North Boston, NY
North Boston wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, North Boston lands at the 13th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally — a figure built from its 1,291 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, North Boston's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 13th percentile nationally.
Where North Boston's buildings actually sit
Direct exposure dominates in North Boston: 85.1% of its 1,291 buildings, versus 14.9% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
North Boston against the rest of the country
Within New York, North Boston ranks higher (32nd percentile) than it does nationally (13th) — one of the more fire-exposed places in a state that, overall, scores lower than that. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, North Boston ranks 27,392 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 10,115 by building count (1 is largest). Within New York alone, it ranks 881 of 1,289 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New York on its state page.
North Boston and the insurance market
North Boston's low wildfire rating (13th 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.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in North Boston (85.1%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where North Boston's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind North Boston's 27,392-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what North Boston's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.