Nonwhite communities may have a more difficult road ahead as climate change exacerbates major weather events.
Homeowners of color in the United States are disproportionately vulnerable to climate risks compared with white homeowners, according to a new study by Zillow.
“The racial wealth gap is likely a driving factor, with home buyers of color generally having fewer options within reach financially,” said Kara Ng, a senior economist at Zillow. She also noted that discriminatory housing practices such as redlining have limited where people of color are able to buy. Increased climate risk and the financial toll — high insurance premiums, steep rebuilding expenses, lower resale value — could further set back nonwhite communities.
Researchers collected data from First Street, which tracks climate risks, and the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey to identify the racial imbalance of climate risk, including from extreme wind, extreme heat, wildfires, flooding and poor air quality. The report posits that nonwhite homeowners face a higher risk in every climate category.
Sixty percent of Black homeowners face extreme wind risk (the largest share among all groups), compared with 32 percent of white homeowners. Black homeowners also face the highest risk of extreme heat (81 percent, compared with 52 percent of white homeowners). Hispanic homeowners were found to be most at risk of wildfires, and Asian American homeowners faced the highest air-quality risk.
Black homeowners in the South and Hispanic homeowners on the West Coast were found to be most vulnerable to extreme wind. According to Pew Research Center, more than half of the U.S. Black population lives in the South. “Inequality is greatest in Atlanta, where 71 percent of Black homeowners face major wind risk, compared with 39 percent of white homeowners,” said Ms. Ng. (Atlanta is home to the region’s largest Black population.)
Hispanic homeowners were found to be significantly at risk of wildfires in four California metropolitan areas: Riverside, Sacramento, San Jose and San Diego. The gap between Hispanic and white homeowners was prominent in San Jose, where 43 percent of Hispanic homeowners face major wildfire risk, compared with 33 percent of white homeowners.
Nationally, only the risk of flooding was close to equally distributed among the racial groups, between 12 and 14 percent for all.
Homeowners of Color and Climate Risk
An analysis by Zillow found homeowners of color faced the greatest risk of extreme heat and wind, wildfires, floods and poor air quality.
RISK TYPE
SHARE OF HOMES AT MAJOR CLIMATE RISK
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Extreme heat
Extreme wind
Wildfire
Flood
Air quality
52%
32%
18%
13%
11%
81%
60%
13%
13%
9%
77%
43%
25%
14%
21%
65%
33%
16%
12%
32%
TYPE
SHARE FACING MAJOR CLIMATE RISK
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Extreme heat
Extreme wind
Wildfire
Flood
Air quality
52%
32%
18%
13%
11%
81%
60%
13%
13%
9%
77%
43%
25%
14%
21%
65%
33%
16%
12%
32%
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