Branson West, MO
How exposed is Branson West to wildfire?
Out of every US place USFS scores, Branson West lands at the 73rd percentile for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 299 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Branson West at the 74th percentile, close to its 73rd-percentile risk score.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
81.6% of Branson West's 299 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 244 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 18.4% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Branson West against the rest of the country
Branson West's risk sits at a similar level relative to Missouri (88th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (73rd) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Branson West ranks 8,509 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 21,653 by building count (1 is largest). Within Missouri alone, it ranks 131 of 1,062 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Missouri on its state page.
Branson West and the insurance market
Branson West's high rating (73rd percentile) puts it among the places where the national carrier-pullback trend is most relevant — not a guarantee of a coverage problem, but a reason to shop rather than assume.
Hardening a home in Branson West
Because Direct exposure dominates in Branson West (81.6%), 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
Branson West's 73rd-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 Branson West, see the exposure-zones guide.