The findings of CoreLogic’s “Safest Place to Live” study have been released, outlining the areas in the United States that are least vulnerable to natural disasters. Although severe storms and flooding threaten most American homes, McKinley County, New Mexico has been identified as the safest county to reside in due to its negligible hurricane and earthquake risk. Moreover, Colorado boasts five counties among the top 10 areas with the lowest risk of natural catastrophes.

CoreLogic utilized its Climate Risk Analytics: Composite Risk Score (CRA Composite Risk Score) solution to pinpoint counties with low risk currently, as well as to evaluate natural disaster risks over the next three decades across multiple future climate scenarios. These scenarios consist of a baseline climate with no variations and a gradually deteriorating climate referred to as “Scenario 8.5.”

RCP 8.5 is part of a collection of scenarios called Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), which depict various probable future situations. The climate change outcomes associated with RCP 8.5 referenced in this discussion present an estimation of the hazards that residential properties may encounter if carbon dioxide emissions persistently increase throughout the 21st century.

CoreLogic employed its analytical expertise to examine hazards such as wildfire, inland floods, severe convective storms, winter storms, earthquakes, and hurricanes. By leveraging its extensive property datasets, the company generated comprehensive insights into natural hazards, climate risks, and their implications for the property landscape. As a result, the following counties have emerged as the top 10 safest areas from natural disasters:

1. McKinley, New Mexico
2. Duchesne, Utah
3. Conejos, Colorado
4. Emery, Utah
5. Summit, Colorado
6. Pondera, Montana
7. Saguache, Colorado
8. Uintah, Utah
9. Mesa, Colorado
10. San Miguel, Colorado

Upon analyzing a climate that progressively deteriorates, the top 10 safest counties in 2050 are projected to be:

1. McKinley, New Mexico
2. Conejos, Colorado
3. Summit, Colorado
4. Duchesne, Utah
5. Saguache, Colorado
6. Spokane, Washington
7. Emery, Utah
8. Eagle, Colorado
9. San Juan, Colorado
10. Chaffee, Colorado