Richmond's Seismic Design Category, explained

Richmond carries Seismic Design Category B under USGS's ASCE 7-16 model. 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 Richmond sits at the 27th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Where Richmond sits in Missouri

USGS's underlying values for Richmond: 0.047g peak ground acceleration, 0.099g at short period, 0.069g at 1 second. Within Missouri alone, Richmond ranks 117 of 135 cities by seismic hazard - the 13th percentile in-state. Richmond has a population of about 5,939.

Bracing and bolting: the actual cost

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 Missouri 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 Missouri.

Earthquake insurance for a Richmond home

A Richmond 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 Richmond's figures come from

Richmond'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 Richmond.