Bath, NY: what USGS's seismic model says

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Bath in Seismic Design Category B: Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. Rank it against the rest of the country and Bath sits at the 40th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Bath by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Bath: 0.064g peak ground acceleration, 0.126g at short period, 0.044g at 1 second. Within New York alone, Bath ranks 157 of 170 cities by seismic hazard - the 8th percentile in-state. Bath has a population of about 5,512.

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 New York 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 York.

Earthquake insurance for a Bath home

A Bath 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 Bath's figures come from

Bath'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 Bath.