Chester, SC
Chester, SC's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Chester's 2,561 buildings earn a 61st-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — well above the national norm for wildfire risk. (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 64th percentile, close to its 61st-percentile risk score.
Chester's building exposure, zone by zone
Indirect exposure is dominant in Chester (44.4% of 2,561 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 38.4% sit in the Direct zone.
Chester against the rest of the country
Chester ranks lower within South Carolina (22nd percentile statewide) than its 61st national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Chester ranks 12,206 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 6,179 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Carolina alone, it ranks 368 of 474 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for South Carolina on its state page.
Chester and the insurance market
At the 61st percentile nationally, Chester carries the high rating that has pushed some carriers to limit new business in similarly-scored places elsewhere in the country. Worth comparing quotes rather than assuming last year's renewal terms still apply.
Hardening a home in Chester
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Chester (44.4% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
More on how this number was built
Chester's 61st-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. For more on what indirect exposure implies beyond Chester, see the exposure-zones guide.