Arkansas City, KS: what USGS's seismic model says

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Arkansas City in Seismic Design Category B: Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. Nationally, Arkansas City ranks above 33% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 33th percentile.

How Arkansas City compares

USGS's underlying values for Arkansas City: 0.055g peak ground acceleration, 0.113g at short period, 0.061g at 1 second. Within Kansas alone, Arkansas City ranks 1 of 63 cities by seismic hazard - the 100th percentile in-state. Arkansas City has a population of about 11,761.

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 Kansas 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 Kansas.

Earthquake insurance for a Arkansas City home

A Arkansas City 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 Arkansas City's figures come from

Arkansas City's Category B 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 B does and doesn't tell you about Arkansas City.