Lauderdale, MS
Lauderdale, MS's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Out of every US place USFS scores, Lauderdale lands at the 57th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 279 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 Lauderdale at the 60th percentile, close to its 57th-percentile risk score.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Of Lauderdale's 279 counted buildings, 89.3% carry Direct exposure and only 0% carry Minimal — a lopsided split that puts defensible-space clearing ahead of vents or roofing as the intervention worth doing first.
Lauderdale against the rest of the country
Lauderdale ranks lower within Mississippi (28th percentile statewide) than its 57th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Lauderdale ranks 13,490 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 22,222 by building count (1 is largest). Within Mississippi alone, it ranks 304 of 420 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Mississippi on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Lauderdale's elevated rating (57th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Lauderdale (89.3%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 279 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Lauderdale. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Lauderdale, see the exposure-zones guide.