Decatur, GA
Decatur wildfire risk explained
Decatur's 7,464 buildings earn a 47th-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Decatur's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 50th percentile nationally.
Where Decatur's buildings actually sit
56.5% of Decatur's 7,464 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 4,216 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 0% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 43.5% are Minimal. At 7,464 buildings, this is a substantial built environment, so the shares below describe a real population of structures, not a handful of edge cases.
Where Decatur ranks
Decatur ranks lower within Georgia (3rd percentile statewide) than its 47th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Decatur ranks 16,566 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 2,287 by building count (1 is largest). Within Georgia alone, it ranks 644 of 669 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Georgia on its state page.
Decatur and the insurance market
Decatur's elevated wildfire rating (47th 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.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Decatur (56.5%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Decatur's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 7,464 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Decatur. The exposure-zones guide covers what Decatur's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.