Wickenburg, AZ: what USGS's seismic model says

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Wickenburg in Seismic Design Category C: Moderate seismic hazard. Code adds irregular-building restrictions and requires bracing of some nonstructural components (e.g. tall shelving, water heaters) in addition to structural detailing. Rank it against the rest of the country and Wickenburg sits at the 71th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

How Wickenburg compares

USGS's underlying values for Wickenburg: 0.113g peak ground acceleration, 0.256g at short period, 0.09g at 1 second. Within Arizona alone, Wickenburg ranks 17 of 57 cities by seismic hazard - the 71th percentile in-state. Wickenburg has a population of about 8,301.

Retrofit economics for Wickenburg

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 Arizona 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 Arizona.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Wickenburg 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 Wickenburg's figures come from

Wickenburg's Category C 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 C does and doesn't tell you about Wickenburg.