Smithtown, NC
How exposed is Smithtown to wildfire?
USFS scores Smithtown at the 30th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range), a figure built from 224 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Smithtown at the 32nd national percentile — 2 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
84.8% of Smithtown's 224 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 190 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 15.2% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Smithtown against the rest of the country
Smithtown's 30th national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 3rd ranking inside North Carolina does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 28 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Smithtown ranks 21,973 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 23,985 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Carolina alone, it ranks 751 of 772 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for North Carolina on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Smithtown
Smithtown's moderate rating (30th 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 Smithtown
Because Direct exposure dominates in Smithtown (84.8%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Smithtown's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 224 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Smithtown. The exposure-zones guide covers what Smithtown's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.