21,014 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Carolina alone, it ranks 381 of 772 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for North Carolina on its state page.
Bennett and the insurance market
At the 55th national percentile, Bennett rates elevated for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in Bennett (92.9%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Bennett's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Bennett's 14,339-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Bennett's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.