Somerville, NJ
How exposed is Somerville to wildfire?
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Somerville at the 23rd national percentile for risk to structures, close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — a score built from 3,711 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Somerville at the 23rd national percentile — 0 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
Indirect exposure is dominant in Somerville (71.3% of 3,711 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 7.6% sit in the Direct zone.
How Somerville compares
Somerville scores 23rd nationally and 11th 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, Somerville ranks 24,182 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 4,507 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Jersey alone, it ranks 622 of 700 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Jersey on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 23rd national percentile, Somerville rates moderate for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Hardening a home in Somerville
Somerville's 71.3% Indirect-exposure share points at embers, not flame contact, as the main pathway — ember-resistant vents and non-combustible roofing rank ahead of defensible space here. Detail in the home-hardening guide.
Where Somerville's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 3,711 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Somerville. The exposure-zones guide covers what Somerville's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.