Mickey Neuberger Chief Marketing Officer | realtors.com
With Hurricane Milton approaching Florida and the aftermath of Hurricane Helene still affecting parts of the South, many are questioning if any location is truly safe from severe weather. This year alone, natural disasters have resulted in over $25 billion in damages. According to the Realtor.com 2024 Housing and Climate Risk report, nearly 45% of U.S. homes face risks from extreme weather conditions such as heat, wind, floods, and wildfires.
These environmental threats not only impact quality of life but also influence housing prices and insurance rates. Sun Belt states are particularly vulnerable to disasters, which is reflected in their high insurance premiums. For instance, Mississippi's insurance rates exceed the national average by 30%, while Florida's rates are four times higher.
Research by the First Street Foundation indicates that 3.2 million people have become "climate migrants," leading to "climate abandonment areas" due to severe weather events. Jeremy Porter from the foundation stated: “There appears to be clear winners and losers in regard to the impact of flood risk on neighborhood-level population change.” He added that these changes significantly affect property values and neighborhood dynamics.
To assist potential buyers with environmental considerations, Realtor.com has developed property-specific environmental risk scores for its listings. These scores help users evaluate hazards like hurricanes, floods, and wildfires before making purchasing decisions.
Realtor.com economist Jiayi Yu emphasized: “Prospective homeowners can leverage these scores to evaluate climate-related risks across various locations." Yu noted that living in low-risk areas offers benefits such as reduced property damage risk and lower insurance costs.
Realtor.com has also identified cities with minimal risks from hurricanes, floods, or fires:
- Akron, OH: 91.1% of homes at lowest risk; $55.4 billion total value.
- Cleveland, OH: 89.3% at lowest risk; $163.5 billion total value.
- Seattle, WA: 88.4% at lowest risk; $784.2 billion total value.
- Columbus, OH: 87.7% at lowest risk; $197.6 billion total value.
- Cincinnati, OH: 87.7% at lowest risk; $199.3 billion total value.
- Dayton, OH: 87.2% at lowest risk; $57.8 billion total value.
- Indianapolis, IN: 86.9% at lowest risk; $190.1 billion total value.
- Pittsburgh, PA: 84.7% at lowest risk; $183.3 billion total value.
- Toledo, OH: 83.6% at lowest risk; $41 billion total value.
- Grand Rapids, MI: 82.2% at lowest risk; $93.4 billion total value.
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