Does Roxboro, NC need an earthquake retrofit?

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Roxboro in Seismic Design Category B: Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. Nationally, Roxboro ranks above 36% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 36th percentile.

How Roxboro compares

USGS's underlying values for Roxboro: 0.059g peak ground acceleration, 0.123g at short period, 0.058g at 1 second. Within North Carolina alone, Roxboro ranks 110 of 147 cities by seismic hazard - the 25th percentile in-state. Roxboro has a population of about 8,289.

Retrofit economics for Roxboro

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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Roxboro 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 Roxboro's figures come from

Roxboro'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 Roxboro.