Indianapolis's Seismic Design Category, explained

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Indianapolis in Seismic Design Category C: Moderate seismic hazard. Code adds irregular-building restrictions and requires bracing of some nonstructural components (e.g. tall shelving, water heaters) in addition to structural detailing. Nationally, Indianapolis ranks above 69% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 69th percentile.

Indianapolis by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Indianapolis: 0.094g peak ground acceleration, 0.185g at short period, 0.084g at 1 second. Within Indiana alone, Indianapolis ranks 41 of 126 cities by seismic hazard - the 68th percentile in-state. Indianapolis has a population of about 891,484.

What a retrofit costs in Indianapolis

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 Indiana 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 Indiana.

Earthquake insurance for a Indianapolis home

A Indianapolis 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 Indianapolis's figures come from

Indianapolis's Category C 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 C does and doesn't tell you about Indianapolis.