Thousands more move into fire and flood-prone areas in the US: Redfin

Areas in the US endangered by wildfires, flooding, and extreme heat saw thousands more people moving in than out in 2023, according to a recent Redfin report.

High-fire-risk counties in the US experienced 63,365 more people move in than out, with a significant portion moving to fire-prone Texas.

However, this trend was not consistent across all high-fire-risk states. In total, 34,170 people left these high-risk areas last year. In California, more residents left high-fire-risk areas than moved in, accounting for 50.8% of the outflow, up from 41.9% in 2022.

Redfin commented that this increase “may signal that people in the Golden State have grown more responsive to fire risk.”

Counties at high risk for flooding saw 16,144 more people move in than out. Florida was a major destination, accounting for 53.5% of the migration to flood-risk areas in 2023, down from 57.3% in 2022. Redfin suggested this might indicate increased awareness of flood risk and rising insurance costs among the population.

Conversely, areas with low fire and flood risk saw significant outflows. Low-fire-risk counties experienced a net outflow of 38,401 people in 2023, while low-flood-risk counties saw a net outflow of 6,892.

Elijah de la Campa, Senior Economist at Redfin, stated, “Ballooning insurance costs and intensifying natural disasters are driving thousands of Americans out of risky areas, but those people are quickly being replaced by other people for whom climate change isn’t the top concern.

“For a lot of Americans, things like cost of living and proximity to family take precedence over catastrophe risk, which can feel less immediate and more abstract. But the cost-benefit calculus seems to be shifting in places like California and Florida, where skyrocketing home insurance costs and an uptick in high-profile disasters have had a tangible impact on residents and made national news.”

According to a survey commissioned by Redfin, roughly 1 in 11 (8.8%) US homeowners and renters consider natural disasters or climate risks as a reason to move. However, more common reasons include wanting more space (32.4%), a lower cost of living (26.4%), and being closer to family (16.4%).

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