Franklin, PA: what USGS's seismic model says

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Franklin in Seismic Design Category B: 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 Franklin sits at the 29th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

How Franklin compares

USGS's underlying values for Franklin: 0.049g peak ground acceleration, 0.1g at short period, 0.042g at 1 second. Within Pennsylvania alone, Franklin ranks 113 of 193 cities by seismic hazard - the 42th percentile in-state. Franklin has a population of about 5,933.

What a retrofit costs in Franklin

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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania.

Earthquake insurance for a Franklin home

A Franklin 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 Franklin's figures come from

Franklin'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 Franklin.