Kinston, NC
Kinston, NC's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Kinston sits at the 40th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 9,964 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Kinston's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 39th percentile nationally.
Kinston's building exposure, zone by zone
9,964 buildings are counted in Kinston, and 41.3% of them are Indirect exposure — ember-driven risk rather than the 36.9% in Direct exposure or the 21.8% rated Minimal. At 9,964 buildings, this is a substantial built environment, so the shares below describe a real population of structures, not a handful of edge cases.
Where Kinston ranks
Kinston ranks lower within North Carolina (15th percentile statewide) than its 40th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Kinston ranks 19,037 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 1,624 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Carolina alone, it ranks 658 of 772 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for North Carolina on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Kinston
Kinston's moderate rating (40th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
What would actually reduce this score
Kinston's 41.3% 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 Kinston's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 9,964 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Kinston. The exposure-zones guide covers what Kinston's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.