The California risk most out-of-state buyers underestimate: Wildfire defensible space + earthquake retrofits + insurer pullout
Whether the property has been retrofitted for earthquakes (foundation bolting, soft-story fix), wildfire zone status (CAL FIRE FHSZ), and whether you can actually obtain homeowner's insurance at all.
CAL FIRE Hazard Severity Zones258 California cities
- Los Angeles, CApop 3,878,704
- San Diego, CApop 1,404,452
- San Jose, CApop 997,368
- San Francisco, CApop 827,526
- Fresno, CApop 550,105
- Sacramento, CApop 535,798
- Long Beach, CApop 450,901
- Oakland, CApop 443,554
- Bakersfield, CApop 417,468
- Anaheim, CApop 344,561
- Stockton, CApop 324,975
- Riverside, CApop 323,757
- Irvine, CApop 318,683
- Santa Ana, CApop 316,184
- Chula Vista, CApop 278,546
- Santa Clarita, CApop 229,159
- Fremont, CApop 228,192
- San Bernardino, CApop 224,775
- Modesto, CApop 220,592
- Fontana, CApop 218,455
- Moreno Valley, CApop 213,919
- Oxnard, CApop 200,616
- Huntington Beach, CApop 193,151
- Glendale, CApop 187,823
- Ontario, CApop 185,285
- Elk Grove, CApop 182,797
- Santa Rosa, CApop 177,524
- Rancho Cucamonga, CApop 176,675
- Garden Grove, CApop 172,361
- Oceanside, CApop 170,941
- Lancaster, CApop 167,426
- Roseville, CApop 163,304
- Palmdale, CApop 162,536
- Corona, CApop 161,540
- Salinas, CApop 160,783
- Hayward, CApop 158,440
- Sunnyvale, CApop 156,792
- Escondido, CApop 148,847
- Pomona, CApop 147,966
- Visalia, CApop 146,271
- Victorville, CApop 140,721
- Fullerton, CApop 140,054
- Torrance, CApop 139,576
- Orange, CApop 137,941
- Pasadena, CApop 137,195
- Santa Clara, CApop 133,132
- Clovis, CApop 127,993
- Simi Valley, CApop 125,778
- Thousand Oaks, CApop 124,229
- Concord, CApop 124,016
- Vallejo, CApop 123,475
- Fairfield, CApop 122,646
- Berkeley, CApop 121,749
- Antioch, CApop 118,453
- Menifee, CApop 117,041
- Richmond, CApop 115,353
- Carlsbad, CApop 113,575
- Murrieta, CApop 112,539
- Temecula, CApop 112,431
- Santa Maria, CApop 111,346
- San Buenaventura (Ventura), CApop 109,831
- Downey, CApop 109,368
- Costa Mesa, CApop 109,131
- Jurupa Valley, CApop 108,154
- West Covina, CApop 106,920
- Rialto, CApop 104,918
- El Monte, CApop 104,639
- Vacaville, CApop 103,994
- Burbank, CApop 103,533
- El Cajon, CApop 103,291
- San Mateo, CApop 103,006
- Chico, CApop 102,911
- Inglewood, CApop 102,774
- Hesperia, CApop 101,836
- Daly City, CApop 101,418
- Tracy, CApop 100,136
- Vista, CApop 99,322
- Norwalk, CApop 98,230
- San Marcos, CApop 96,620
- Merced, CApop 96,073
- Manteca, CApop 94,292
- Indio, CApop 94,275
- Chino, CApop 94,010
- Redding, CApop 93,502
- Hemet, CApop 92,912
- Mission Viejo, CApop 91,601
- Carson, CApop 91,358
- Compton, CApop 91,129
- South Gate, CApop 90,805
- Santa Monica, CApop 90,729
- Westminster, CApop 89,537
- Folsom, CApop 88,091
- Mountain View, CApop 87,316
- Santa Barbara, CApop 87,291
- Lake Forest, CApop 87,159
- Citrus Heights, CApop 86,909
- San Leandro, CApop 86,571
- San Ramon, CApop 85,924
- Whittier, CApop 85,589
- Livermore, CApop 84,867
- Rancho Cordova, CApop 84,113
- Hawthorne, CApop 83,633
- Perris, CApop 83,032
- Redwood City, CApop 82,982
- Newport Beach, CApop 82,970
- Buena Park, CApop 82,611
- Alhambra, CApop 80,279
- Milpitas, CApop 79,746
- Upland, CApop 79,684
- Tustin, CApop 78,863
- Alameda, CApop 78,795
- Lakewood, CApop 78,494
- Chino Hills, CApop 77,418
- Pittsburg, CApop 77,131
- Napa, CApop 76,921
- Bellflower, CApop 75,716
- Pleasanton, CApop 75,664
- Rocklin, CApop 75,129
- Apple Valley, CApop 75,029
- Redlands, CApop 74,279
- Lake Elsinore, CApop 73,595
- Turlock, CApop 72,888
- Tulare, CApop 72,601
- Walnut Creek, CApop 70,817
- Eastvale, CApop 70,751
- Dublin, CApop 70,544
- Camarillo, CApop 69,881
- Baldwin Park, CApop 69,247
- Yuba City, CApop 69,148
- Madera, CApop 69,094
- Lodi, CApop 68,642
- Redondo Beach, CApop 68,075
- Palo Alto, CApop 67,658
- Davis, CApop 67,125
- Yorba Linda, CApop 66,489
- Brentwood, CApop 66,286
- Union City, CApop 66,196
- South San Francisco, CApop 64,660
- Laguna Niguel, CApop 64,185
- Lynwood, CApop 63,596
- Porterville, CApop 63,517
- Woodland, CApop 62,983
- San Clemente, CApop 62,627
- Santa Cruz, CApop 62,581
- La Habra, CApop 61,391
- Encinitas, CApop 61,137
- La Mesa, CApop 60,767
- Montebello, CApop 60,617
- Hanford, CApop 60,594
- Gilroy, CApop 60,390
- San Rafael, CApop 59,961
- Beaumont, CApop 59,502
- Petaluma, CApop 59,393
- Pico Rivera, CApop 59,363
- Santee, CApop 59,104
- Gardena, CApop 58,921
- Cupertino, CApop 58,710
- National City, CApop 58,460
- Monterey Park, CApop 57,996
- Highland, CApop 56,499
- Lincoln, CApop 56,268
- Fountain Valley, CApop 56,036
- West Sacramento, CApop 55,991
- San Jacinto, CApop 55,515
- Arcadia, CApop 54,472
- Yucaipa, CApop 54,465
- Colton, CApop 53,528
- Placentia, CApop 53,395
- Delano, CApop 53,198
- Palm Desert, CApop 53,147
- Cathedral City, CApop 52,517
- Novato, CApop 52,311
- Diamond Bar, CApop 52,292
- Huntington Park, CApop 52,166
- Watsonville, CApop 51,320
- Paramount, CApop 51,169
- Aliso Viejo, CApop 50,457
- Glendora, CApop 50,101
- San Luis Obispo, CApop 49,729
- Rosemead, CApop 49,582
- Poway, CApop 49,435
- Cypress, CApop 49,286
- Ceres, CApop 49,253
- Covina, CApop 49,245
- Los Banos, CApop 48,684
- Azusa, CApop 48,383
- Brea, CApop 47,844
- Oakley, CApop 47,158
- Cerritos, CApop 46,851
- La Mirada, CApop 46,367
- Rancho Santa Margarita, CApop 46,353
- Newark, CApop 46,254
- Morgan Hill, CApop 45,952
- Palm Springs, CApop 45,453
- Coachella, CApop 45,165
- Hollister, CApop 45,033
- Rohnert Park, CApop 44,894
- El Centro, CApop 44,230
- Lompoc, CApop 43,594
- Danville, CApop 43,410
- Campbell, CApop 42,895
- San Bruno, CApop 42,035
- Stanton, CApop 41,188
- Lathrop, CApop 40,860
- Rancho Palos Verdes, CApop 40,064
- La Quinta, CApop 39,907
- Culver City, CApop 39,883
- Calexico, CApop 38,744
- Adelanto, CApop 37,941
- San Gabriel, CApop 37,926
- Monrovia, CApop 37,787
- Wildomar, CApop 37,736
- Montclair, CApop 37,650
- Bell Gardens, CApop 37,565
- Pacifica, CApop 37,056
- Martinez, CApop 37,006
- La Puente, CApop 36,670
- Claremont, CApop 36,139
- Moorpark, CApop 35,621
- San Juan Capistrano, CApop 35,469
- Temple City, CApop 34,989
- West Hollywood, CApop 34,371
- Pleasant Hill, CApop 34,169
- Desert Hot Springs, CApop 33,917
- Manhattan Beach, CApop 33,453
- San Dimas, CApop 33,226
- Menlo Park, CApop 33,040
- Los Gatos, CApop 32,952
- Foster City, CApop 32,657
- Goleta, CApop 32,611
- Dana Point, CApop 32,585
- Atwater, CApop 32,248
- Bell, CApop 31,930
- Banning, CApop 31,929
- Santa Paula, CApop 31,786
- El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), CApop 31,568
- San Pablo, CApop 31,562
- Seaside, CApop 31,524
- Beverly Hills, CApop 31,027
- Burlingame, CApop 30,885
- Los Altos, CApop 30,864
- Saratoga, CApop 30,486
- Laguna Hills, CApop 30,378
- La Verne, CApop 30,192
- Lawndale, CApop 30,160
- Atascadero, CApop 29,743
- Suisun City, CApop 29,614
- San Carlos, CApop 29,403
- East Palo Alto, CApop 29,296
- Monterey, CApop 29,015
- Ridgecrest, CApop 28,373
- Brawley, CApop 28,188
- Lemon Grove, CApop 27,867
- Wasco, CApop 27,409
- Walnut, CApop 27,250
- Belmont, CApop 27,132
- Lemoore, CApop 27,057
- Sanger, CApop 26,649
Have a specific California address in mind?
The city pages are the macro view. For the exact flood zone and assigned school for a particular parcel, run the address through the free /check tool. The paid report adds 25+ more checks.