Lowgap, NC
Lowgap wildfire risk explained
Lowgap's 263 buildings earn a 53rd-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Lowgap at the 54th 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
Direct exposure dominates in Lowgap: 89.4% of its 263 buildings, versus 10.7% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
How Lowgap compares
Lowgap's risk sits at a similar level relative to North Carolina (46th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (53rd) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Lowgap ranks 14,913 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 22,743 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Carolina alone, it ranks 419 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
Lowgap's elevated rating (53rd 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 Lowgap (89.4%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Lowgap's figures come from
Lowgap's 53rd-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Lowgap's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.