Urbana's Seismic Design Category, explained

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

How Urbana compares

USGS's underlying values for Urbana: 0.097g peak ground acceleration, 0.172g at short period, 0.067g at 1 second. Within Ohio alone, Urbana ranks 10 of 254 cities by seismic hazard - the 96th percentile in-state. Urbana has a population of about 11,211.

Retrofit economics for Urbana

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 Urbana 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 Urbana's figures come from

Urbana'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 Urbana.