Climate Change and Social Vulnerability in the United States: A Focus on Six Impacts oEPA
Findings on Disproportionate Risks of
Climate Change to Low Income Individuals
This report estimates the risks to low income individuals
living in the contiguous United States. Results are based on
current demographic distributions and projected changes
in climate hazards.
This is a one-page summary of
findings from EPA's report Climate
Change and Social Vulnerability in
the United States: A Focus on Six
Impacts related to disproportion-
ate risks of climate change to low
income individuals. The report
estimates the disproportionate
risks to socially vulnerable popula-
tions (defined based on age,
income, education, race, and
ethnicity) associated with six
impact categories:
•	Air Quality and Health;
•	Extreme Temperature and
Health;
•	Extreme Temperature and
Labor;
•	Coastal Flooding and Traffic;
•	Coastal Flooding and Property;
and
•	Inland Flooding and Property,
Risks are calculated for each
socially vulnerable group relative
to its "reference population" (all
individuals outside of each group)
for scenarios with 2°C of global
warming of 50 cm of sea level rise.
The estimated risks are based on
current demographic distributions
in the contiguous United States.
The report finds that low income
individuals are more likely than
their reference population to
currently live in areas with:
•	the highest increases in child-
hood asthma diagnoses from
climate-driven changes in PMZ5;
•	the highest percentage of land
lost to inundation;
•	the highest increases in mortality
rates due to climate-driven
changes in extreme tempera-
tures;
•	the highest rates of labor hour
losses for weather-exposed work-
ers due to extreme tempera-
tures; and
• the highest increases in traffic
delays associated with high-tide
flooding.
For more information, please refer
to the report and accompanying
appendices.
Coastal Flooding
and Traffic
14% more likely to live in areas
with the highest estimated
increases in traffic delays due
to coastal flooding with 50 cm
of global sea level rise
Extreme Temperature
and Health
11% more likely to currently
live in areas with the
highest projected increases
in extreme temperature-
related deaths with
2°C of global warming
Coastal Flooding
and Property
16% more likely to currently live
in areas where the highest
percentage of land is projected
to be lost to inundation with
SO cm of global sea level rise
Inland Flooding
and Property
equal risk relative to non-low income
individuals who currently live in
areas with the highest projected
damages from inland flooding with
2°C of global warming
EPA 430-R-21 -003 | September 2021

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