People in These High Risk Areas Are the Most Worried About Climate Change

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24/7 Wall St. Insights

• Nationwide, 64.1% of Americans are worried about climate change.
• In counties facing the highest risk of natural disaster, the shares are much higher.
• 23 of the 50 most worried counties are in the South.
• 18 of the 50 most worried counties are considered relatively high or very high risk for natural disaster by FEMA.
• In 31 of the 50 most worried counties, summer 2024 was at least 3.0°F hotter than historical normals.
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Twice a year, the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication conducts the most comprehensive survey on climate change knowledge and opinion in the United States. Out of 30 questions, one of the most contentious is about how much global warming will harm participants personally.

In their survey, Yale asked participants, "How much do you think global warming will harm you personally?" with options ranging from "not at all" to "a great deal". While nationwide 45.8% of Americans think global warming will harm them personally a moderate amount or a great deal, large regional disparities persist throughout the country.

In Bronx County in New York, 61.0% of residents believe climate change will harm them personally, the most of any county nationwide. Meanwhile, in Mason County in northwest West Virginia, just 28.3% of residents believe climate change will harm them personally, the least of any county. On average, 49.7% of residents in the West believe climate change will harm them personally, compared to 48.1% of residents in the Northeast, 44.8% in the South, and 40.9% in the Midwest.

While climate change opinions tend to correlate with political affiliation, many of the counties most worried about global warming are also the ones at the highest risk of natural diaster. In FEMA's National Risk Index, 18 of the 50 counties most worried about climate change are considered "relatively high" or "very high" risk of natural disaster. In 31 of the 50 most worried counties, summer 2024 was at least 3.0°F hotter than historical normals for 1901 through 2000.

To determine the counties that believe climate change will harm them personally the most, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on climate change belief from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication . Counties were ranked based on the percentage of surveyed residents who answered that they think global warming will harm them "a moderate amount" or "a great deal" in 2023. Supplemental data on median household income and the percentage of adults with at least a bachelor's degree is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and is for 2022. Data on natural hazard risk rating is from FEMA .

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