Emerson, NJ
Emerson, NJ's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS scores Emerson at the 23rd national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range), a figure built from 2,629 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Emerson at the 24th national percentile — 1 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Emerson's building exposure, zone by zone
Only 20.9% of Emerson's 2,629 buildings carry Direct exposure and 0% carry Indirect; the remaining 79.1% are Minimal, which shifts the risk driving this page's score toward the surrounding landscape rather than any one structure.
Emerson against the rest of the country
Emerson scores 23rd nationally and 10th within New Jersey — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Emerson ranks 24,336 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 6,051 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Jersey alone, it ranks 632 of 700 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Jersey on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Emerson
At the 23rd national percentile, Emerson rates moderate for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Even with 79.1% of Emerson outside USFS's Direct and Indirect zones, basic hardening — gutter maintenance, ember-resistant vents — is inexpensive relative to the regional burn-probability risk noted above. Details in the home-hardening guide.
Where Emerson's figures come from
Emerson's 23rd-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 Emerson's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.