Does Lincoln, IL need an earthquake retrofit?

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Lincoln in Seismic Design Category C: Moderate seismic hazard. Code adds irregular-building restrictions and requires bracing of some nonstructural components (e.g. tall shelving, water heaters) in addition to structural detailing. Rank it against the rest of the country and Lincoln sits at the 67th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Where Lincoln sits in Illinois

USGS's underlying values for Lincoln: 0.078g peak ground acceleration, 0.163g at short period, 0.09g at 1 second. Within Illinois alone, Lincoln ranks 65 of 330 cities by seismic hazard - the 81th percentile in-state. Lincoln has a population of about 13,047.

Retrofit economics for Lincoln

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 Illinois 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 Illinois.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Lincoln 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 Lincoln's figures come from

Lincoln's Category C 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 C does and doesn't tell you about Lincoln.