Bethlehem, NC
Bethlehem, NC's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS scores Bethlehem at the 39th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range), a figure built from 2,467 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Bethlehem's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 42nd percentile nationally.
Bethlehem's building exposure, zone by zone
2,467 buildings are counted in Bethlehem, and 78.6% of them sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone — flame contact, not just ember cast, is the live possibility for most of them, against 7.9% rated Minimal.
How Bethlehem compares
Bethlehem ranks lower within North Carolina (14th percentile statewide) than its 39th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Bethlehem ranks 19,291 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 6,361 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Carolina alone, it ranks 666 of 772 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for North Carolina on its state page.
Bethlehem and the insurance market
Bethlehem's moderate wildfire rating (39th 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.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Bethlehem's 78.6% Direct-exposure share means lot clearing around the structure typically outweighs any single material upgrade here. The home-hardening guide ranks the options for a place shaped like this.
Where Bethlehem's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 2,467 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Bethlehem. The exposure-zones guide covers what Bethlehem's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.