Gainesville, GA
Gainesville, GA's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS scores Gainesville at the 63rd national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (well above the national norm for wildfire risk), a figure built from 11,143 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Gainesville's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 67th percentile nationally.
Where Gainesville's buildings actually sit
USFS classifies 39.9% of Gainesville's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 22.5% Indirect share and far above its 37.6% Minimal share — a profile where 4,448 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most. At 11,143 buildings, this is a substantial built environment, so the shares below describe a real population of structures, not a handful of edge cases.
Where Gainesville ranks
Gainesville ranks lower within Georgia (33rd percentile statewide) than its 63rd national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Gainesville ranks 11,528 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 1,422 by building count (1 is largest). Within Georgia alone, it ranks 446 of 669 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Georgia on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Gainesville's high rating (63rd percentile) puts it among the places where the national carrier-pullback trend is most relevant — not a guarantee of a coverage problem, but a reason to shop rather than assume.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Gainesville (39.9%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Gainesville's figures come from
Gainesville's 63rd-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 Gainesville's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.