Dudley, NC
Dudley wildfire risk explained
USFS scores Dudley at the 50th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (modestly above the national average for wildfire risk), a figure built from 604 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Dudley at the 48th percentile, close to its 50th-percentile risk score.
Where Dudley's buildings actually sit
USFS classifies 73.8% of Dudley's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 24.3% Indirect share and far above its 1.8% Minimal share — a profile where 446 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
How Dudley compares
Dudley's risk sits at a similar level relative to North Carolina (37th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (50th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Dudley ranks 15,925 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 15,790 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Carolina alone, it ranks 489 of 772 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for North Carolina on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Dudley's elevated rating (50th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Dudley (73.8%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Dudley's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 604 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Dudley. The exposure-zones guide covers what Dudley's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.