King, NC: what USGS's seismic model says

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, King is Category B. Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. That puts King in the 53th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 53% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

King by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for King: 0.088g peak ground acceleration, 0.171g at short period, 0.069g at 1 second. Within North Carolina alone, King ranks 61 of 147 cities by seismic hazard - the 59th percentile in-state. King has a population of about 7,764.

Retrofit economics for King

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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A King 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 King's figures come from

King'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 King.