Chester, NJ
How exposed is Chester to wildfire?
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Chester at the 39th national percentile for risk to structures, close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — a score built from 790 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 Chester at the 39th percentile, close to its 39th-percentile risk score.
Where Chester's buildings actually sit
USFS classifies 73.4% of Chester's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 26.6% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 580 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
How Chester compares
Chester scores 39th nationally and 42nd within New Jersey — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Chester ranks 19,133 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 13,730 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Jersey alone, it ranks 406 of 700 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Jersey on its state page.
Chester and the insurance market
At the 39th national percentile, Chester rates moderate for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Chester (73.4%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Chester's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Chester's 19,133-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Chester's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.