Inverness, IL: what USGS's seismic model says

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Inverness 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 Inverness sits at the 37th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

How Inverness compares

USGS's underlying values for Inverness: 0.06g peak ground acceleration, 0.117g at short period, 0.061g at 1 second. Within Illinois alone, Inverness ranks 246 of 330 cities by seismic hazard - the 26th percentile in-state. Inverness has a population of about 7,428.

What a retrofit costs in Inverness

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.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Inverness 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 Inverness's figures come from

Inverness'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 Inverness.