Nearly half of American homeowners want to relocate in 2026 because of extreme weather and other climate concerns

‘Climate is driving decisions about where people live and the rising costs of homeownership are changing when and how people buy homes,’ Kin Insurance noted

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A rising number of American homeowners are ready relocate this year due to extreme weather events and other climate-related concerns.

Some 49 percent of those who own a house are considering moving in 2026 due to climate events, according to a survey of 1,000 American adults by insurance provider Kin Insurance. Also a concern among homeowners is the rising cost of homeownership, the study noted.

“Kin uncovered that climate is driving decisions about where people live and the rising costs of homeownership are changing when and how people buy homes,” the study noted.

The study also found that nearly all homeowners are concerned about severe weather damaging their homes.

Homeowners split on enthusiasm to move

A couple survey their fire-damaged home after the Eaton Fire swept through, Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, California. Extreme weather events such as wildfires are making homeowners consider a move (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Kin’s survey found that within the 49 percent of homeowners who want to move, 19 percent “definitely” are considering it, while 30 percent are “somewhat” considering it. Some 45 percent said they were not considering a move.

As for how far away they want to move, Kin broke up respondents’ intentions into three groups:

Moving within their current city or community: 41 percent
Moving to a different city or community in their state: 35 percent
Moving to another state: 25 percent.

That 60 percent considering a move would relocate outside of their current city or community, is a trend confirmed in the aftermath of the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.

“Last year, homeowners who suffered catastrophic losses in the Los Angeles wildfires followed a similar pattern when they ‘ended up in neighborhoods at least a half-hour’s drive away’ from their previous homes,” Kin noted.

For those considering a move to another state, more than half of respondents wanted to avoid disaster-prone states like Florida and California and preferred to move to what they perceived as low-risk states, including Vermont, New Hampshire, Delaware, and Connecticut.

Fears about weather are virtually universal

What is it about the climate crisis that’s driving homeowners’ desire to move this year? Extreme weather events, which can damage homes, lead to insurance claims, and result in higher premiums.

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Bo Hester inspects damages of his house after Hurricane Helene made landfall on September 28, 2024. Hurricanes are one of several severe weather events that have homeowners worried about damage to their houses in the next three years (AFP via Getty Images)

“Whether they’re considering a move or not, nearly all (93%) of American homeowners are concerned about extreme weather and expect it to damage their homes over the next three years, specifically due to a changing climate,” the survey found.

Those fears ranged from “extremely concerned” to “slightly concerned”:

Extremely concerned: 16 percent
Very concerned: 33 percent
Moderately concerned: 29 percent
Slightly concerned: 15 percent.

Additionally, 68 percent of homeowners believe that they’ll experience more extreme weather events this year compared to last year.

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