According to a report published by Quicken Loans, San Jose is the #3 best place to live in the US when considering the effects of climate change. The report identified 10 cities that are taking the necessary steps to protect against climate change, 6 of which are found in California. While Sacramento took the top spot, the Bay Area cities of Fremont, Oakland, and San Francisco made the top ten.
As a reason for it making the #3 spot, the report highlighted San Jose’s Climate Smart San Jose climate action plan. The plan is a community-wide initiative to decrease water usage, reduce air pollution, and improve the quality of life in the area.
The report’s purpose was to gather estimates on the best places to live if you’re concerned about the effects of climate change. The top cities were chosen by analyzing data from the house price index per state in Q1 2022, the Comfort Index, climate action plans, climate change risk, and the Cumulative Resistance Screening Index (CRSI). According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s website, CRSI “examines five domains that address community resilience to natural hazards: risk, governance, built environment, natural environment, and society.”
Fremont came in at #7 with its moderate CRSI score of 5.52 and plan to present its climate action plan by early 2023.
Oakland took the #8 spot thanks to its 2030 Equitable Climate Action Plan which aims to reduce climate emissions and adapt to the city’s changing climate conditions.
San Francisco secured #9 with its 2021 Climate Action Plan to combat climate change and promote resilience.
The top 10 cities were the following:
- Sacramento, CA
- Stockton, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Portland, OR
- Spokane, WA
- Tucson, AZ
- Fremont, CA
- Oakland, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Reno, NV
The state capital, Sacramento, topped the list with a climate action plan in development and a low overall risk of natural disasters like large floods, fires, and droughts. Known as the “city of trees, ” the name is in reference to its numerous trees and crowded canopies, which provided much-needed shade to settlers during the Gold Rush. Having a wealth of trees doesn’t guarantee you the top spot, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.
The report focused on the top ten but listed a total of 20 US cities with Seattle, WA at #15, Santa Clarita, CA at #16, Fort Wayne, IN at #17, Dallas, TX at #18, Fresno, CA at #19, and Phoenix, AZ at #20. The report also acknowledges that several cities didn’t have complete data sets and scored much lower as a result (e.g., Honolulu, HI and Anchorage, AK).
Featured Image: Uladzik Kryhin via Shutterstock