Aztec's Seismic Design Category, explained

Aztec carries Seismic Design Category B under USGS's ASCE 7-16 model. Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. That puts Aztec in the 52th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 52% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

Where Aztec sits in New Mexico

USGS's underlying values for Aztec: 0.087g peak ground acceleration, 0.177g at short period, 0.059g at 1 second. Within New Mexico alone, Aztec ranks 24 of 35 cities by seismic hazard - the 32th percentile in-state. Aztec has a population of about 6,129.

What a retrofit costs in Aztec

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 New Mexico 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 New Mexico.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Aztec 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 Aztec's figures come from

Aztec'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 Aztec.