Pearsall, TX: what USGS's seismic model says

Pearsall carries Seismic Design Category A under USGS's ASCE 7-16 model. Lowest seismic design category. Building code requires no seismic-specific detailing here beyond ordinary construction practice. Nationally, Pearsall ranks above 8% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 8th percentile.

Pearsall by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Pearsall: 0.026g peak ground acceleration, 0.054g at short period, 0.019g at 1 second. Within Texas alone, Pearsall ranks 311 of 384 cities by seismic hazard - the 19th percentile in-state. Pearsall has a population of about 9,541.

Retrofit economics for Pearsall

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 Texas 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 Texas.

Earthquake insurance for a Pearsall home

A Pearsall 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 Pearsall's figures come from

Pearsall's Category A 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 A does and doesn't tell you about Pearsall.