Friendsville, TN
Friendsville, TN's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS scores Friendsville at the 74th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (well above the national norm for wildfire risk), a figure built from 693 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Friendsville at the 79th national percentile — 5 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Friendsville's building exposure, zone by zone
84.1% of Friendsville's 693 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 583 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 14.9% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 1% are Minimal.
Where Friendsville ranks
Friendsville scores 74th nationally and 74th within Tennessee — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Friendsville ranks 8,237 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 14,742 by building count (1 is largest). Within Tennessee alone, it ranks 133 of 502 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Tennessee on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 74th percentile nationally, Friendsville 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 Friendsville (84.1%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Friendsville's figures come from
Friendsville's 74th-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 Friendsville's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.