Clifton, KS
Clifton, KS's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Out of every US place USFS scores, Clifton lands at the 37th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — a figure built from its 413 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Clifton at the 31st national percentile — 6 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Clifton's building exposure, zone by zone
Only 8.7% of Clifton's 413 buildings carry Direct exposure and 0% carry Indirect; the remaining 91.3% are Minimal, which shifts the risk driving this page's score toward the surrounding landscape rather than any one structure.
Clifton against the rest of the country
Clifton ranks lower within Kansas (14th percentile statewide) than its 37th 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 19,725 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 18,967 by building count (1 is largest). Within Kansas alone, it ranks 622 of 721 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Kansas on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Clifton's moderate wildfire rating (37th 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.
What would actually reduce this score
Even with 91.3% of Clifton outside USFS's Direct and Indirect zones, basic hardening — gutter maintenance, ember-resistant vents — is inexpensive relative to the regional burn-probability risk noted above. Details in the home-hardening guide.
Where Clifton's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Clifton's 19,725-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Clifton's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.