Harrison's Seismic Design Category, explained

Harrison carries Seismic Design Category B under USGS's ASCE 7-16 model. Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. Nationally, Harrison ranks above 64% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 64th percentile.

How Harrison compares

USGS's underlying values for Harrison: 0.177g peak ground acceleration, 0.288g at short period, 0.06g at 1 second. Within New Jersey alone, Harrison ranks 66 of 194 cities by seismic hazard - the 66th percentile in-state. Harrison has a population of about 22,182.

What a retrofit costs in Harrison

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.

Earthquake insurance for a Harrison home

A Harrison 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 Harrison's figures come from

Harrison'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 Harrison.