Carteret's Seismic Design Category, explained

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Carteret is Category B. Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. Nationally, Carteret ranks above 63% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 63th percentile.

Carteret by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Carteret: 0.169g peak ground acceleration, 0.276g at short period, 0.058g at 1 second. Within New Jersey alone, Carteret ranks 85 of 194 cities by seismic hazard - the 56th percentile in-state. Carteret has a population of about 26,003.

What a retrofit costs in Carteret

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 Carteret 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 Carteret's figures come from

Carteret'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 Carteret.