Simpson, NC
Simpson, NC's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Out of every US place USFS scores, Simpson lands at the 43rd percentile for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 286 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Simpson at the 42nd national percentile — 1 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Simpson's building exposure, zone by zone
64.3% of Simpson's 286 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 184 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 35.7% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Where Simpson ranks
Simpson's 43rd national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 21st ranking inside North Carolina does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 22 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Simpson ranks 18,064 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 22,017 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Carolina alone, it ranks 611 of 772 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for North Carolina on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Simpson's elevated rating (43rd percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Simpson (64.3%), 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
Simpson's 43rd-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Simpson, see the exposure-zones guide.