Olyphant's Seismic Design Category, explained

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Olyphant is Category B. Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. That puts Olyphant in the 40th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 40% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

Olyphant by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Olyphant: 0.064g peak ground acceleration, 0.128g at short period, 0.045g at 1 second. Within Pennsylvania alone, Olyphant ranks 85 of 193 cities by seismic hazard - the 56th percentile in-state. Olyphant has a population of about 5,397.

What a retrofit costs in Olyphant

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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania.

What this means for insurance

A Olyphant 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 Olyphant's figures come from

Olyphant'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 Olyphant.