Sewell, NJ
Sewell, NJ's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Sewell sits at the 57th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 1,242 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Sewell at the 59th percentile, close to its 57th-percentile risk score.
Where Sewell's buildings actually sit
52.3% of Sewell's 1,242 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 649 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 0.2% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 47.5% are Minimal.
How Sewell compares
Sewell scores 57th nationally and 67th within New Jersey — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Sewell ranks 13,400 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 10,389 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Jersey alone, it ranks 235 of 700 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Jersey on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Sewell
Sewell's elevated rating (57th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Hardening a home in Sewell
Because Direct exposure dominates in Sewell (52.3%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Sewell's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Sewell's 13,400-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Sewell's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.