With Hurricane Milton heading toward Florida and swaths of the South still reeling in the wake of many might be wondering: Is any place truly safe frℱom extreme weather?
Indeed💙, natural disasters have already caused more than in𓂃 damage this year.
And the Realtor.com report found that 44.8% of U.S. homes are at risk for extreme weather eꦯxposure, including extreme heat, wind, flood, and wildfires.
These thr🍷eats don’t just impinge on people’s quality of life; they also affect and home insur♕ance rates.
Sun Belt states are among the most disaster-prone spots in the country, and it shows in their high insurance premiums. Missis🦩sippi—which experienced this past spring—has that are 30% above the nation💛al average, and Florida’s home insurance rates are the national average.
Research from the First Street Foundation estimates that 3.2 million people have become “” who are creating “” due to extreme 🎃🔯weather conditions.
“There appears to be clear winners and losers in regard to the impact of flood risk on neighborhood-level population change,” Jeremy Porter, the foundation’s head of climate implications research, said in a statement. “The downstream implications of this are massive and impact property values, neighborhood composition, and commercial viability both positively and negatively.”
To help prospective buyers consider current environmental realities, Realtor.com c♊reated property-specific environmental risk scores for listings that allow users to assesꦇs the risk of hazards such as hurricanes, floods, and wildfires.
“Prospective homeowners can leverage these scores to evaluate climate-related risks across various locations, helping them identify ‘safer’ areas before making their final decision,” says Realtor.com economist Jiayi Y༺u. “Living in areas with a low risk of natural disasters offers numerous benefits to homeowners, including reduced risk of ▨property damage, lower insurance costs, and a more stable local economy. This can contribute to a more secure, stable, and fulfilling lifestyle. Choosing to reside in areas with low natural disaster risk can help mitigate these concerns.”
Realtor.com also ranke🌃d the safest cities to live in around the country based on the share of homes that face minimal or minor hurricane, flood, or fire damage ri🦄sk.
In case you’re c♚urious where these safer-than-average havens are ꦐhiding, read on.
Akron, OH
Share of homes at the lowest risk: 91.1%
Total value of properties at the lowest risk: $55.4 billion
Cleveland, OH
Share of homes at the lowest risk: 89.3%
Total value of properties at the lowest risk: $163.5 billion
Seattle, WA
Share of homes at the lowest risk: 88.4%
Total value of properties at the lowest risk: $784.2 billion
Columbus, OH
Share of homes at the lowest risk: 87.7%
Total value of properties at the lowest risk: $197.6 billion
Cincinnati, OH
Share of homes at the lowest risk: 87.7%
Total value of properties at the lowest risk: $199.3 billion
Dayton, OH
Share of homes at the lowest risk: 87.2%
Total value of properties at the lowest risk: $57.8 billion
Indianapolis, IN
Share of homes at the lowest risk: 86.9%
Total value of properties at the lowest risk: $190.1 billion
Pittsburgh, PA
Share of homes at the lowest risk: 84.7%
Total value of properties at the lowest risk: $183.3 billion
Toledo, OH
Share of homes at the lowest risk: 83.6%
Total value of properties at the lowest risk: $41 billion
Grand Rapids, MI
Share of homes at the lowest risk: 82.2%
Total value of properties at the lowest risk: $93.4 billion
