McKinney's Seismic Design Category, explained

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, McKinney is 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 McKinney sits at the 37th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

McKinney by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for McKinney: 0.06g peak ground acceleration, 0.121g at short period, 0.059g at 1 second. Within Texas alone, McKinney ranks 38 of 384 cities by seismic hazard - the 90th percentile in-state. McKinney has a population of about 227,526.

What a retrofit costs in McKinney

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 Texas 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 Texas.

What this means for insurance

A McKinney 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 McKinney's figures come from

McKinney'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 McKinney.