Groton, MA
Groton wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Groton lands at the 46th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 561 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Groton at the 42nd percentile, close to its 46th-percentile risk score.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
56.7% of Groton's 561 buildings fall in USFS's Indirect exposure zone — ember cast rather than direct flame — against 43.3% Direct and 0% Minimal. Vent screens and roofing material matter more here than lot clearing alone.
Groton against the rest of the country
Within Massachusetts, Groton ranks higher (99th percentile) than it does nationally (46th) — one of the more fire-exposed places in a state that, overall, scores lower than that. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Groton ranks 16,930 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 16,392 by building count (1 is largest). Within Massachusetts alone, it ranks 3 of 248 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Massachusetts on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 46th national percentile, Groton rates elevated for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Hardening a home in Groton
Groton's 56.7% Indirect-exposure share points at embers, not flame contact, as the main pathway — ember-resistant vents and non-combustible roofing rank ahead of defensible space here. Detail in the home-hardening guide.
Where Groton's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Groton's 16,930-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Groton's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.