Santa Cruz, NM
Santa Cruz wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Santa Cruz lands at the 65th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 235 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Santa Cruz at the 62nd percentile, close to its 65th-percentile risk score.
Santa Cruz's building exposure, zone by zone
Of Santa Cruz's 235 counted buildings, 55.7% 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.
Santa Cruz against the rest of the country
Santa Cruz ranks lower within New Mexico (36th percentile statewide) than its 65th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Santa Cruz ranks 10,974 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 23,635 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Mexico alone, it ranks 316 of 495 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Mexico on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Santa Cruz
At the 65th percentile nationally, Santa Cruz 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.
Hardening a home in Santa Cruz
Because Direct exposure dominates in Santa Cruz (55.7%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Santa Cruz's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 235 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Santa Cruz. The exposure-zones guide covers what Santa Cruz's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.