Median home prices are up in areas with the biggest risk of natural disaster
Median home prices are up in areas with the biggest risk of natural disaster
If people are more worried about living in places with a high risk of flooding, hurricanes and wildfires, it hasn’t shown up in home prices.
During the housing recovery of the last five years, median home prices have risen 65 percent in areas with the biggest risk of natural disaster, compared to 45 percent overall, according to the 2017 Natural Hazard Housing Risk Index from ATTOM Data Solutions.
“That’s not their number one motivation when making a decision about buying a home,” said ATTOM senior vice president Daren Blomquist. “In fact, it’s probably pretty far down the list.”
Homebuyers are more concerned about jobs and quality of life, he said. And it’s no coincidence that some of the loveliest places to live are situated in places with the highest risk of hurricanes, wildfires, hail and floods.
But people may be taking some risks more seriously. In the last decade, median home prices have fallen in areas most prone to flooding and hurricane storm surge, Blomquist said.
As damaging storms become more common, said economist Aaron Terrazas at Zillow, “perhaps people will be a little more hesitant in purchasing homes in these waterfront-exposed communities.”
Especially, he said, if Congress reduces coverage under the National Flood Insurance Program, which expires in December.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
