Does Harwood Heights, IL need an earthquake retrofit?

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Harwood Heights in Seismic Design Category B: Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. Nationally, Harwood Heights ranks above 36% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 36th percentile.

Where Harwood Heights sits in Illinois

USGS's underlying values for Harwood Heights: 0.059g peak ground acceleration, 0.117g at short period, 0.062g at 1 second. Within Illinois alone, Harwood Heights ranks 253 of 330 cities by seismic hazard - the 23th percentile in-state. Harwood Heights has a population of about 8,755.

Retrofit economics for Harwood Heights

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 Illinois 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 Illinois.

Earthquake insurance for a Harwood Heights home

A Harwood Heights 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 Harwood Heights's figures come from

Harwood Heights'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 Harwood Heights.