Highland Heights, KY: what USGS's seismic model says

Highland Heights 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, Highland Heights ranks above 46% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 46th percentile.

Highland Heights by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Highland Heights: 0.072g peak ground acceleration, 0.147g at short period, 0.077g at 1 second. Within Kentucky alone, Highland Heights ranks 77 of 79 cities by seismic hazard - the 3th percentile in-state. Highland Heights has a population of about 6,292.

Bracing and bolting: the actual cost

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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky.

Earthquake insurance for a Highland Heights home

A Highland 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 Highland Heights's figures come from

Highland 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 Highland Heights.