Jefferson City, MO: what USGS's seismic model says

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Jefferson City is 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, Jefferson City ranks above 69% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 69th percentile.

Jefferson City by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Jefferson City: 0.093g peak ground acceleration, 0.194g at short period, 0.106g at 1 second. Within Missouri alone, Jefferson City ranks 78 of 135 cities by seismic hazard - the 43th percentile in-state. Jefferson City has a population of about 42,564.

What a retrofit costs in Jefferson City

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 Missouri 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 Missouri.

Earthquake insurance for a Jefferson City home

A Jefferson City 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 Jefferson City's figures come from

Jefferson City'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 Jefferson City.