Leonardtown, MD: what USGS's seismic model says

Leonardtown carries Seismic Design Category B under USGS's ASCE 7-16 model. 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 Leonardtown sits at the 38th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

How Leonardtown compares

USGS's underlying values for Leonardtown: 0.062g peak ground acceleration, 0.122g at short period, 0.042g at 1 second. Within Maryland alone, Leonardtown ranks 35 of 46 cities by seismic hazard - the 24th percentile in-state. Leonardtown has a population of about 5,041.

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 Maryland 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 Maryland.

What this means for insurance

A Leonardtown 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 Leonardtown's figures come from

Leonardtown'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 Leonardtown.