Climate migration & heat risks
New data show nearly 15 million Americans crossed state lines in 2025, with the Southern and Mountain West still net winners though Sun Belt growth is moderating and the Midwest is rebounding—falling immigration is also reshaping population dynamics. At the same time scientists warn of earlier, more severe heat events in the Southwest and even a measurable slowing of Earth's rotation linked to warming, highlighting rising economic and societal costs. (newsweek.com) (chaseday.com) (livescience.com)
HireAHelper’s 2026 migration report shows South Carolina posted the largest net migration per capita in 2025—about 79.7 inbound residents per 10,000 people—while the majority of moves remained inside states (78.49% intrastate). (hireahelper.com) U‑Haul’s 2025 Growth Index again ranked Dallas‑Fort Worth as the nation’s top growth metro, underscoring that one‑way rental flows concentrated growth in specific Sun Belt and secondary metros rather than uniformly across large coastal cities. (uhaul.com) The Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimates show U.S. population rose by 1.8 million (0.5%) between July 1, 2024 and July 1, 2025, with domestic migration driving large state gains—South Carolina’s population climbed by about 79,958 over that year. (census.gov) Newer Census and Brookings analyses attribute a sharp slowdown in national growth to falling net international migration—net immigration added roughly 1.3 million people in 2024–25 versus about 2.7 million the prior year—putting downward pressure on workforce and multifamily demand forecasts. (prb.org, brookings.edu) The March 2026 Southwest heat episode produced historic early‑season highs—Phoenix reached 105°F and remote desert sites recorded roughly 43°C (110°F), an event researchers and NOAA satellites say was amplified by a persistent heat‑dome pattern. (guyonclimate.com, nesdis.noaa.gov) Grid and market signals already shifted during the early heat surge: industry analysts warned of sharp spikes in electricity load and higher short‑term energy prices across California and the Southwest as buildings switch to cooling before seasonal upgrades complete. (industrialinfo.com, cnet.com) A University of Vienna / ETH Zurich study published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth reports that 21st‑century sea‑level change has lengthened average day length at a rate equivalent to about 1.33 milliseconds per century—an increase the authors say is unmatched over the last 3.6 million years. (univie.ac.at, baug.ethz.ch) Reinsurers and analysts put a price on these connected risks: Munich Re and Swiss Re estimated the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires caused roughly $40 billion in insured losses (about $53 billion total damage), a shock that pushed more homeowners toward California’s FAIR plan and helped trigger a 43% surge in FAIR enrollment between Sept. 2024 and Dec. 2025. (swissre.com, bloomberg.com)
