Ellenboro, NC
How exposed is Ellenboro to wildfire?
Out of every US place USFS scores, Ellenboro lands at the 68th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 600 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Ellenboro's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 71st percentile nationally.
Where Ellenboro's buildings actually sit
600 buildings are counted in Ellenboro, and 71.2% 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.
Ellenboro against the rest of the country
Ellenboro's risk sits at a similar level relative to North Carolina (67th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (68th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Ellenboro ranks 10,154 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 15,839 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Carolina alone, it ranks 254 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
At the 68th percentile nationally, Ellenboro carries the high rating that has pushed some carriers to limit new business in similarly-scored places elsewhere in the country. Worth comparing quotes rather than assuming last year's renewal terms still apply.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in Ellenboro (71.2%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Ellenboro's figures come from
Ellenboro's 68th-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 Ellenboro's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.