Cortland West, NY
Cortland West, NY's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Cortland West sits at the 11th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 839 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Cortland West at the 11th national percentile — 0 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Cortland West's building exposure, zone by zone
67.3% of Cortland West's 839 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 565 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 0.1% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 32.5% are Minimal.
Where Cortland West ranks
Cortland West's 26th-percentile standing inside New York outpaces its 11th national percentile — this is a hotter spot than most of its own state, even though the state as a whole runs cooler nationally. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Cortland West ranks 28,057 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 13,259 by building count (1 is largest). Within New York alone, it ranks 949 of 1,289 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New York on its state page.
Cortland West and the insurance market
Cortland West's low rating (11th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in Cortland West (67.3%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Cortland West's figures come from
Cortland West's 11th-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Cortland West's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.