Waco's Seismic Design Category, explained

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Waco in Seismic Design 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 Waco sits at the 17th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Waco by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Waco: 0.03g peak ground acceleration, 0.065g at short period, 0.042g at 1 second. Within Texas alone, Waco ranks 199 of 384 cities by seismic hazard - the 48th percentile in-state. Waco has a population of about 146,608.

What a retrofit costs in Waco

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 Texas 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 Texas.

Earthquake insurance for a Waco home

A Waco 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 Waco's figures come from

Waco'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 Waco.