C
limate change is rewriting the map of America, with a new report predicting that human-driven warming could lead to $1.47 trillion in net property value losses by 2055. The culprit: skyrocketing insurance costs and shifting consumer demand. As mortgage payments stagnate, insurance premiums are surging, forcing homeowners out of high-risk areas like Miami, Jacksonville, Tampa, New Orleans, and Sacramento.
The numbers are stark: a 29.4% increase in average insurance premiums nationwide by 2055, driven by an 18.4% correction for "current underpricing" and an 11% hike from climate risk increases. This could lead to a mass migration of over 55 million Americans seeking safer havens within the US.
Researchers warn that economic growth may not be enough to shield vulnerable areas from climate-driven population decline. Fast-growing cities in the South, Southeast, and West are already seeing pockets of higher climate risks where homes gain value more slowly than similar homes in less risky areas. Meanwhile, northern regions like Montana, Wisconsin, and parts of the East are poised to attract climate refugees.
The report's findings are based on peer-reviewed models that combine multiple strands of research, but its authors acknowledge limitations: the models don't account for climate adaptation measures or inflation, which could distort non-climate-related housing market trends. The results should be viewed as a warning system, identifying areas most at risk from climate-driven insurance costs, property devaluation, and population change.
