Medford Lakes, NJ
Medford Lakes wildfire risk explained
Medford Lakes sits at the 81st percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 1,650 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Medford Lakes's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 79th percentile nationally.
Medford Lakes's building exposure, zone by zone
59% of Medford Lakes's 1,650 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 974 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 41% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Medford Lakes against the rest of the country
Medford Lakes's risk sits at a similar level relative to New Jersey (86th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (81st) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Medford Lakes ranks 6,151 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 8,593 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Jersey alone, it ranks 102 of 700 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Jersey on its state page.
Medford Lakes and the insurance market
Medford Lakes'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.
Hardening a home in Medford Lakes
With 59% of Medford Lakes in Direct exposure, defensible-space clearing and ember-resistant construction (vents, Class-A roofing) address the exposure this page's own numbers describe, not a generic checklist. See the home-hardening guide.
Where Medford Lakes's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Medford Lakes's 6,151-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Medford Lakes's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.