Chico, CA: what USGS's seismic model says

Chico carries Seismic Design Category D under USGS's ASCE 7-16 model. High seismic hazard - this is the category most of coastal California, the Pacific Northwest, and other active fault regions fall into. Code mandates significant seismic detailing and restricts irregular structural configurations. This is the category the Brace + Bolt scope (cripple-wall bracing, foundation bolting) is built for. That puts Chico in the 86th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 86% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

Where Chico sits in California

USGS's underlying values for Chico: 0.334g peak ground acceleration, 0.754g at short period, 0.312g at 1 second. Within California alone, Chico ranks 364 of 429 cities by seismic hazard - the 15th percentile in-state. Chico has a population of about 102,911.

Retrofit economics for Chico

Cripple-wall bracing and foundation bolting - the scope California's Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) grant funds - typically runs $3,000-$7,000 nationally. Every qualifying household gets a $3,000 base grant, which brings that down to $0-$4,000 out of pocket; income-eligible households ($89,040/year or under) can get up to $10,000 total, covering the retrofit outright in most cases.

Earthquake insurance for a Chico home

Chico sits in CEA territory, but CEA earthquake coverage is agent-sold only, never direct - so the real first step for a homeowner here is a standard home-insurance quote, then asking that agent about CEA specifically.

Where Chico's figures come from

Chico's Category D and every number above trace to USGS's own ASCE 7-16 Design Maps service - see the methodology guide. Full Brace + Bolt eligibility rules - beyond what this page can check from a ZIP code alone - are in the retrofit cost and grant guide.