Pickerington, OH: what USGS's seismic model says

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Pickerington is Category B. Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. That puts Pickerington in the 34th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 34% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

How Pickerington compares

USGS's underlying values for Pickerington: 0.056g peak ground acceleration, 0.114g at short period, 0.059g at 1 second. Within Ohio alone, Pickerington ranks 225 of 254 cities by seismic hazard - the 11th percentile in-state. Pickerington has a population of about 25,814.

Retrofit economics for Pickerington

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 Ohio 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 Ohio.

What this means for insurance

A Pickerington 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 Pickerington's figures come from

Pickerington'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 Pickerington.