Mercer, TN
Mercer wildfire risk explained
USFS scores Mercer at the 43rd national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (modestly above the national average for wildfire risk), a figure built from 114 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Mercer's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 45th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
76.3% of Mercer's 114 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 87 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 23.7% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
How Mercer compares
Mercer's risk sits at a similar level relative to Tennessee (33rd percentile statewide) as it does nationally (43rd) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Mercer ranks 17,914 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 28,477 by building count (1 is largest). Within Tennessee alone, it ranks 339 of 502 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Tennessee on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Mercer's elevated wildfire rating (43rd 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 Mercer (76.3%), 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 114 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Mercer. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Mercer, see the exposure-zones guide.