Milton, NH
Milton wildfire risk explained
USFS scores Milton at the 16th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally), a figure built from 239 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Milton at the 16th percentile, close to its 16th-percentile risk score.
Milton's building exposure, zone by zone
57.7% of Milton's 239 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 138 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 42.3% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Where Milton ranks
Compare Milton's two percentiles: 35th within New Hampshire, only 16th nationally — a gap of 19 points that marks it as unusually exposed for its own state. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Milton ranks 26,348 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 23,502 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Hampshire alone, it ranks 65 of 100 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Hampshire on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Milton
At the 16th national percentile, Milton rates low for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Milton (57.7%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Milton's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Milton's 26,348-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Milton's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.