Clifton, CO
How exposed is Clifton to wildfire?
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Clifton at the 46th national percentile for risk to structures, modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a score built from 7,792 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Clifton's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 47th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
73.1% of Clifton's 7,792 buildings sit in USFS's Minimal exposure zone, with only 2.3% rated Direct — risk here comes from regional burn probability more than proximity to burnable vegetation at the structure itself. At 7,792 buildings, this is a substantial built environment, so the shares below describe a real population of structures, not a handful of edge cases.
Where Clifton ranks
Clifton ranks lower within Colorado (13th percentile statewide) than its 46th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Clifton ranks 16,883 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 2,184 by building count (1 is largest). Within Colorado alone, it ranks 409 of 472 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Colorado on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Clifton's elevated wildfire rating (46th 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
With 73.1% of buildings rated Minimal exposure, Clifton gets less benefit from structure hardening than a Direct- or Indirect-dominant place would — the home-hardening guide explains why the zone matters.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 7,792 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Clifton. For more on what minimal exposure implies beyond Clifton, see the exposure-zones guide.