Benton, MO
Benton, MO's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Out of every US place USFS scores, Benton lands at the 26th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — a figure built from its 436 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Benton's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 28th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
58.5% of Benton's 436 buildings fall in USFS's Indirect exposure zone — ember cast rather than direct flame — against 41.5% Direct and 0% Minimal. Vent screens and roofing material matter more here than lot clearing alone.
Where Benton ranks
Benton ranks lower within Missouri (8th percentile statewide) than its 26th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Benton ranks 23,293 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 18,535 by building count (1 is largest). Within Missouri alone, it ranks 974 of 1,062 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Missouri on its state page.
Benton and the insurance market
Benton's moderate wildfire rating (26th percentile) isn't the kind of score driving the carrier pullback making news in the highest-risk Western markets — but a standard homeowners quote is still worth comparing on its own terms.
What would actually reduce this score
Because 58.5% of Benton's buildings sit in the Indirect zone, sealing the ember pathway (vents, roofing, gutters) is the intervention this page's data actually supports — see the home-hardening guide.
Where Benton's figures come from
Benton's 26th-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Benton's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.