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(CNN) -
17 years ago, when Adriana Nichols moved from New York City to Los Angeles, she had a simple wish list: natural light (her studio apartment in New York was dark), a patio, and quiet neighbors. .
He managed to cross off every item on that list and has spent nearly two decades living in the canyons of Los Angeles.
However, today she hopes to move in again with her husband and her requirements have changed.
"It's a very different bucket list. A place where we have (running) water, where we don't ... have bags ready in case firefighters evacuate us," Nichols said.
SPECIAL: everything you need to know about the weather, climate change and the weather forecast
Nichols says that, in recent years, California wildfires and poor air quality make living there unappealing and even terrifying.
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But he says almost every place he's looking to move is experiencing some weather risk.
And a new analysis by Redfin, a real estate brokerage, reveals that more Americans than ever are moving to the areas facing the greatest weather risks.
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Climate change and housing: a counterintuitive trend
Redfin analyzed data from ClimateCheck, a firm dedicated to assessing climate risks in real estate, and from the United States census.
These show that among the top 50 US counties facing weather risks from heat, storms, droughts, floods, and fires, the majority saw a population increase in the past five years.
In counties where households face the highest heat risk, the population increased an average of 4.7% in the last five years.
Counties with homes facing a high risk of drought experienced population growth of 3.5%, while counties with fire risk experienced population growth of 3%.
Among those facing the risk of flooding, the increase was 1.9% and 0.4% in the case of those exposed to storms.
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Meanwhile, in places with relatively low climatic risks, the population has decreased.
The 50 counties with the fewest number of households facing heat risk, for example, saw a population loss of 1.4% in the past five years, according to Redfin.
Counties around New York City and Chicago - both in states already leading in population decline - only lost more people during the pandemic, when there was an exodus of home buyers from metropolitan areas, according to Redfin. .
"Contrary to intuition, people are moving to places with higher climate risk," said Daryl Fairweather, Redfin's chief economist.
"And it seems that the weather, although it is something that people care, is at the bottom of the list or it is not the top priority."
Price, a factor that can be decisive
For example, migration to Wasatch County, outside Salt Lake City, Utah, has increased by nearly 15% in the past five years.
But Wasatch County ranks third among the highest fire risk counties in the United States.
There, 96% of homes are at risk, according to Redfin.
The area became even more popular in the past year during the pandemic as people search for affordable places with more space and closer to the outdoors.
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"(The) year 2020 had some of the worst wildfires we've seen in Utah," said Ryan Aycock, agent and market manager for Redfin in Salt Lake City.
"I don't necessarily think it's going to stop people moving into the area. It's still very affordable. It's still a very desirable place to live compared to a lot of other places," he explained.
Affordability seems to be a big factor.
Of the 50 counties with the highest proportion of homes facing high risks from heat and storms, more than half had a median sales price below the national average of $ 315,000, Redfin found.
'Nothing will stop them'
Williamson County, Texas - part of the Austin metropolitan area - is the highest heat risk in the United States.
However, it is also the county with the highest population growth, increasing 16.3% since 2016, according to Redfin.
"People live in San Francisco or New York for the most part because that's where they can advance their careers the most, but now Austin is starting to grow as a tech hub and Austin faces a climate risk," Fairweather said.
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It's also where people buy their second homes, followed by Florida, where home buyers take advantage of lower taxes, said Scott Durkin, CEO of Douglas Elliman.
"I think people still don't have (climate risk) in mind. I think there are people who will do anything to be in the ocean and the Florida coast and nothing, nothing will stop them," Durkin said.
That's despite a record Atlantic hurricane season last year.
And the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says there is a 60% chance that there will be an above-normal season again this year, a season that often plagues Florida.
Even so, home sales in Palm Beach and Miami increased 270% and 133%, respectively, from last year, according to Douglas Elliman.
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During the housing market explosion fueled by the pandemic, many buyers gave up home inspections to beat other buyers, according to Durkin.
However, some areas Durkin advises against this.
For example, in a place that is "subject to high winds, crashing waves and beach erosion, you need to think twice. You may want to have an inspection done before you even negotiate, just to find out," Durkin said.
As for Nichols, he wants to leave his Los Angeles home in a matter of months.
"It's no longer a matter of, 'Where do we want to live?'
The question became, 'Where can we live in relation to what's happening there with regards to the weather?' "Nichols said.
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