Mars Hill, NC
Mars Hill wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Mars Hill lands at the 81st percentile for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — a figure built from its 827 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Mars Hill's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 85th percentile nationally.
Mars Hill's building exposure, zone by zone
USFS classifies 84.6% of Mars Hill's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 15.4% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 700 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Mars Hill against the rest of the country
Mars Hill scores 81st nationally and 87th within North Carolina — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Mars Hill ranks 5,869 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 13,377 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Carolina alone, it ranks 98 of 772 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for North Carolina on its state page.
Mars Hill and the insurance market
Mars Hill's very high rating (81st percentile) puts it among the places where the national carrier-pullback trend is most relevant — not a guarantee of a coverage problem, but a reason to shop rather than assume.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in Mars Hill (84.6%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Mars Hill's figures come from
Mars Hill's 81st-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 Mars Hill's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.