Waterford, VA
Waterford, VA's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS scores Waterford at the 32nd national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range), a figure built from 163 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Waterford at the 31st national percentile — 0 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
USFS classifies 100% of Waterford's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 0% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 163 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Waterford against the rest of the country
Waterford scores 32nd nationally and 21st within Virginia — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Waterford ranks 21,601 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 26,307 by building count (1 is largest). Within Virginia alone, it ranks 537 of 681 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Virginia on its state page.
Waterford and the insurance market
Waterford's moderate wildfire rating (32nd percentile) isn't the kind of score driving the carrier pullback making news in the highest-risk Western markets — but a standard homeowners quote is still worth comparing on its own terms.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Waterford (100%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Waterford's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 163 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Waterford. The exposure-zones guide covers what Waterford's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.