Pope, MS
How exposed is Pope to wildfire?
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Pope at the 75th national percentile for risk to structures, well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a score built from 172 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Pope at the 78th national percentile — 3 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Pope's buildings actually sit
87.2% of Pope's 172 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 150 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 12.8% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Pope against the rest of the country
Pope scores 75th nationally and 72nd within Mississippi — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Pope ranks 7,879 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 25,943 by building count (1 is largest). Within Mississippi alone, it ranks 120 of 420 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Mississippi on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 75th percentile nationally, Pope carries the high rating that has pushed some carriers to limit new business in similarly-scored places elsewhere in the country. Worth comparing quotes rather than assuming last year's renewal terms still apply.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Pope (87.2%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 172 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Pope. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Pope, see the exposure-zones guide.