Keene's Seismic Design Category, explained

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Keene in Seismic Design Category B: Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. Nationally, Keene ranks above 19% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 19th percentile.

How Keene compares

USGS's underlying values for Keene: 0.037g peak ground acceleration, 0.079g at short period, 0.048g at 1 second. Within Texas alone, Keene ranks 183 of 384 cities by seismic hazard - the 52th percentile in-state. Keene has a population of about 6,930.

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 Texas 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 Texas.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Keene 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 Keene's figures come from

Keene'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 Keene.