Union, SC
Union, SC's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Union's 4,541 buildings earn a 62nd-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — well above the national norm for wildfire risk. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Union at the 64th national percentile — 3 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Union's buildings actually sit
Indirect exposure is dominant in Union (56.5% of 4,541 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 43.5% sit in the Direct zone.
Union against the rest of the country
Union ranks lower within South Carolina (23rd percentile statewide) than its 62nd national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Union ranks 12,141 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 3,760 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Carolina alone, it ranks 363 of 474 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for South Carolina on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Union'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.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Union's 56.5% 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 Union's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 4,541 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Union. The exposure-zones guide covers what Union's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.