Ridgewood's Seismic Design Category, explained

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Ridgewood is Category B. Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. That puts Ridgewood in the 65th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 65% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

How Ridgewood compares

USGS's underlying values for Ridgewood: 0.182g peak ground acceleration, 0.294g at short period, 0.061g at 1 second. Within New Jersey alone, Ridgewood ranks 34 of 194 cities by seismic hazard - the 83th percentile in-state. Ridgewood has a population of about 26,701.

Retrofit economics for Ridgewood

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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey.

What this means for insurance

A Ridgewood 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 Ridgewood's figures come from

Ridgewood'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 Ridgewood.