Utica, KY
Utica wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Utica lands at the 20th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally — a figure built from its 211 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Utica at the 20th percentile, close to its 20th-percentile risk score.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
211 buildings are counted in Utica, and 91% of them sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone — flame contact, not just ember cast, is the live possibility for most of them, against 9% rated Minimal.
How Utica compares
Utica's risk sits at a similar level relative to Kentucky (33rd percentile statewide) as it does nationally (20th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Utica ranks 25,339 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 24,436 by building count (1 is largest). Within Kentucky alone, it ranks 372 of 552 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Kentucky on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Utica's low rating (20th 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 Utica
Because Direct exposure dominates in Utica (91%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Utica's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 211 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Utica. The exposure-zones guide covers what Utica's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.