Where Americans Will Leave Due To Climate Change

By Douglas McIntyre  •  October 29, 2025
Ton Souza Pexels

Some research says tens of millions of Americans might have to move because of global warming this century. There is no good forecast about how many people or when, because the decision to leave where people live today is complicated. It includes additional considerations about jobs, money, family, culture, and community.

In the U.S., how many people move and where they will depend greatly on what the government funds or does not fund. The federal government could spend money to protect areas affected by severe and dangerous climate change. This might include building flood walls, improving water systems, and protecting farms. This will lower the number of people who might migrate. It is unclear how these decisions would be made

America’s landscape will change dramatically by 2050, even if global emissions are cut rapidly and global warming is kept to 5–6°F above pre-industrial levels. This could not have been expected a decade ago. 

Mass Migrations

Here’s what scientists expect:

  • Sea levels will rise by 1 to 2 feet along the East and Gulf Coasts by 2050. That means millions of homes will flood regularly or permanently.
  • Big, rich cities like New York, Boston, and Miami will probably get expensive protection. This will include seawalls. But smaller coastal towns won’t have the capital to do the same. A number of people and businesses in these cities will not take the risk and will leave. In poor areas, many will not have that option. Additionally, insurance companies stop covering flood damage to homes and buildings. This will lead to abandoned homes and businesses.
  • In the West, massive areas will become desert.
  • The Great Plains and South will face brutal heat waves, prolonged droughts, and sudden floods. This will cripple part of the agriculture industry.
  • In parts of the South, summer will get so hot and humid that the “feels-like” temperature could hit 130°F or more—a level so dangerous that even healthy people resting in the shade could die.

The environment will force more people to migrate, but how many actually do will depend on whether we help them stay.

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