We were warned about climate change by scientists in the 1970s, but it took us decades to consider and understand the impact of this phenomenon. Today, almost every region in the United States is affected by climate change, and many areas are facing such severe weather events as tornados, floods, droughts, and others. Some scents even predict that some areas will become unlivable by 2050.
Our Methodology
To curate a list of the best places to live in climate change in the United States, we reviewed data and information from various resources, including the following:
- The official websites of counties and the cities included in the list, such as the websites of Reno, Madison, Detroit, and others.
- Various reputable online magazines, such as Architectural Digest.
- The website ClimateCheck provides climate risk data solutions and detailed reports for individual properties.
- Various American news websites, such as WTOP News,
If you wonder what are the safest areas to live in 2050, here is a list of the best cities for climate change to reside in the United States:
The Best Places To Live Climate Change In The United States
Here is a list of 20 best cities for climate change to live in:
20. State College, PA
State College is another city that is climate-resistant. The average summer temperatures are considered to be mild, with just a few days reaching temperatures over 90 degrees.
The winters are also mild when compared to other cities in the New England states. The outlook for water is good with no expected droughts or flooding. According to the results of recent studies, State College has become one of the municipalities in Pennsylvania to pledge to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions and 100% renewable energy usage by 2050.
19. San Francisco, CA
California is the state that is generally known for an increased risk of earthquakes, wherever you go. It is considered a specific geological feature of the region rather than the result of the climate change.
The city’s positioning also protects the city from the effects of rises in sea level. If your heart is set on living in coastal California, San Francisco is one of your better options. Be warned that the economy in this region is more suitable for the affluent.
Financially well-off inhabitants are more likely to thrive in this area. It’s expensive to live in San Francisco.
18. Wichita, KS
WTop News ranks Wichita as one of the best cities to live in if you’re worried about climate change. Wichita is recognized as one of the most resilient to climate change.
Although rising temperatures and extreme heat are inescapable, Wichita appears to have a moderately low risk shortly. It’s a larger city with a population of more than 640,000, but the average price of a home is $143,850, making it an affordable place to live.
Even though the average temperature in Wichita keeps increasing since the 1970s, it appears to have a moderately low risk shortly.
17. Pittsburgh, PA
According to climate experts, Pittsburgh is not going to heat up as much as many other cities and towns in the United States. There are also plans by the local government that are focused on preventing natural events and disasters caused by the climate change. For example, the local authorities are planning to reduce emissions by 50% by 2030.
Also, this city is safe from the impacts of hurricanes and will not likely experience drought.
16. Tulsa, OK
When you think of the state of Oklahoma, you probably imagine arising dust bowls. However, believe it or not, Tulsa is a resilient city and one of the best places to live climate change. It is a safe city because it is landlocked and is located quite far from the coast. As a result, Tulsa is protected from floods that are often caused by sea level rising.
In addition, the local government in Tulsa has also constructed a series of detention ponds designed to prevent flooding damage from devastating storms.
15. Boulder, CO
Boulder is another city in Colorado that has a low risk of facing natural disasters due to the climate change. According to the University of Colorado at Boulder Research Center, summers in Boulder are getting hotter. By 2050, it is expected that the average summer temperature will be 95F. However, despite these temperature changes, Boulder is still among the most resilient cities in the country.
14. Seattle, WA
Why is Seattle known as one of the best places to live climate change? One of the reasons is that according to Policy Genius, less than 10% of Seattle’s properties are expected to be in 100-year flood zones by 2050. Even though the sea levels keep rising, they are going to affect only 0.35% of properties in Seattle. Based on the data from the Architectural Digest, Seattle today is the fourth most resilient city in the United States.
13. New York City
New York City is one of the largest cities in the world, and although they’ve had their fair share of environmental issues, the resiliency rate is high. The local government takes the risks of climate change seriously and has employed a comprehensive environmental program that has been in force since enacted by Mayor Michael Bloomberg back in 2007.
After subways flooded, the city rose to the occasion to implement changes to provide better protection from its risk factors. This was one of the landscape challenges that the city faced and has dealt with.
Experts on climate change view New York as a progressive city that is on top of the landscape challenges and it’s taking steps to protect the low-lying areas from rising seas and the effects of climate change, but in general, except for Lower Manhattan, the remainder of the city is fairly safe from climate change.
12. Chicago, IL
Chicago has its share of issues, but like Detroit, its geographic placement gives it a high resiliency rating for escaping the more harsh effects of climate change. It shares similar features to Detroit and Madison.
Climatologists are predicting that the Northeast and Midwest will have plenty of water, but they advise that the outlook is good for avoiding flooding issues. The Great Lakes provides for the moderation of cold temperatures in the winter when compared to other cities without the benefit of large bodies of water.
Chicago also remains a sustainable city, and the local authorities are focusing to reduce the city’s carbon emissions 62% by 2040.
11. Detroit, MI
Detroit makes the list of the most resilient cities to climate change because of its proximity to the Great Lakes. While rainfall is likely to be an issue for most people in the midwest, the dangerous heat that some other areas will experience shouldn’t be an issue.
If you are looking for the best places to live in 2030 climate change in the US, Detroit should be on your list. Detroit keeps developing a long-term climate strategy to guide resilience and mitigation efforts for years to come. Also, Detroit is rated as one of the safest regions from a climate perspective.
10. Portland, ME
The New York Times reports that experts on climate change chose Portland, Maine as a highly resilient city. It’s one of the few coastal cities that qualifies for high resilience to natural disasters caused by climate change. It’s better positioned geographically to cope with the effects of rising seas.
Portland has a topography feature with numerous hills. Its northern positioning makes it one of the best coastal cities to avoid catastrophic effects from climate change. The elevation of Portland makes it more resilient to damages from sea-level rises.
Additionally, it’s not as likely to experience systemic drought issues that southern cities are likely to experience in the years to come.
According to Portland Press Herald, Portland is considered one of the most sustainable cities in the United States. It is also known as the city with high resilience to natural disasters that are caused by climate change.
Portland has a topography feature with numerous hills. As a result, it is one of the best coastal cities to avoid catastrophic effects from climate change. The elevation of Portland makes it more resilient to damages from sea-level rises.
9. Brownsville, TX
Brownsville is also one of the best cities for climate change in the United States.The resiliency score is high because it is at low risk for natural disasters. Brownsville seems to have been built to withstand any climate events in certain areas. The natural environment is more protective than many other cities in Texans and the United States.
It’s not as likely to fall victim to landfalling hurricanes as Dallas, Houston, or New Orleans. It’s deeper in the Gulf. This gives it a lower likelihood of taking the brunt of hurricane damage.
If it does get hit, the geography makes it less likely to sustain major damage. You can get by in the city of 420,000 with home values a low $90,900 on average, but the salary is also low at $35,240 a year for the average household.
Even though the state of Texas is known for its hurricanes, they are less common in Brownsville, and it is less likely to sustain major damage.
8. Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado Springs has already been affected by climate change with wildfires, rising temperatures, and increased storm activity, however, when compared with other regions, the resiliency scores were much higher than most. You can’t find an area that won’t at least sustain some impact.
Colorado Springs, according to experts on climate change, is at a lower risk for natural disasters. It’s a larger city with nearly 700,000 residents and high housing costs, but the wages are also higher to compensate. The local government is active in finding solutions to address the problems of climate change.
7. Raleigh, North Carolina
It is the second-largest city in North Carolina, and it is known for its clean energy infrastructure. Raleigh also ranks well in terms of climate change adaptability and readiness.
The city is also well-known for great air quality. Unlike many other cities in the United States, Raleigh boasts 217 days of high-quality, clean air.
6. Salt Lake City, UT
Salt Lake City is the place that is prone to wilderness. However, at the same time, there is a lower risk of flooding comparing to other cities in the United States. The local government of the city is focusing on renewable energy sources and reducing carbon emissions.
According to the Architect Digest, Salt Lake City is considered one of most climate-resilient cities in the country.
5. Denver, CO
Due to the location and elevation of the city of Denver, there are almost no risks posed by sea level rise. Compared to other cities in the US, Denver is alost unscathed by extreme weather destruction in the last decade. In addition, Denver is also included in the list of the Policy Genius’s top climate-safe cities.
4. Boise, ID
Boise is another city that is sheltered from the harsh effects of climate change. The city is at low risk of environmental disasters. The city of Boise is in a landlocked area.
The surrounding natural environment does provide some protection from rising sea levels and erosion. The local government is active in attempting to reduce the carbon footprint humans leave on the earth. They’re trying to become a part of the solution to the problem of climate change.
3. Reno, NV
Reno is a city that is situated in the Southwest, which means that you will most likely encounter such weather events as wildfires, insect outbreaks, and drought. However, Reno is considered one of the best cities for climate change.
A factor that has raised Reno’s resiliency score is the efforts of the local government to maintain the natural environment and find reasonable methods for increasing sustainability. The Metro area of Reno is under 500,000 with more rural, outlying areas. Much of Reno’s natural environment is not heavily populated.
This helps to maintain the natural order because of the lack of human intervention. Areas that require attention are receiving the maintenance and monitoring that are necessary to protect the environment and its population. It’s more resilient to extreme weather and natural events.
There is the 2019-2025 Sustainability and Climate Action Plan in Reno, the purpose of which is to develop, adopt and implement ambitious and measurable actions to reduce climate pollution.
2. Madison, WI
Madison is known as a city that offers high resiliency to climate change. However, certain risks still exist there. Its location near the Great Lakes gives it higher scores for avoiding the possibility of extreme and long droughts that are expected in some other areas of the country.
Madison has a healthy natural environment. The local government works to conserve natural resources, which helps offset the high risks that many other cities in the area face. Madison is ranked as one of the top 20 places to live in the United States if you’re concerned about the impacts of climate change.
One of the goals of the city of Madison is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to avoid negative impact of the climate change.
1. Minneapolis, MN
If you want to escape the harshest effects of climate change, Minneapolis is the perfect place. Yes, it is known for harsh and snowy winters, but the good location of the city protects it from such events of climate change as hurricanes and floods.
Unlike many other large cities in the United States, Minneapolis will unlikely to experience high temperatures in summer, which is also caused by climate change.
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