Valdese, NC
How exposed is Valdese to wildfire?
Out of every US place USFS scores, Valdese lands at the 50th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 2,445 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Valdese's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 52nd percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
2,445 buildings are counted in Valdese, and 67.1% of them sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone — flame contact, not just ember cast, is the live possibility for most of them, against 0% rated Minimal.
Where Valdese ranks
There's little gap between Valdese's 50th national percentile and its 37th percentile inside North Carolina, which means the state comparison mostly confirms what the national score already shows. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Valdese ranks 15,895 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 6,408 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Carolina alone, it ranks 488 of 772 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for North Carolina on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Valdese's elevated rating (50th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Valdese (67.1%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 2,445 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Valdese. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Valdese, see the exposure-zones guide.