Owning a home in the South often means longer summers and lower property taxes compared to the rest of the country, but having a house in places such as Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas can also have one major drawback, according to a recent analysis from Deed Street Capital.
Southern state residents are at the highest risk of losing their homes in a natural disaster or from eviction or foreclosure, according to rankings from Deed Street, a mortgage buyer based in Pennsylvania.
In some states where adults face a lower risk of displacement in a natural disaster, they may be more likely to be challenged with eviction or foreclosure.
The chart below gives a more detailed breakdown of where Americans are reportedly most at risk.
Residents of Mississippi, Maryland, Georgia, New York and Texas are at the highest risk of losing their homes due to eviction or foreclosure, the data suggests. By contrast, homeowners in Utah, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Montana and Nebraska are at the lowest risk.
The analysis cited possible economic challenges in rural areas for some rankings. Maine and Alaska, for example, wound up higher on the list because of a dearth of affordable housing and fewer job opportunities.
Residents of Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Maine and Hawaii are at the highest risk of losing their property due to a natural disaster, Deed Street's data indicated, likely because many of those states are near large bodies of water, making them more prone to hurricanes and other strong coastal storms.
Homeowners in Minnesota, Utah, Maryland, Kansas and Idaho are the least likely to experience a natural disaster-related displacement.
Deed Street drew its conclusions after studying 2024 U.S. Census survey data that revealed what percentage of households in each state were displaced in the last year due to a natural disaster — such as a hurricane, wildfire or flooding. For evictions, Deed Street tallied the number of adults who said they were behind on their rent or mortgage and believed eviction or foreclosure was very or somewhat likely to happen in the next two months.
Climate change and economic uncertainty escalate the risk
Natural disasters due to climate change have become a growing threat to homeowners nationwide. The Palisades and Eaton wildfires in Southern California in January caused billions of dollars in damage. Meanwhile, wildfires destroyed hundreds of homes in Texas and Oklahoma last month.
“As these challenges continue to grow, understanding where the greatest risks lie is crucial for homeowners, renters and investors alike,” said Jacob Neff, executive vice president at Deed Street.