Vernon's Seismic Design Category, explained

Vernon 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 Vernon sits at the 21th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Where Vernon sits in Wisconsin

USGS's underlying values for Vernon: 0.04g peak ground acceleration, 0.081g at short period, 0.05g at 1 second. Within Wisconsin alone, Vernon ranks 26 of 157 cities by seismic hazard - the 84th percentile in-state. Vernon has a population of about 7,505.

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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin.

Earthquake insurance for a Vernon home

A Vernon 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 Vernon's figures come from

Vernon'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 Vernon.