Hillsborough, NH
Hillsborough, NH's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Out of every US place USFS scores, Hillsborough lands at the 15th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally — a figure built from its 874 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Hillsborough at the 15th national percentile — 0 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Indirect exposure is dominant in Hillsborough (74.5% of 874 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 25.5% sit in the Direct zone.
Hillsborough against the rest of the country
Hillsborough's risk sits at a similar level relative to New Hampshire (12th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (15th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Hillsborough ranks 26,893 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 12,959 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Hampshire alone, it ranks 86 of 100 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Hampshire on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 15th national percentile, Hillsborough rates low 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 Hillsborough
Hillsborough's 74.5% 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 Hillsborough's figures come from
Hillsborough's 15th-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Hillsborough's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.