Jackson, NC
How exposed is Jackson to wildfire?
Out of every US place USFS scores, Jackson lands at the 52nd percentile for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 392 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Jackson at the 51st percentile, close to its 52nd-percentile risk score.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
71.9% of Jackson's 392 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 282 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 28.1% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
How Jackson compares
Jackson's risk sits at a similar level relative to North Carolina (44th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (52nd) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Jackson ranks 15,164 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 19,372 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Carolina alone, it ranks 437 of 772 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for North Carolina on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 52nd national percentile, Jackson rates elevated 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
With 71.9% of Jackson in Direct exposure, defensible-space clearing and ember-resistant construction (vents, Class-A roofing) address the exposure this page's own numbers describe, not a generic checklist. See the home-hardening guide.
Where Jackson's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 392 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Jackson. The exposure-zones guide covers what Jackson's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.