What Cheer, IA
What Cheer wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, What Cheer lands at the 44th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 536 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, What Cheer's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 45th percentile nationally.
Where What Cheer's buildings actually sit
82.8% of What Cheer's 536 buildings sit in USFS's Minimal exposure zone, with only 17.2% rated Direct — risk here comes from regional burn probability more than proximity to burnable vegetation at the structure itself.
What Cheer against the rest of the country
Compare What Cheer's two percentiles: 61st within Iowa, only 44th nationally — a gap of 17 points that marks it as unusually exposed for its own state. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, What Cheer ranks 17,611 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 16,778 by building count (1 is largest). Within Iowa alone, it ranks 403 of 1,017 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Iowa on its state page.
What Cheer and the insurance market
What Cheer's elevated rating (44th 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 82.8% of buildings rated Minimal exposure, What Cheer gets less benefit from structure hardening than a Direct- or Indirect-dominant place would — the home-hardening guide explains why the zone matters.
Where What Cheer's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 536 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for What Cheer. The exposure-zones guide covers what What Cheer's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.