Does Yonkers, NY need an earthquake retrofit?

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Yonkers is Category B. Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. That puts Yonkers in the 66th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 66% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

How Yonkers compares

USGS's underlying values for Yonkers: 0.183g peak ground acceleration, 0.296g at short period, 0.061g at 1 second. Within New York alone, Yonkers ranks 12 of 170 cities by seismic hazard - the 93th percentile in-state. Yonkers has a population of about 211,040.

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 New York 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 New York.

Earthquake insurance for a Yonkers home

A Yonkers 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 Yonkers's figures come from

Yonkers'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 Yonkers.