Highland Park, MI: what USGS's seismic model says

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Highland Park 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 Highland Park sits at the 30th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Where Highland Park sits in Michigan

USGS's underlying values for Highland Park: 0.05g peak ground acceleration, 0.1g at short period, 0.045g at 1 second. Within Michigan alone, Highland Park ranks 51 of 153 cities by seismic hazard - the 67th percentile in-state. Highland Park has a population of about 8,390.

Retrofit economics for Highland Park

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 Michigan 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 Michigan.

What this means for insurance

A Highland Park 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 Park's figures come from

Highland Park'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 Park.