Shillington, PA: what USGS's seismic model says

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Shillington is Category B. 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 Shillington sits at the 55th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Shillington by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Shillington: 0.097g peak ground acceleration, 0.176g at short period, 0.047g at 1 second. Within Pennsylvania alone, Shillington ranks 51 of 193 cities by seismic hazard - the 74th percentile in-state. Shillington has a population of about 5,533.

Retrofit economics for Shillington

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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Shillington 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 Shillington's figures come from

Shillington'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 Shillington.