Waco, NE
Waco, NE's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Out of every US place USFS scores, Waco lands at the 35th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — a figure built from its 211 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Waco at the 25th national percentile — 9 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Waco's buildings actually sit
Waco rates 79.6% Minimal exposure against just 20.4% Direct and 0% Indirect — of 211 buildings counted, few sit close enough to burnable vegetation for USFS to flag them individually.
Waco against the rest of the country
Waco ranks lower within Nebraska (19th percentile statewide) than its 35th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Waco ranks 20,610 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 24,444 by building count (1 is largest). Within Nebraska alone, it ranks 473 of 583 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Nebraska on its state page.
Waco and the insurance market
At the 35th national percentile, Waco rates moderate for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Even with 79.6% of Waco outside USFS's Direct and Indirect zones, basic hardening — gutter maintenance, ember-resistant vents — is inexpensive relative to the regional burn-probability risk noted above. Details in the home-hardening guide.
Where Waco's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 211 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Waco. The exposure-zones guide covers what Waco's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.