Taos, MO
Taos, MO's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Taos sits at the 62nd percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 985 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Taos at the 64th 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
94.9% of Taos's 985 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 935 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 5.1% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Where Taos ranks
Taos scores 62nd nationally and 62nd within Missouri — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Taos ranks 11,918 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 12,039 by building count (1 is largest). Within Missouri alone, it ranks 411 of 1,062 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Missouri on its state page.
Taos and the insurance market
Taos's high rating (62nd percentile) puts it among the places where the national carrier-pullback trend is most relevant — not a guarantee of a coverage problem, but a reason to shop rather than assume.
Hardening a home in Taos
With 94.9% of Taos in Direct exposure, defensible-space clearing and ember-resistant construction (vents, Class-A roofing) address the exposure this page's own numbers describe, not a generic checklist. See the home-hardening guide.
Where Taos's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 985 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Taos. The exposure-zones guide covers what Taos's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.