Chart of the Month — February 2025 Overview By 2050, over 1 million homes in Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco with low flood risk will see their flood risk rise higher than their fire risk. Flood risk increases in areas recently burned by wildfire. Even without assuming worst-case climate scenarios, homes with very low flood risk will have risk increase by 40 points or more by 2050. Risks from natural hazards can be interdependent. The fires in Los Angeles this January followed two years of wet winters which encouraged the vegetation growth that became wildfire fuel. Now, the metro’s burned areas lack the vegetation that can absorb water, making them more vulnerable to flood. This cycle is one that repeats itself across California, but each area of the state faces a different level of risk. And that risk is not trivial. In Los Angeles, San Diego, and San …

Gen Z Homeownership is Highest in the Midwest for 2024  Gen Z accounted for 13% of home purchase applications.  Midwest markets had a higher share of Gen Z homebuyers in 2024.  Many Gen Z homebuyers are single, but about 45% of the applicants had co-applicants in 2024.  The unprecedented rise in home prices and elevated mortgage rates that have dominated the market since 2021 have significantly impacted housing affordability, particularly for younger buyers.   Despite these challenges, Gen Z is managing to enter the housing market. According to the CoreLogic Loan Application Database, this generation’s share of home-purchase applications accounted for 13% of total applications in 2024, a three-percentage point increase from 2023.1 Their presence in the market is expected to grow in the coming years.  Where Can Gen Z Buy a Home?  Gen Z represents a higher proportion of homebuyers in Midwestern markets but a lower proportion in more expensive …