Buffalo's Seismic Design Category, explained

Buffalo 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. Rank it against the rest of the country and Buffalo sits at the 53th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Buffalo by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Buffalo: 0.09g peak ground acceleration, 0.162g at short period, 0.044g at 1 second. Within New York alone, Buffalo ranks 129 of 170 cities by seismic hazard - the 24th percentile in-state. Buffalo has a population of about 276,617.

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.

What this means for insurance

A Buffalo 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 Buffalo's figures come from

Buffalo'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 Buffalo.