Old Town's Seismic Design Category, explained

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Old Town 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 Old Town sits at the 65th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Where Old Town sits in Maine

USGS's underlying values for Old Town: 0.179g peak ground acceleration, 0.298g at short period, 0.077g at 1 second. Within Maine alone, Old Town ranks 10 of 20 cities by seismic hazard - the 53th percentile in-state. Old Town has a population of about 7,511.

Retrofit economics for Old Town

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 Maine 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 Maine.

What this means for insurance

A Old Town 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 Old Town's figures come from

Old Town'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 Old Town.