Earth911
Planning for retirement becomes more complex as the impacts of climate change transform our environment. The rise of heatwaves, wildfires, drought, hurricanes, and flooding are all recipes for disaster in the lives of seniors who are not well suited to cope with these conditions.
The situation has become dramatically more urgent since 2021. Climate change added 41 days of dangerous heat in 2024 alone, with billion-dollar natural disasters now becoming the new normal. By 2050, up to 250 million older adults may be exposed to dangerously high temperatures.
Climate change will influence retirees’ decisions on where to live, how to stay healthy, and how to avoid financial problems brought on by extreme weather events. Retirees who started their golden years with a solid nest egg may also find their plans need to change.
But younger people need to plan more carefully because of the growing impact of climate change, which Consumer Reports found will add up to $500,000 to the cost of life for an American born in 2024 while reducing returns on their savings by about the same amount. How you plan for that million-dollar change will determine the quality of late-life living.
The demographic reality makes this even more pressing: the number of older adults in the US is projected to nearly double from 56 million in 2020 to between 95 and 98 million in 2060.
Here are just a few considerations to keep in mind as you plan for retirement.
Residence
Retirees who move to a new community or state always have much to consider. Taxes, housing costs, and proximity to amenities, among other factors, can make savings go further or suddenly run dry. The changing environment can wipe out a solid retirement plan with a single unexpected disaster. Rising sea levels and more intense hurricanes will endanger ocean-front properties and flood zones over the next couple of decades – while the cost of insurance spikes and federal insurance subsidies evaporate.
Climate change is making traditional retirement meccas such as Florida or Arizona among the worst places to retire. The risks to seniors were tragically demonstrated in recent disasters: during Florida’s Hurricane Ian in 2022, two-thirds of deaths were people age 65 and older. In Arizona’s Maricopa County in 2023, 85 percent of heat-associated indoor deaths were in homes with nonfunctioning air conditioners.
So, where are the better places to live to avoid the more severe impacts of climate change? David Pogue, author of the book How to Prepare for Climate Change: A Practical Guide to Surviving the Chaos, suggests that communities in the Great Lakes region, such as Madison, Wis., or Duluth, Minn., are the better bets, but no place is entirely free of climate change’s ill effects.
No Climate Haven Is Perfect
Minnesota, for example, has experienced significant wildfires in 2025, with climate-related conditions creating hazardous fire weather. In May 2025, three major wildfires erupted in northern Minnesota, consuming over 30,000 acres and destroying approximately 150 structures amid unseasonably hot temperatures in the 90s and dry conditions. With 1,143 wildfires recorded so far in 2025, Minnesota is on track to exceed state averages, primarily driven by a dry winter, high temperatures, low humidity, and persistent drought conditions affecting much of the region.
Climate experts predict that warmer temperatures and drought conditions are making it easier for fires to start and spread, with Minnesota expected to face increased wildfire risks and more frequent air quality alerts due to both local fires and smoke from Canadian wildfires in the coming years. Visit StateClimateCheck to understand your local risks.
Counties along the Gulf Coast and southern Atlantic Coast, popular with retirees, are now officially at the highest risk of natural hazards, according to FEMA.
Flood Protection
Property owners in flood zones along the coasts, river basins, or wildfire zones must factor into their plans rising insurance costs. Flood and fire insurance prices have skyrocketed as government insurance subsidies are being cut back or eliminated.
Home insurance doesn’t automatically cover floods. If you live in an area at risk of flooding, consider adding flood insurance to your policy.
Major flood insurance changes took effect in 2021-2023 with FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0 system, which uses advanced catastrophe models and adapts to climate change risks. It’s also important to understand that home insurance doesn’t automatically cover flooding; explore adding flood insurance to your policy. The average annual cost of flood insurance has increased from $700 to $800 under the new system, but some areas are seeing dramatic spikes.
In parts of Florida, flood insurance premiums are rising by an average of 342%, with some ZIP codes like Key Biscayne now seeing rates as high as $7,000 annually. Unfortunately, most Americans are just taking their chances, as 22% say they are at risk of flooding. Yet, according to the Insurance Information Institute, only 78% of those homeowners say they have flood insurance.
For more information on current flood insurance rates by ZIP code, visit FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0 resources.
Healthcare
The health effects of climate change are already proving costly – and are likely to worsen. A recent Natural Resources Defense Council report showed that health costs related to climate change exceed $820 billion annually in the United States. New World Health Organization research indicates that extreme heat, natural disasters, and changing infection patterns due to climate change are predicted to lead to an additional 250,000 deaths annually worldwide from 2030 to 2050. Those costs include premature deaths, medical care after a major natural disaster, lost wages due to climate-related illnesses, and the price of filling prescription medications for those illnesses.
Older adults face particular vulnerabilities: extreme heat is now recognized as the most significant climate risk to the older adult population, while climate change is expanding the range for disease-carrying ticks and other pathogens.
The average senior can’t do as much as medical professionals or government policymakers to stem those costs. However, the report says they and others can simultaneously make lifestyle changes that improve health, battle climate change, and lower costs. For example, walking, biking, or using public transportation instead of cars can reduce pollution emissions and improve people’s health. Of course, that raises the issue of senior mobility. Retirees need to plan to live near the services they require to live comfortably, in other words, in cities or walkable suburbs.
Each of us can contribute to lowering society’s carbon emissions by eating plant-based foods, reducing meat consumption, and replacing animal products with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Better diets not only improve health; they also reduce healthcare costs.
Medicare has undergone significant changes for 2025. Part B premiums increased nearly 6% to $185 for most beneficiaries, while Part D plans now cap out-of-pocket spending on covered drugs at $2,000 per year. However, potential federal healthcare funding cuts, particularly to Medicaid, could significantly impact elderly long-term care services. For current Medicare information, visit Medicare.gov.
Financial & Food Security
The financial impacts of climate change for seniors will come from several challenges that require adaptation. We are already starting to feel this accelerating problem creep into our wallets as food prices rise during droughts. Extreme weather causes energy prices to spike – our financial challenges can push seniors’ savings to the brink.
The impact of climate change on available food and water has become evident in the news and in the grocery store. Rising food prices and growing scarcity will require more people to rely on locally or self-sourced food items such as produce, eggs, and meats. The changing economy offers seniors more options for locally sourced food, such as farmers’ markets and food at home. But, even if seniors don’t want to cut back on meat for environmental reasons, a lack of savings may force them to do so to extend their budget.
The combination of a rising elderly population and climate issues strains senior services and meal delivery programs. While President Trump’s FY 2025 budget increases funding by $90.7 million for Older Americans Act programs, including $621.6 million for meals served in communities and $447.7 million for home-delivered meals, many programs remain underfunded given growing demand. The social safety net will become more frayed, leaving unprepared seniors in dire straits.
For information about federal food assistance programs for seniors, including the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program and Commodity Supplemental Food Program, visit USAGov’s senior food programs page.
The cost of electricity to power air conditioners and fuel to heat homes is also rising in areas that experience increasingly hot summers and colder winters. People will need to look to alternative power sources such as solar, wind, and hydro to help combat these costs – and to avoid losing vital services during power outages.
As more people experience negative health consequences from the changing environment’s impact on breathable air, heat waves, and extreme storm events such as hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and wildfires, they will be spending more money on their healthcare unless they can find ways to isolate themselves from these impacts or relocate to other areas to live.
A critical policy gap remains: despite the dangers of extreme heat on older adults, it is not listed as a qualifying event in the statutory definition of major disasters, meaning communities may not be eligible for federal assistance during deadly heat waves.
Plan Now To Be Prepared
The world has reached a “Code Red” moment as the climate has undeniably changed and will continue to change at an accelerating pace. This urgency was recognized internationally in April 2024, when the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the Swiss Parliament had failed to protect older women against the impacts of global warming, demonstrating that climate action is now a human rights issue for older adults. Unprepared and low-income seniors will be among the most vulnerable and impacted people as the financial, health, and lifestyle consequences of climate change continue to escalate.
Federal agencies are beginning to respond to this crisis. The National Institute on Aging recently awarded six grants for research on environmental influences on aging, focusing on extreme weather and disaster events. However, the Social Security Administration continues to face budget constraints, serving 50% more customers with less staff than in 1995, while its customer service budget has declined 17% since 2010.
Emergency management agencies are struggling to keep up with the growing needs of older adults during disasters. Multiple factors disincentivize older adults from making home improvements to prepare for extreme weather, while existing shortages of healthcare workers exacerbate risks during disasters.
For current resources on climate preparedness for older adults, visit:
About the Author
Chris Orestis, CSA, is president of Retirement Genius and is a nationally recognized financial, health/long-term care, and retirement issues expert. Orestis is also author of the books Help on the Way and A Survival Guide to Aging.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on October 28, 2021, and significantly revised in May 2025 to reflect current climate impacts, policy changes, and federal program updates.
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