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Countering the Current: Flood Risk and Uneven Patterns of Immobility
1Department of Sociology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
Demography
|August 14, 2026
Summary
Higher neighborhood flood risk reduces household moves, especially for renters and low-income, Black homeowners. This highlights housing insecurity and the need for disaggregated climate-population studies.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Sociology
- Urban Planning
Background:
- Climate change is increasing flood risks in many neighborhoods.
- Household mobility is a key factor in population dynamics and community resilience.
- Existing research often overlooks the differential impacts of environmental hazards on various demographic groups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between neighborhood flood risk and household relocation decisions.
- To identify specific demographic groups disproportionately affected by flood-related immobility.
- To understand the role of housing insecurity in climate change adaptation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized longitudinal housing and demographic data.
- Employed statistical models to analyze the association between flood risk exposure and moving behavior.
- Disaggregated analyses by housing tenure, income level, and race/ethnicity.
Main Results:
- Increased neighborhood flood risk was significantly associated with lower odds of households moving.
- This effect was most pronounced among renters, low-income homeowners, and Black homeowners.
- Findings suggest flood risk contributes to housing immobility and instability.
Conclusions:
- Neighborhood flood risk acts as a barrier to household mobility, particularly for vulnerable populations.
- Housing insecurity is a critical mediating factor linking environmental hazards to population immobility.
- Future climate and population studies must incorporate granular data disaggregated by race, income, and housing tenure to capture nuanced impacts.
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