Whitakers, NC
Whitakers, NC's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Whitakers at the 45th national percentile for risk to structures, modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a score built from 521 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Whitakers at the 45th 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
54.3% of Whitakers's 521 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 283 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 45.7% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Where Whitakers ranks
Whitakers's 45th national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 25th ranking inside North Carolina does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 20 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Whitakers ranks 17,372 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 17,012 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Carolina alone, it ranks 582 of 772 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for North Carolina on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 45th national percentile, Whitakers rates elevated for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Hardening a home in Whitakers
Because Direct exposure dominates in Whitakers (54.3%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Whitakers's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 521 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Whitakers. The exposure-zones guide covers what Whitakers's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.