Alice, TX: what USGS's seismic model says

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Alice is Category A. Lowest seismic design category. Building code requires no seismic-specific detailing here beyond ordinary construction practice. Rank it against the rest of the country and Alice sits at the 12th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

How Alice compares

USGS's underlying values for Alice: 0.032g peak ground acceleration, 0.066g at short period, 0.018g at 1 second. Within Texas alone, Alice ranks 245 of 384 cities by seismic hazard - the 36th percentile in-state. Alice has a population of about 17,595.

Bracing and bolting: the actual cost

A full earthquake retrofit typically runs $5,000-$10,000 nationally (around $7,000 typical), driven mainly by house size and foundation type, not by Texas specifically. California's Earthquake Brace + Bolt grant, which covers a large share of this cost, is a California-only program and does not apply in Texas.

What this means for insurance

A Alice homeowner cannot buy a standalone earthquake policy in most cases - it is added to an existing homeowners policy as an endorsement, so the place to start is a regular home-insurance quote.

Where Alice's figures come from

Alice's Category A and every number above trace to USGS's own ASCE 7-16 Design Maps service - see the methodology guide. See the category explainer for what Category A does and doesn't tell you about Alice.