Livability: How weather and the great outdoors influence where Americans choose to live

In our past research on American relocation habits, climate consistently ranks as a top consideration when people are deciding where they’d like to live. For example, in a past study, 42% of respondents said that climate is among their top concerns regarding relocation. And now, many folks have more opportunities than ever to decide where to live based on their personal preferences rather than the geographical location of their job. So we surveyed 1,000 diverse respondents to get more detail about their weather preferences, outdoor hobbies and climate change concerns, plus how their relocation decisions tie in with these factors. 

Plus: I’d like to live on water and am looking for a quiet, outdoorsy lifestyle, preferably on the East Coast. Where should I retire?

Climate and weather

You might think everyone prefers warm, tropical weather and sunshine, but climate preferences are very diverse. We found top weather preferences broke down like this:

• 42% of respondents preferred temperate weather

•  24% of respondents preferred four distinct seasons

•  21% of respondents preferred tropical, warm weather

•  9% of respondents preferred mostly cold weather

The great outdoors

More people than ever embraced the great outdoors during pandemic quarantines, and many continue to enjoy their newfound hobbies. Almost half of our respondents started a new outdoor hobby during the pandemic (45%) that they’ve continued to engage in. The most popular outdoor activities in our survey were:

• Hiking/trail running: 18%

• Hunting/fishing/camping: 13%

• Golf or disc golf: 10%

• Mountain biking: 9%

• Off-road driving/motorcycling: 7%

Also see: I want year-round outdoor living — dry summers and no snow — on $4,000 a month. Where should I retire?

Another location preference our research has shown is that for many folks, being near certain natural features like beaches or mountains is important. So we polled our respondents on what they look for. Here’s what they had to say:

• 41% of respondents said local access to state or national parks is important

•  40% of respondents said local access to trails and hiking is important

•  40% of respondents said local access to rivers and lakes is important

•  34% of respondents said local access to a beach is important

•  27% of respondents said local access to mountains is important

•  11% of respondents said local access to snow is important

See: 14 of the best and most affordable places to live on the West Coast

Climate change and sustainability

As headlines abound about sustainability concerns, we also asked respondents about what climate and sustainability-related factors would be important to them if they were thinking of relocating to a new city. The ones they highlighted as meaningful were:

• Air quality, which 64% of respondents said is important

•  Water quality, which 61% of respondents said is important

•  Fresh water access, which 52% of respondents said is important

•  Utility infrastructure, which 43% of respondents said is important

•  Likelihood of extreme weather, which 42% of respondents said is important

•  Protected natural areas, which 37% of respondents said are important

•  Likelihood of extreme temps, which 31% of respondents said is important

Almost half of the respondents — 44% — indicated that some outside activity would influence where they choose to live:

As people have more remote work flexibility, their climate preferences and outdoor hobbies may be able to take more of a front-seat role when they’re deciding where they want to live.

More: 7 great small cities for outdoor enthusiasts

To access Livability Media’s full white paper on the great outdoors and implications for talent attraction marketing, plus other research on American relocation habits, head over here. 

Read the original article on Livability.

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