Goshen, VA
Goshen wildfire risk explained
Goshen sits at the 74th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 283 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Goshen at the 73rd national percentile — 2 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Goshen's building exposure, zone by zone
USFS classifies 68.2% of Goshen's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 31.8% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 193 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
How Goshen compares
Goshen's risk sits at a similar level relative to Virginia (89th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (74th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Goshen ranks 8,116 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 22,107 by building count (1 is largest). Within Virginia alone, it ranks 79 of 681 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Virginia on its state page.
Goshen and the insurance market
Goshen's high rating (74th 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.
Hardening a home in Goshen
Because Direct exposure dominates in Goshen (68.2%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Goshen's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Goshen's 8,116-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Goshen's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.