Does Minneapolis, MN need an earthquake retrofit?

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Minneapolis is Category A. Lowest seismic design category. Building code requires no seismic-specific detailing here beyond ordinary construction practice. Nationally, Minneapolis ranks above 6% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 6th percentile.

Minneapolis by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Minneapolis: 0.023g peak ground acceleration, 0.048g at short period, 0.029g at 1 second. Within Minnesota alone, Minneapolis ranks 37 of 155 cities by seismic hazard - the 77th percentile in-state. Minneapolis has a population of about 428,579.

Retrofit economics for Minneapolis

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.

Earthquake insurance for a Minneapolis home

A Minneapolis 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 Minneapolis's figures come from

Minneapolis'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 Minneapolis.