Cobden, IL
Cobden wildfire risk explained
USFS scores Cobden at the 48th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (modestly above the national average for wildfire risk), a figure built from 609 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Cobden's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 51st percentile nationally.
Cobden's building exposure, zone by zone
60.1% of Cobden's 609 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 366 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 39.9% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Where Cobden ranks
Compare Cobden's two percentiles: 98th within Illinois, only 48th nationally — a gap of 50 points that marks it as unusually exposed for its own state. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Cobden ranks 16,381 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 15,700 by building count (1 is largest). Within Illinois alone, it ranks 35 of 1,445 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Illinois on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Cobden
Cobden's elevated wildfire rating (48th 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
Because Direct exposure dominates in Cobden (60.1%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Cobden's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 609 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Cobden. The exposure-zones guide covers what Cobden's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.