Kennett Square's Seismic Design Category, explained

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Kennett Square in Seismic Design Category B: Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. Nationally, Kennett Square ranks above 57% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 57th percentile.

How Kennett Square compares

USGS's underlying values for Kennett Square: 0.106g peak ground acceleration, 0.188g at short period, 0.048g at 1 second. Within Pennsylvania alone, Kennett Square ranks 10 of 193 cities by seismic hazard - the 95th percentile in-state. Kennett Square has a population of about 6,713.

What a retrofit costs in Kennett Square

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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania.

What this means for insurance

A Kennett Square 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 Kennett Square's figures come from

Kennett Square'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 Kennett Square.