Baldwin's Seismic Design Category, explained

Baldwin 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. Nationally, Baldwin ranks above 23% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 23th percentile.

Baldwin by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Baldwin: 0.042g peak ground acceleration, 0.089g at short period, 0.045g at 1 second. Within Pennsylvania alone, Baldwin ranks 139 of 193 cities by seismic hazard - the 28th percentile in-state. Baldwin has a population of about 20,712.

What a retrofit costs in Baldwin

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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Baldwin 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 Baldwin's figures come from

Baldwin'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 Baldwin.