Kimberly's Seismic Design Category, explained

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Kimberly 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 Kimberly sits at the 52th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Kimberly by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Kimberly: 0.085g peak ground acceleration, 0.194g at short period, 0.083g at 1 second. Within Idaho alone, Kimberly ranks 34 of 36 cities by seismic hazard - the 6th percentile in-state. Kimberly has a population of about 5,592.

Retrofit economics for Kimberly

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 Idaho 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 Idaho.

What this means for insurance

A Kimberly 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 Kimberly's figures come from

Kimberly'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 Kimberly.