Out-of-Towners Head to ‘Climate-Proof Duluth’

The former industrial town in Minnesota is coming to terms with its status as a refuge for people moving from across the country because of climate change. The New York Times’ Debra Kamin revisits Duluth, Minnesota — dubbed “climate-proof Duluth” by the paper in 2019 — to meet some of the hundreds of new arrivals who have bucked the pandemic-accelerated trend of moving to the Sun Belt in favor of “Minnesota nice,” affordable housing, and climate peace of mind. “Real estate and climate change cannot be separated,” says UNLV professor of real estate and economics Shawn McCoy, who adds “the tug of war between risks and amenities” is slowly but noticeably beginning to favor communities such as Duluth.

Climate Alpha agrees. According to our proprietary Resilience Index™, St. Louis County possesses a low degree of risks (20/100), low vulnerability (39/100), and high readiness (70/100) — the latter of which is likely to be enhanced if Duluth Mayor Emily Larson is successful in her pledges to invest in solar power and build new affordable housing.

See for yourself with the public beta of Climate Alpha HOMES — a first-of-its-kind tool offering climate-adjusted real estate projections for every year out to 2040. We can help you put a number on what it means to live in a resilient community. Reach out to our team to see what your home may be worth — or whether you should make the move to Duluth.