Betterton, MD
How exposed is Betterton to wildfire?
Betterton's 315 buildings earn a 30th-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Betterton'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
81.9% of Betterton's 315 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 258 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 1.9% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 16.2% are Minimal.
How Betterton compares
Within Maryland, Betterton ranks higher (46th percentile) than it does nationally (30th) — one of the more fire-exposed places in a state that, overall, scores lower than that. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Betterton ranks 22,219 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 21,229 by building count (1 is largest). Within Maryland alone, it ranks 287 of 527 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Maryland on its state page.
Betterton and the insurance market
At the 30th national percentile, Betterton rates moderate 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 Betterton (81.9%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Betterton's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Betterton's 22,219-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Betterton's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.