Extreme weather and climate change are seeing ripple effects on neighborhood livability across Harris County, according to a June 17 report by Rice University’s Kinder Institute of Urban Research, where housing experts recommend data-driven infrastructure planning and accurate flood risk mapping to address climate risks across the county.

“The risk is going to continue to grow, and it’s really on us to figure out and start to understand what we do with these spaces where we have so much infrastructure and economic investment and development in a place like Houston,” said Jeremy Porter, head of climate implications research at the nonprofit First Street.

Porter said his work has translated into actionable insights in the housing space, including adding climate-risk scores to housing search websites so buyers can understand how much risk could cost in the future.

“It’s important for us to start to think about what are the smartest ways we can adapt to the risk we have today. But let’s future-proof it and build for what the climate is going to be like in 30 years,” Porter said.

Digging deeper

Other key findings in the report include:

• More than 20% of all Harris County housing units are in one of three major flood areas: floodways, which are areas often located next to bayous that flood during relatively heavy rain events; the 100-year floodplain and the 500-year floodplain
• 63 of 143 neighborhoods have lost population since 2018
• Home insurance increases, brought upon by extreme weather events, could add more than $15,000 to home costs

The report also found that Harris County lost nearly 80 square miles, or more than 51,000 acres of green space, to developments, which could lead to more flood and heat risks, officials said. Taking into account precipitation is part of calculating flood risks, Porter said.

“Climate correcting these authoritative pieces that drive things like infrastructure development, stormwater management, all of the infrastructure that is put into a city like Houston relies on [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] Atlas 14 precipitation records,” Porter said. “We should be building that infrastructure to not only today’s risk but to the future risk, so it’s not outdated immediately as we build that.”

Insurance company officials have stated in 2025 news releases that the pressure they’re facing on home insurance premiums due to climate-related risks, such as wildfires or hurricanes, have impacted homeowners, as previously reported in Community Impact. Higher premiums are causing homeowners to opt out of their home insurance policies year over year since 2021.

Rachel Leland contributed to this report.