New Haven's Seismic Design Category, explained

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, New Haven is Category B. Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. That puts New Haven in the 58th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 58% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

New Haven by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for New Haven: 0.112g peak ground acceleration, 0.201g at short period, 0.054g at 1 second. Within Connecticut alone, New Haven ranks 11 of 21 cities by seismic hazard - the 50th percentile in-state. New Haven has a population of about 137,562.

Retrofit economics for New Haven

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 Connecticut 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 Connecticut.

Earthquake insurance for a New Haven home

A New Haven 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 New Haven's figures come from

New Haven'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 New Haven.