Golden Valley, NV
How exposed is Golden Valley to wildfire?
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Golden Valley at the 97th national percentile for risk to structures, in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — a score built from 1,150 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Golden Valley's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 96th percentile nationally.
Golden Valley's building exposure, zone by zone
Direct exposure dominates in Golden Valley: 64.7% of its 1,150 buildings, versus 35.3% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Golden Valley against the rest of the country
Golden Valley ranks lower within Nevada (60th percentile statewide) than its 97th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Golden Valley ranks 1,042 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 10,959 by building count (1 is largest). Within Nevada alone, it ranks 49 of 123 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Nevada on its state page.
Golden Valley and the insurance market
At the 97th percentile nationally, Golden Valley carries the very 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.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Golden Valley (64.7%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Golden Valley's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Golden Valley's 1,042-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Golden Valley's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.