Frederick, MD
Frederick wildfire risk explained
Frederick's 15,687 buildings earn a 18th-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Frederick's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 15th percentile nationally.
Where Frederick's buildings actually sit
Most of Frederick's buildings (81.6% of 15,687) fall outside USFS's Direct and Indirect zones entirely — that doesn't zero out the score above, it means the risk is regional, not structure-by-structure. At 15,687 buildings, this is a substantial built environment, so the shares below describe a real population of structures, not a handful of edge cases.
Where Frederick ranks
Frederick's risk sits at a similar level relative to Maryland (20th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (18th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Frederick ranks 25,968 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 939 by building count (1 is largest). Within Maryland alone, it ranks 421 of 527 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Maryland on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Frederick
Frederick's low wildfire rating (18th 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.
Hardening a home in Frederick
Even with 81.6% of Frederick 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 Frederick's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Frederick's 25,968-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Frederick's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.