Hayward, MN
Hayward, MN's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Hayward's 215 buildings earn a 7th-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Hayward's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 6th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Most of Hayward's buildings (73.5% of 215) fall outside USFS's Direct and Indirect zones entirely — that doesn't zero out the score above, it means the risk is regional, not structure-by-structure.
Hayward against the rest of the country
Hayward's risk sits at a similar level relative to Minnesota (11th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (7th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Hayward ranks 29,287 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 24,311 by building count (1 is largest). Within Minnesota alone, it ranks 818 of 914 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Minnesota on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 7th national percentile, Hayward rates low for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
What would actually reduce this score
Hayward's 73.5% Minimal-exposure share means structure-level hardening matters less here than it would elsewhere — still worth the low-cost basics, per the home-hardening guide.
Where Hayward's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 215 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Hayward. The exposure-zones guide covers what Hayward's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.