Paynesville, MO
Paynesville wildfire risk explained
USFS scores Paynesville at the 57th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (modestly above the national average for wildfire risk), a figure built from 64 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Paynesville's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 60th percentile nationally.
Where Paynesville's buildings actually sit
USFS classifies 100% of Paynesville's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 0% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 64 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Paynesville against the rest of the country
Paynesville's risk sits at a similar level relative to Missouri (48th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (57th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Paynesville ranks 13,494 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 30,508 by building count (1 is largest). Within Missouri alone, it ranks 554 of 1,062 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Missouri on its state page.
Paynesville and the insurance market
Paynesville's elevated wildfire rating (57th 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 Paynesville (100%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Paynesville's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Paynesville's 13,494-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Paynesville's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.