Pierson, MI
Pierson, MI's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Pierson sits at the 23rd 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 102 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Pierson at the 23rd national percentile — 1 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Indirect exposure is dominant in Pierson (83.3% of 102 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 16.7% sit in the Direct zone.
Pierson against the rest of the country
Within Michigan, Pierson ranks higher (72nd percentile) than it does nationally (23rd) — one of the more fire-exposed places in a state that, overall, scores lower than that. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Pierson ranks 24,203 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 28,953 by building count (1 is largest). Within Michigan alone, it ranks 207 of 745 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Michigan on its state page.
Pierson and the insurance market
Pierson's moderate rating (23rd percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Pierson (83.3% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
More on how this number was built
Every one of the two percentiles behind Pierson's 24,203-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. For more on what indirect exposure implies beyond Pierson, see the exposure-zones guide.