Old Tappan, NJ
Old Tappan wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Old Tappan lands at the 22nd percentile for wildfire risk to structures — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — a figure built from its 2,194 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Old Tappan at the 23rd national percentile — 1 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
USFS classifies 64.2% of Old Tappan's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 0% Indirect share and far above its 35.8% Minimal share — a profile where 1,408 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Old Tappan against the rest of the country
Old Tappan's risk sits at a similar level relative to New Jersey (8th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (22nd) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Old Tappan ranks 24,490 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 6,943 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Jersey alone, it ranks 640 of 700 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Jersey on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Old Tappan's moderate rating (22nd percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
What would actually reduce this score
With 64.2% of Old Tappan 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 Old Tappan's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 2,194 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Old Tappan. The exposure-zones guide covers what Old Tappan's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.