Mendota Heights, MN: what USGS's seismic model says

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Mendota Heights is Category A. Lowest seismic design category. Building code requires no seismic-specific detailing here beyond ordinary construction practice. Nationally, Mendota Heights ranks above 3% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 3th percentile.

How Mendota Heights compares

USGS's underlying values for Mendota Heights: 0.022g peak ground acceleration, 0.047g at short period, 0.03g at 1 second. Within Minnesota alone, Mendota Heights ranks 126 of 155 cities by seismic hazard - the 19th percentile in-state. Mendota Heights has a population of about 11,542.

What a retrofit costs in Mendota Heights

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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota.

What this means for insurance

A Mendota Heights 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 Mendota Heights's figures come from

Mendota Heights's Category A 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 A does and doesn't tell you about Mendota Heights.