Franklin (Merced), CA
Franklin (Merced), CA's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Out of every US place USFS scores, Franklin (Merced) lands at the 72nd percentile for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 2,172 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Franklin (Merced) at the 74th national percentile — 2 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Franklin (Merced)'s buildings actually sit
81.6% of Franklin (Merced)'s 2,172 buildings sit in USFS's Minimal exposure zone, with only 18.3% rated Direct — risk here comes from regional burn probability more than proximity to burnable vegetation at the structure itself.
How Franklin (Merced) compares
Franklin (Merced) ranks lower within California (30th percentile statewide) than its 72nd national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Franklin (Merced) ranks 8,908 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 7,016 by building count (1 is largest). Within California alone, it ranks 1,104 of 1,570 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for California on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Franklin (Merced)'s 72nd-percentile score lands in California, the only two states requiring a wildfire disclosure at sale. California's surplus-lines homeowners market passed 300,000 policies for the first time in 2025, driven by carriers pulling back from wildfire-exposed areas statewide. The disclosure-law guide covers what it requires.
What would actually reduce this score
Even with 81.6% of Franklin (Merced) 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 Franklin (Merced)'s figures come from
Franklin (Merced)'s 72nd-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 Franklin (Merced)'s dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.