Hancock, MD
Hancock, MD's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS scores Hancock at the 45th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (modestly above the national average for wildfire risk), a figure built from 867 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Hancock at the 46th percentile, close to its 45th-percentile risk score.
Hancock's building exposure, zone by zone
Indirect exposure is dominant in Hancock (66.7% of 867 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 33.3% sit in the Direct zone.
Hancock against the rest of the country
Within Maryland, Hancock ranks higher (64th percentile) than it does nationally (45th) — one of the more fire-exposed places in a state that, overall, scores lower than that. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Hancock ranks 17,233 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 13,014 by building count (1 is largest). Within Maryland alone, it ranks 188 of 527 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Maryland on its state page.
Hancock and the insurance market
Hancock's elevated rating (45th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Hancock (66.7% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where Hancock's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Hancock's 17,233-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Hancock's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.