Does New Whiteland, IN need an earthquake retrofit?

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, New Whiteland is 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. That puts New Whiteland in the 70th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 70% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

Where New Whiteland sits in Indiana

USGS's underlying values for New Whiteland: 0.105g peak ground acceleration, 0.201g at short period, 0.088g at 1 second. Within Indiana alone, New Whiteland ranks 24 of 126 cities by seismic hazard - the 82th percentile in-state. New Whiteland has a population of about 5,842.

Bracing and bolting: the actual cost

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 Indiana 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 Indiana.

What this means for insurance

A New Whiteland 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 Whiteland's figures come from

New Whiteland'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 New Whiteland.