Rockham, SD
Rockham, SD's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Rockham sits at the 72nd percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 63 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Rockham's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 72nd percentile nationally.
Where Rockham's buildings actually sit
Of Rockham's 63 counted buildings, 93.7% carry Direct exposure and only 0% carry Minimal — a lopsided split that puts defensible-space clearing ahead of vents or roofing as the intervention worth doing first.
Rockham against the rest of the country
Rockham scores 72nd nationally and 69th within South Dakota — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Rockham ranks 8,864 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 30,560 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Dakota alone, it ranks 138 of 439 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for South Dakota on its state page.
Rockham and the insurance market
At the 72nd percentile nationally, Rockham 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.
What would actually reduce this score
Rockham's 93.7% Direct-exposure share means lot clearing around the structure typically outweighs any single material upgrade here. The home-hardening guide ranks the options for a place shaped like this.
Where Rockham's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Rockham's 8,864-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Rockham's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.