Ranchos de Taos, NM
Ranchos de Taos, NM's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS scores Ranchos de Taos at the 87th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally), a figure built from 1,793 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Ranchos de Taos at the 79th percentile, close to its 87th-percentile risk score.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Direct exposure dominates in Ranchos de Taos: 80.2% of its 1,793 buildings, versus 6.6% Indirect and 13.3% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
How Ranchos de Taos compares
Ranchos de Taos ranks lower within New Mexico (68th percentile statewide) than its 87th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Ranchos de Taos ranks 4,010 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 8,090 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Mexico alone, it ranks 157 of 495 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Mexico on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 87th percentile nationally, Ranchos de Taos carries the very 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 Ranchos de Taos (80.2%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Ranchos de Taos's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 1,793 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Ranchos de Taos. The exposure-zones guide covers what Ranchos de Taos's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.