Pennington, NJ
Pennington, NJ's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Pennington sits at the 37th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 1,088 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Pennington's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 37th percentile nationally.
Pennington's building exposure, zone by zone
70.9% of Pennington's 1,088 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 771 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 29.1% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Pennington against the rest of the country
There's little gap between Pennington's 37th national percentile and its 37th percentile inside New Jersey, which means the state comparison mostly confirms what the national score already shows. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Pennington ranks 20,015 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 11,351 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Jersey alone, it ranks 442 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
At the 37th national percentile, Pennington rates moderate for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in Pennington (70.9%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Pennington's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 1,088 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Pennington. The exposure-zones guide covers what Pennington's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.