Hempstead, TX
Hempstead wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Hempstead lands at the 74th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 2,665 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Hempstead at the 76th national percentile — 2 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Hempstead's buildings actually sit
Indirect exposure is dominant in Hempstead (57.6% of 2,665 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 42.4% sit in the Direct zone.
How Hempstead compares
Hempstead ranks lower within Texas (42nd percentile statewide) than its 74th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Hempstead ranks 8,303 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 5,992 by building count (1 is largest). Within Texas alone, it ranks 1,044 of 1,795 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Texas on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Hempstead'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.
What would actually reduce this score
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Hempstead (57.6% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
More on how this number was built
Every one of the two percentiles behind Hempstead's 8,303-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. For more on what indirect exposure implies beyond Hempstead, see the exposure-zones guide.