This study focuses on the earthquake that occurred in Lushan county, Sichuan province, China, in April 2013 by using three examples where severe housing damage occurred: the towns of Luyang, Longmen, and Taiping. The purpose was to clarify regional factors that caused differences in the damage to housing. Specifically, this study analyzed the characteristics of damage based on housing structure, i.e., steel-frame houses, brick-mixed houses, and traditional wooden houses, across the three districts.

The major findings are summarized as follows. First, since all three towns are located in alluvial lowlands showing the same geomorphological features, housing damage due to geomorphological differences was not obvious. Second, the differences in housing structures due to socioeconomic conditions, especially the family incomes of residents, could be a more significant factor affecting housing damage. Consequently, agricultural workers, whose average income is lower than that of nonagricultural workers, tend to choose brick-mixed structures using less expensive building materials with lower construction costs. Thus, it is inferred that highly vulnerable buildings are dominant in these areas.