Cowen, WV
Cowen, WV's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Cowen sits at the 55th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 358 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Cowen at the 56th national percentile — 1 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Cowen's building exposure, zone by zone
358 buildings are counted in Cowen, and 59.8% of them sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone — flame contact, not just ember cast, is the live possibility for most of them, against 0% rated Minimal.
How Cowen compares
Cowen scores 55th nationally and 42nd within West Virginia — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Cowen ranks 14,355 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 20,119 by building count (1 is largest). Within West Virginia alone, it ranks 247 of 429 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for West Virginia on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 55th national percentile, Cowen rates elevated for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Hardening a home in Cowen
Because Direct exposure dominates in Cowen (59.8%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Cowen's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Cowen's 14,355-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Cowen's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.