New York State Climate Impacts Assessment Chapter 08: Society and Economy

Abstract

Climate change is affecting or will affect the lives of every resident of New York State. This chapter examines the impacts of climate change on five critical areas in the state: populations and migration, the economy, education, culture, and government. The chapter highlights differential vulnerabilities among the state's regions, populations, workers, and businesses, paying particular attention to issues of equity and environmental justice.

Keywords: New York State; adaptation; climate change; culture; economy; impacts; resilience; tourism; vulnerability.

FIGURE 8‐1

Average number of hurricane events per year in New York State, 1851–2020, with projected 2050 population density shown for the highest‐risk areas. Data from FEMA (2023) and Zoraghein and O'Neill.

FIGURE 8‐2

Average number of coastal flood events per year in New York State, historically, with projected 2050 population density shown for the most populous at‐risk area. Date ranges for the historical data used in calculating averages differ based on location and type of flood hazard present. Data from FEMA (2023) and Zoraghein and O'Neill.

FIGURE 8‐3

Average number of riverine flooding events per year in New York State, 1996–2019, with projected population density for 2050. Data from FEMA (2023) and Zoraghein and O'Neill.

FIGURE 8‐4

Average number of winter weather events per year in New York State, 2005–2021, with estimated percentage of population aged 65 or older, 2016–2020. In the scale for the inset map, each subgroup (e.g., 12.9−17.1%) contains approximately one quarter of the counties in the state. Data from FEMA (2023) and U.S. Census Bureau (2020).

FIGURE 8‐5

Share of New York State tourism spending by region, 2019. Data are broken out by regions as defined within the Tourism Economics report. Data from Tourism Economics (2019).

FIGURE 8‐6

GDP by New York State outdoor recreation activity, 2021. Category totals add up to more than the state total of $25.5 billion because of some overlap across categories. Data from U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (2022).

FIGURE 8‐7

Locations of public schools in New York State, 2022, with average historical number of coastal flood events per year. Date ranges for the historical data used in calculating averages differ based on location and type of flood hazard present. Data from Federal Emergency Management Agency (2023) and New York State Education Department (2022).

FIGURE 8‐8

Locations of public schools in New York State, 2022, with average annual number of hurricane events, 1851–2020. Data from Federal Emergency Management Agency (2023) and New York State Education Department (2022).

FIGURE 8‐9

Locations of public schools in New York State, 2022, with average number of winter weather events per year, 2005–2022. Data from Federal Emergency Management Agency (2023) and New York State Education Department (2022).

FIGURE 8‐10

Median household income by county for New York State, 2016–2020. Data from U.S. Census Bureau (2020).

FIGURE 8‐11

Percentage of households below poverty level by county for New York State, 2016–2020. Data from U.S. Census Bureau (2020).

FIGURE 8‐12

Disadvantaged communities in New York State, 2023, as identified by the Climate Justice Working Group. Data from New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (2023).