West Swanzey, NH
West Swanzey wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, West Swanzey lands at the 18th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally — a figure built from its 524 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, West Swanzey's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 18th percentile nationally.
West Swanzey's building exposure, zone by zone
USFS classifies 51.5% of West Swanzey's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 48.5% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 270 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
West Swanzey against the rest of the country
Compare West Swanzey's two percentiles: 51st within New Hampshire, only 18th nationally — a gap of 33 points that marks it as unusually exposed for its own state. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, West Swanzey ranks 25,911 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 16,965 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Hampshire alone, it ranks 50 of 100 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Hampshire on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
West Swanzey's low rating (18th 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 51.5% of West Swanzey in Direct exposure, defensible-space clearing and ember-resistant construction (vents, Class-A roofing) address the exposure this page's own numbers describe, not a generic checklist. See the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 524 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for West Swanzey. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond West Swanzey, see the exposure-zones guide.