Knob Noster, MO
How exposed is Knob Noster to wildfire?
Out of every US place USFS scores, Knob Noster lands at the 48th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 1,165 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Knob Noster at the 49th national percentile — 2 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
62.8% of Knob Noster's 1,165 buildings fall in USFS's Indirect exposure zone — ember cast rather than direct flame — against 37.3% Direct and 0% Minimal. Vent screens and roofing material matter more here than lot clearing alone.
Where Knob Noster ranks
Knob Noster ranks lower within Missouri (28th percentile statewide) than its 48th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Knob Noster ranks 16,485 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 10,868 by building count (1 is largest). Within Missouri alone, it ranks 761 of 1,062 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Missouri on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 48th national percentile, Knob Noster 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 ember exposure the dominant pattern in Knob Noster (62.8% 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
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 1,165 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Knob Noster. For more on what indirect exposure implies beyond Knob Noster, see the exposure-zones guide.