Jackson, CA
How exposed is Jackson to wildfire?
Out of every US place USFS scores, Jackson lands at the 96th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — a figure built from its 2,566 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Jackson's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 97th percentile nationally.
Where Jackson's buildings actually sit
2,566 buildings are counted in Jackson, and 74.7% of them are Indirect exposure — ember-driven risk rather than the 25.3% in Direct exposure or the 0% rated Minimal.
Where Jackson ranks
Jackson ranks lower within California (78th percentile statewide) than its 96th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Jackson ranks 1,157 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 6,169 by building count (1 is largest). Within California alone, it ranks 355 of 1,570 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for California on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Jackson
Jackson's 96th-percentile score lands in California, the only two states requiring a wildfire disclosure at sale. California's surplus-lines homeowners market passed 300,000 policies for the first time in 2025, driven by carriers pulling back from wildfire-exposed areas statewide. The disclosure-law guide covers what it requires.
What would actually reduce this score
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Jackson (74.7% 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
Jackson's 96th-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. For more on what indirect exposure implies beyond Jackson, see the exposure-zones guide.