Gulf, NC
Gulf, NC's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS scores Gulf at the 51st national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (modestly above the national average for wildfire risk), a figure built from 96 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Gulf's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 53rd percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
100% of Gulf's 96 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 96 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 0% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Where Gulf ranks
Gulf's risk sits at a similar level relative to North Carolina (41st percentile statewide) as it does nationally (51st) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Gulf ranks 15,421 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 29,243 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Carolina alone, it ranks 455 of 772 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for North Carolina on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Gulf
At the 51st national percentile, Gulf 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 Gulf
Gulf's 100% Direct-exposure share means lot clearing around the structure typically outweighs any single material upgrade here. The home-hardening guide ranks the options for a place shaped like this.
More on how this number was built
Every one of the two percentiles behind Gulf's 15,421-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Gulf, see the exposure-zones guide.