McGrath, MN
McGrath wildfire risk explained
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts McGrath at the 54th national percentile for risk to structures, modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a score built from 102 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, McGrath's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 54th percentile nationally.
Where McGrath's buildings actually sit
81.4% of McGrath's 102 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 83 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 18.6% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
How McGrath compares
McGrath's 79th-percentile standing inside Minnesota outpaces its 54th national percentile — this is a hotter spot than most of its own state, even though the state as a whole runs cooler nationally. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, McGrath ranks 14,627 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 28,955 by building count (1 is largest). Within Minnesota alone, it ranks 194 of 914 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Minnesota on its state page.
McGrath and the insurance market
McGrath's elevated wildfire rating (54th percentile) isn't the kind of score driving the carrier pullback making news in the highest-risk Western markets — but a standard homeowners quote is still worth comparing on its own terms.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in McGrath (81.4%), 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 102 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for McGrath. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond McGrath, see the exposure-zones guide.