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People have a wide variety of factors when considering where to move, where to start a business, where to raise a family, where to retire—Guess what? Climate is now a part of that… We see that pattern very consistently all across the U.S., and particularly in the Sun Belt, where people are increasingly sensitive at certain age cohorts.

Jesse M. Keenan, author of North: The Future of Post-Climate America

Economic and social science research suggests climate risks are beginning to inform where people choose to live, raise families, and invest, foreshadowing the decline of a near 75-year trend of domestic migration to the Southern U.S. This is the focus of urban planner and trusted climate adaptation scholar Jesse M. Keenan’s new book, North: The Future of Post-Climate America.

As the costs of environmental risks to homes, communities and livelihoods become insupportable in the most vulnerable areas of the country, many people who are able will gravitate to regions where life can be relatively stable and secure.  North is a comprehensive assessment of trendlines and evidence that suggest how this migration will occur—and how leaders can ensure equity and continuity as American populations shift.

Drawing on his extensive background in climate adaptation research, Keenan offers strategies for locations that will be sending people and those that will receive them. He concludes North with a fictional description of what America could look like near the end of this century, when many climate impacts are expected to mature. 

In this episode, Ten Across founder Duke Reiter and author Jesse Keenan discuss implications for the Ten Across geography, which is among the most climate-vulnerable regions in the country

Relevant Articles and Resources

North: The Future of Post-Climate America

“As millions face climate relocation, the nation’s first attempt sparks warnings and regret” (Floodlight, September 2025)

“Snow Belt to Sun Belt Migration: End of an Era?” (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, July 2024)

“Climate-proof Duluth? Why the city is attracting ‘climate migrants’” (MPR News, October 2021)

“Want to Escape Global Warming? These Cities Promise Cool Relief” (The New York Times, April 2019)

“The Rise of the Sunbelt” (Edward L. Glaeser and Kristina Tobio, May 2007)

Relevant Ten Across Conversations Podcasts

How the 10X Region Can Plan for Climate Migration with Abrahm Lustgarten

Credits

Host: Duke Reiter
Producer and editor: Taylor Griffith
Music by: Pearce Roswell, Out To The World, Johan Glössner
Research and support provided by: Kate Carefoot, Rae Ulrich, and Sabine Butler

Guest Speaker

Jesse M. Keenan is the Favrot II Associate Professor of Sustainable Real Estate and Urban Planning and Director of the Center on Climate Change and Urbanism at the School of Architecture and Built Environment at Tulane University. His research spans design, engineering, finance, and policy, with service to U.S. government agencies, international organizations, and major corporations. Widely published and cited, Jesse’s work has shaped climate policy, financial regulation, and concepts like climate gentrification. He is the author of North: The Future of Post-Climate America, which is available in bookstores on December 17.