Cumming, IA
Cumming, IA's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS scores Cumming at the 53rd national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (modestly above the national average for wildfire risk), a figure built from 290 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Cumming at the 55th national percentile — 1 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Cumming's building exposure, zone by zone
USFS classifies 57.9% of Cumming's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 0% Indirect share and far above its 42.1% Minimal share — a profile where 168 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
How Cumming compares
Compare Cumming's two percentiles: 73rd within Iowa, only 53rd nationally — a gap of 20 points that marks it as unusually exposed for its own state. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Cumming ranks 14,681 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 21,907 by building count (1 is largest). Within Iowa alone, it ranks 272 of 1,017 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Iowa on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 53rd national percentile, Cumming rates elevated for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in Cumming (57.9%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Cumming's figures come from
Cumming's 53rd-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 Cumming's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.