Pasadena, CA: what USGS's seismic model says

Pasadena clears the point where the standard Seismic Design Category tables stop applying - USGS returns no letter here, only a flag that a site-specific study (ASCE 7-16 §11.4.8) is required. Treat that as more severe than any lettered category, not as missing data. Nationally, Pasadena ranks above 99% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 99th percentile.

Where Pasadena sits in California

The raw figures: peak ground acceleration 0.886g, short-period spectral response 2.043g, 1-second spectral response 0.751g. Among 429 California cities in this dataset, Pasadena ranks 49 for seismic hazard, the 89th percentile within the state. About 137,195 people live in Pasadena, California.

Bracing and bolting: the actual cost

Because Pasadena is in California, the EBB grant applies if the ZIP code participates and the house qualifies (wood-framed house on a raised (not slab-on-grade) foundation, built before 1980): a $3,000-$7,000 bracing-and-bolting job drops to $0-$4,000 after the $3,000 base grant, or effectively free for income-eligible households getting the full $10,000.

What this means for insurance

Earthquake coverage in California mostly runs through the California Earthquake Authority (CEA), sold only through licensed agents at CEA-participating insurers - there is no direct-to-consumer CEA policy. A general home-insurance quote is the practical starting point for a Pasadena homeowner asking about it.

More on how this number was built

The methodology guide covers exactly how USGS's public design-maps API produced Pasadena's numbers. The retrofit cost and grant guide covers every EBB eligibility rule, including the ones this page can't check.