Verplanck, NY
How exposed is Verplanck to wildfire?
Verplanck's 617 buildings earn a 41st-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Verplanck's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 39th percentile nationally.
Where Verplanck's buildings actually sit
Most of Verplanck's buildings (96.9% of 617) fall outside USFS's Direct and Indirect zones entirely — that doesn't zero out the score above, it means the risk is regional, not structure-by-structure.
How Verplanck compares
Verplanck's 86th-percentile standing inside New York outpaces its 41st national percentile — this is a hotter spot than most of its own state, even though the state as a whole runs cooler nationally. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Verplanck ranks 18,659 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 15,610 by building count (1 is largest). Within New York alone, it ranks 187 of 1,289 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New York on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Verplanck's elevated rating (41st 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
With 96.9% of buildings rated Minimal exposure, Verplanck gets less benefit from structure hardening than a Direct- or Indirect-dominant place would — the home-hardening guide explains why the zone matters.
Where Verplanck's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 617 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Verplanck. The exposure-zones guide covers what Verplanck's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.