The 'climate havens' where Americans should avoid buying property (2024)

Climate change is forcing people to adjust how they live - including moving to new cities - but not every town is worth packing up your life for.

Nearly a third of Americans have cited global warming as a reason they're willing to move, according to a Forbes Homestudy, and many cities have excitedly tacked on 'climate haven' to the list of appeals to draw in new residents.

Places like Duluth, Minnesota; Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Burlington, Vermont, had been deemed 'climate havens' - meaning they are considered good places to live as the earth continues to warm up.

However - like all sustainable things - making greener choices usually comes with a higher price tag, and Americans are already drowning under the heavy weight of inflation.

But with global warming increasing the chances of more natural disasters - like hurricanes in Florida, wildfires in California, and unbearable heat in Texas - its left many Americans being forced to consider exiting their towns and cities for more fair-weathered places.

Ann Arbor has seen cost of living rise six percent above the national average and an astonishing 17 percent above the Michigan average, according to Go Banking Rates.

An average home costs more than $520,000 in the Midwest city, compared to the average US rate of $363,000, according to Zillow.

Madison, Wisconsin, doesn't fare much better when it comes to saving a buck for Americans, as healthcare costs are up 24 percent and utility prices are up nine percent, Go Banking Rates said.

However, housing prices are only $30,000 higher than the average.

Burlington has eyewatering cost of living prices that would make any American cry, with it being 24 percent higher than the national average. Even in its own state, it's 19 percent more expensive and housing prices are up there with Ann Arbor.

But not all climate havens are terrible places for one's wallet, as Duluth is eight percent lower than the national average for cost of living, and two percent lower for Minnesota.

Another Minnesota spot to invest in is Minneapolis, where both cost of living and housing prices are lower than the national average, according to Go Banking Rates.

If the Midwest isn't your cup of tea, Buffalo, New York, is also a great option, with cost of living down five percent compared to the national average, the outlet reported. Utilities and groceries are also typically cheaper here, as well.

Despite the rising costs of living in more sustainable places, many Americans aren't fazed. Roughly 65 percent of Americans surveyed in Forbes' study said climate change and better weather are reasons to move in this year.

The largest group that cited climate change as a reason to move was those ages 26 to 41, followed by those older than 77. However, ages 18 to 57 were all over 25 percent.

The only group that doesn't seem concerned by climate change is the Baby Boomers generation, where only nine percent said climate change would factor into their decision to move, according to Forbes Home.

Entrepreneur, Alexander Pyslarash, told Forbes Home he moved from Oregon to Florida in 2020 to avoid the constant wildfires.

'Oregon state was experiencing some of the worst fires in the decade. I was working outside at that time, so I had to constantly wear a respirator when they were in shortage due to COVID-19 because otherwise, it was almost impossible to breathe,' Pyslarash, who also lived in California prior, told the outlet.

'It wasn’t the first year with poor air quality in the region, so my wife and I decided to relocate - at least partially - to Florida.'

However, he's not out of the woods yet, as he now has to worry about the increase in hurricanes in Florida.

'I [have] only experienced one tropical storm so far myself,' he said. 'The area floods here easily; I even had to switch to an SUV because my old sedan almost sank once while driving on Collins Avenue in Miami Beach.'

Rachel O'Brien, of New Orleans, has faced a similar issue in Louisiana with constant storm systems and hurricanes hitting the Southern coast of America.

'We haven’t had any breathing time [between storms],' she told Forbes Home.

'I feel trapped. I started my degree in 2008, but due to a variety of circ*mstances, I still haven’t finished it. And I can’t afford to go restart my degree somewhere else, so I am here in New Orleans [for] as long as it takes me to complete that degree, class by class, as I work full-time,' she said.

'I have to finish the degree before I can start taking [the] next steps in my life, because investing in property while I’m here makes no sense. Investing in a nice car makes no sense. Investing in anything material to prepare myself for the next stage of my life makes no sense because tomorrow, it could be gone in a flood.'

Columbia University Research Scientist,Dr. Cascade Tuholske, said he's 'concerned with those who cannot move' due to economics.

'The impacts of climate change are going to be felt everywhere, though those most likely to have their livelihoods destroyed or have their health burdened are those with the least amount of agency to move,' he told Forbes Home.

Some areas with the worst climate change effects - like Houston, Texas - are seeing population booms, despite the heat index rising and causing dangerous conditions.

However, Southern states are notorious for cheaper cost of living and as inflation continues to impact Americans, those looking to move with little help don't have as many options.