Strongest earthquake in the period: ranking of metro areas in California
Order: highest value first. Lower is better.
Strongest earthquake in the period: ranking of metro areas in California: Sacramento ranks first (6.0 magnitude) and Santa Maria last (4.8 magnitude). The median across 15 the state's metro areas is 5.5 magnitude. Observation period: 2006-2025. Source: USGS, ComCat earthquake catalog.
Largest earthquake magnitude within 100 km of the center during the observation period.
Data quality: observed tremors over 20 years only; no events means no value, not zero.
| # | Metro area | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento | 6.0 magnitude | 2006-2025 |
| 2 | San Francisco | 6.0 magnitude | 2006-2025 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa | 6.0 magnitude | 2006-2025 |
| 4 | Stockton | 6.0 magnitude | 2006-2025 |
| 5 | Vallejo | 6.0 magnitude | 2006-2025 |
| 6 | Modesto | 5.5 magnitude | 2006-2025 |
| 7 | Salinas | 5.5 magnitude | 2006-2025 |
| 8 | San Jose | 5.5 magnitude | 2006-2025 |
| 9 | Los Angeles | 5.4 magnitude | 2006-2025 |
| 10 | Riverside | 5.4 magnitude | 2006-2025 |
| 11 | Oxnard | 5.3 magnitude | 2006-2025 |
| 12 | Bakersfield | 5.2 magnitude | 2006-2025 |
| 13 | San Diego | 5.2 magnitude | 2006-2025 |
| 14 | Visalia | 4.9 magnitude | 2006-2025 |
| 15 | Santa Maria | 4.8 magnitude | 2006-2025 |
Only places with a value for the indicator are ranked; a gap is not a zero. A ranking on one indicator is not an assessment of a place to live.