Westmont's Seismic Design Category, explained

Westmont 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 Westmont sits at the 42th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Where Westmont sits in Illinois

USGS's underlying values for Westmont: 0.066g peak ground acceleration, 0.129g at short period, 0.065g at 1 second. Within Illinois alone, Westmont ranks 126 of 330 cities by seismic hazard - the 62th percentile in-state. Westmont has a population of about 24,308.

Retrofit economics for Westmont

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 Illinois 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 Illinois.

Earthquake insurance for a Westmont home

A Westmont 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 Westmont's figures come from

Westmont'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 Westmont.