Cheney, WA: what USGS's seismic model says

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Cheney in Seismic Design Category C: Moderate seismic hazard. Code adds irregular-building restrictions and requires bracing of some nonstructural components (e.g. tall shelving, water heaters) in addition to structural detailing. Rank it against the rest of the country and Cheney sits at the 73th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Where Cheney sits in Washington

USGS's underlying values for Cheney: 0.134g peak ground acceleration, 0.3g at short period, 0.112g at 1 second. Within Washington alone, Cheney ranks 122 of 125 cities by seismic hazard - the 2th percentile in-state. Cheney has a population of about 12,700.

Retrofit economics for Cheney

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 Washington 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 Washington.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Cheney 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 Cheney's figures come from

Cheney's Category C 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 C does and doesn't tell you about Cheney.