Wildfire home hardening - Missoula County, MT vs Powder River County, MT vs Ravalli County, MT: 10-year wildfire hardening comparison at $500,000.00 replacement value
Ravalli County, MT has the highest modeled hardening NPV: -$52,507.37. The margin to the next option is $16,415.58. Every compared package has negative NPV over this horizon. This orders county model estimates, not property safety or investment suitability.
What do the counties share, and how do they rank?
Each county uses 2000 square feet, $2,500.00 current annual premium, $500,000.00 replacement value and 10 years. Only the county changes. All columns come from one native compare response. The table shows the returned figures, including each alternative, the winning value and the margin. Compare the modeled results, highest first: Ravalli County, MT -$52,507.37; Powder River County, MT -$68,922.95; Missoula County, MT -$70,215.48. A higher modeled NPV does not mean a county is safer.
How exposed is each county to wildfire?
The risk percentile is a national rank of risk to structures, and the burn probability is a county mean over wildfire-exposed land. Compare them to see how each county ranks on wildfire risk to structures and on burn probability.
- Missoula County, MT: risk percentile 96, burn probability 0.89 percent a year
- Powder River County, MT: risk percentile 95, burn probability 0.95 percent a year
- Ravalli County, MT: risk percentile 99, burn probability 1.63 percent a year
What does wildfire hardening cost and return in each county?
The package cost is the modeled cost of the hardening package in each county, and the payback is the simple package payback in years. Compare the cost, the modeled annual savings and the payback to see what hardening returns in each county.
- Missoula County, MT: package cost $95,219.00, annual savings $2,463.92, payback 38.6 years
- Powder River County, MT: package cost $95,219.00, annual savings $2,591.29, payback 36.7 years
- Ravalli County, MT: package cost $95,219.00, annual savings $4,208.93, payback 22.6 years
How wide is the package NPV band?
Each band runs from the authored pessimistic end to the authored optimistic end of the package NPV. Compare the bands to see the authored range of the modeled return of wildfire hardening in each county.
- Missoula County, MT: -$109,484.84 to -$32,015.17
- Powder River County, MT: -$108,418.43 to -$30,560.71
- Ravalli County, MT: -$94,875.15 to -$12,089.23
What do the estimates cover?
Burn probability is a county mean over wildfire-exposed land, not the probability of loss for a particular home. Risk percentile is a national rank, never an annual probability. Dollar figures are model outputs, not contractor quotes, measured losses or guaranteed insurance discounts. Total annual savings combines modeled avoided loss and insurance savings. The compare route runs the same computation as the county report, so totals agree for the same inputs. A county report opened with different home inputs returns different totals; compare only figures computed from one set of inputs. The API supplies no calculation sample size. Each county's package NPV range is an authored pessimistic-to-optimistic band from the reference cost, discount and risk-reduction ranges, not a statistical interval; where two bands overlap, the NPV order is a model result. The discount rate (FRED GS10) is observed 2026-09-01; the insurance price rate (PCU5241265241262) is observed 2026-08-01. The regional cost multiplier and measure ranges are authored values with no collection date. Retrieval time is not source vintage. The risk source is the USFS 2026 county summary; package sample size is UNAVAILABLE.
The displayed numbers are the native comparison API's outputs, rounded for display. Where the bands overlap, a numerical winner is not evidence of a statistically meaningful difference.
Calculation provenance
Missoula County, MT: USFS Wildfire Risk to Communities V2, 2026 county summary; Risk summary: 2026; discount rate observed 2026-09-01; insurance price rate observed 2026-08-01; cost multiplier undated; sample size UNAVAILABLE. Powder River County, MT: USFS Wildfire Risk to Communities V2, 2026 county summary; Risk summary: 2026; discount rate observed 2026-09-01; insurance price rate observed 2026-08-01; cost multiplier undated; sample size UNAVAILABLE. Ravalli County, MT: USFS Wildfire Risk to Communities V2, 2026 county summary; Risk summary: 2026; discount rate observed 2026-09-01; insurance price rate observed 2026-08-01; cost multiplier undated; sample size UNAVAILABLE. Retrieval times and response hashes are shown separately from source vintage. More wildfire comparisons and WildFireCost provide the next steps. Inspect the native comparison response; full economics may require your own product key.
Open a county in the calculator
Each county link carries that county and all shared inputs. The calculator opens one county at a time. A county report opened with different home inputs returns different totals; compare only figures computed from one set of inputs.
Open Missoula County, MT with these inputs
Open Powder River County, MT with these inputs
Open Ravalli County, MT with these inputs
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Calculation data
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| home_sqft | 2000 |
| current_premium | 2500 |
| replacement_value | 500000 |
| ownership_horizon | 10 |
| Measure | Missoula County, MT | Powder River County, MT | Ravalli County, MT |
|---|---|---|---|
| National risk-to-structures percentile (percentile) | 96 | 95 | 99 |
| County annual burn probability (fraction) | 0.008948137 | 0.009487308 | 0.016334741 |
| Hardening package cost (USD) | 95,219.00 | 95,219.00 | 95,219.00 |
| Modeled annual total savings (USD) | 2,463.92 | 2,591.29 | 4,208.93 |
| Modeled package NPV (USD) | -70,215.48 | -68,922.95 | -52,507.37 |
| Simple package payback (years) | 38.6 | 36.7 | 22.6 |
| Discount rate (fraction) | 0.0499 | 0.0499 | 0.0499 |
| Insurance inflation assumption (fraction) | 0.0527 | 0.0527 | 0.0527 |
| Regional cost multiplier (ratio) | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Package NPV range, pessimistic end (authored reference ranges) (USD) | -109,484.84 | -108,418.43 | -94,875.15 |
| Package NPV range, optimistic end (authored reference ranges) (USD) | -32,015.17 | -30,560.71 | -12,089.23 |
| Distance from winning value (USD) | 17,708.11 | 16,415.58 | 0.00 |
| Decision | Alternative value | Alternative value | Winning value |
Winner: Ravalli County, MT. Objective: maximize. Margin to next option: 16,415.58 USD. Assumption: Compare the same modeled hardening package by highest NPV; negative NPV means modeled benefits do not recover its cost over the selected horizon.
- winner
- county-30081
- objective
- maximize
- metric
- total_npv
Source and assumptions
- One authenticated native GET comparison supplies every column. Each option receipt identifies its county within that same response; the response does not echo FIPS codes.
- All options use the same submitted home size, insurance premium, replacement value and ownership horizon. The API does not echo every input; input identity is the request, not a second observation.
- Burn probability is a county mean over wildfire-exposed land, not the probability of loss for a particular home. Risk percentile is a national rank, never an annual probability.
- Dollar figures are model outputs, not contractor quotes, measured losses or guaranteed insurance discounts. Total annual savings combines modeled avoided loss and insurance savings.
- The compare route runs the same computation as the county report, so totals agree for the same inputs. A county report opened with different home inputs returns different totals; compare only figures computed from one set of inputs.
- The API supplies no calculation sample size. Each county's package NPV range is an authored pessimistic-to-optimistic band from the reference cost, discount and risk-reduction ranges, not a statistical interval; where two bands overlap, the NPV order is a model result.
- The discount rate (FRED GS10) is observed 2026-09-01; the insurance price rate (PCU5241265241262) is observed 2026-08-01. The regional cost multiplier and measure ranges are authored values with no collection date. Retrieval time is not source vintage.
Missoula County, MT. Data layer: WildFireCost county risk and hardening model. Source: USFS Wildfire Risk to Communities V2, 2026 county summary. Vintage: Risk summary: 2026; discount rate observed 2026-09-01; insurance price rate observed 2026-08-01; cost multiplier undated. Sample size: UNAVAILABLE.
Fetched: 2026-10-31T08:45:20.390Z
Source updated: Unreported
Cache: Unreported
Response SHA-256
c472beafe39db72f0558f7d4ae682dc8e6b8e338ee4c351e3bb037a674088236Powder River County, MT. Data layer: WildFireCost county risk and hardening model. Source: USFS Wildfire Risk to Communities V2, 2026 county summary. Vintage: Risk summary: 2026; discount rate observed 2026-09-01; insurance price rate observed 2026-08-01; cost multiplier undated. Sample size: UNAVAILABLE.
Fetched: 2026-10-31T08:45:20.390Z
Source updated: Unreported
Cache: Unreported
Response SHA-256
c472beafe39db72f0558f7d4ae682dc8e6b8e338ee4c351e3bb037a674088236Ravalli County, MT. Data layer: WildFireCost county risk and hardening model. Source: USFS Wildfire Risk to Communities V2, 2026 county summary. Vintage: Risk summary: 2026; discount rate observed 2026-09-01; insurance price rate observed 2026-08-01; cost multiplier undated. Sample size: UNAVAILABLE.
Fetched: 2026-10-31T08:45:20.390Z
Source updated: Unreported
Cache: Unreported
Response SHA-256
c472beafe39db72f0558f7d4ae682dc8e6b8e338ee4c351e3bb037a674088236Questions about this comparison
Which county has the strongest modeled result?
Ravalli County, MT has the highest modeled hardening NPV: -$52,507.37. The margin to the next option is $16,415.58. Every compared package has negative NPV over this horizon. This orders county model estimates, not property safety or investment suitability.
Are the inputs identical across counties?
Each county uses 2000 square feet, $2,500.00 current annual premium, $500,000.00 replacement value and 10 years. Only the county changes. All columns come from one native compare response.
What do the numbers mean, and what is unavailable?
Burn probability is a county mean over wildfire-exposed land, not the probability of loss for a particular home. Risk percentile is a national rank, never an annual probability. Dollar figures are model outputs, not contractor quotes, measured losses or guaranteed insurance discounts. Total annual savings combines modeled avoided loss and insurance savings. The compare route runs the same computation as the county report, so totals agree for the same inputs. A county report opened with different home inputs returns different totals; compare only figures computed from one set of inputs. The API supplies no calculation sample size. Each county's package NPV range is an authored pessimistic-to-optimistic band from the reference cost, discount and risk-reduction ranges, not a statistical interval; where two bands overlap, the NPV order is a model result. The discount rate (FRED GS10) is observed 2026-09-01; the insurance price rate (PCU5241265241262) is observed 2026-08-01. The regional cost multiplier and measure ranges are authored values with no collection date. Retrieval time is not source vintage. The risk source is the USFS 2026 county summary; package sample size is UNAVAILABLE.
How can I change these inputs?
Each county link carries that county and all shared inputs. The calculator opens one county at a time. A county report opened with different home inputs returns different totals; compare only figures computed from one set of inputs.