Does Burlington, NJ need an earthquake retrofit?

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Burlington is Category B. Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. That puts Burlington in the 58th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 58% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

Where Burlington sits in New Jersey

USGS's underlying values for Burlington: 0.108g peak ground acceleration, 0.192g at short period, 0.049g at 1 second. Within New Jersey alone, Burlington ranks 155 of 194 cities by seismic hazard - the 20th percentile in-state. Burlington has a population of about 10,143.

Retrofit economics for Burlington

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 Jersey 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 Jersey.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Burlington 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 Burlington's figures come from

Burlington'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 Burlington.