New research released by Cotality, a global provider of real estate information, analytics and technology data solutions, shows that New York has the highest concentration of homes at risk related to hurricanes in the United States.
Cotality estimated in its 2026 Hurricane Risk Report that more than 3.27 million New York households face moderate or higher hurricane risk. The company said the properties have a reconstruction cost value (RCV) of nearly $1.93 trillion, putting the region ahead of major metropolitan areas in Florida and Texas.
The report states that more than 32.2 million households across the country are at risk from hurricanes, with reconstruction costs exceeding $12.26 trillion.
Cotality said the findings demonstrate how hurricane-related threats affect areas outside of traditionally recognized coastal risk zones, while also exposing gaps in flood insurance coverage.
The New York metropolitan area has the highest number of homes vulnerable to hurricanes and storm surges in the country, according to Cotality. The company linked this level of risk to the area’s dense population and high-value coastal housing stock.
Cotality’s analysis ranks Houston as the city with the second highest overall hurricane exposure, with 2.17 million homes at risk and an exposure value of approximately $824 billion. Miami ranks third, with approximately 2.04 million homes exposed and reconstruction costs estimated at $616 billion.
The report also noted that New York was the leading market in the United States affected by storm surge, with more than 631,000 homes considered at risk, equivalent to approximately $329 billion in reconstruction costs. Miami is second, ahead of Tampa, New Orleans and Cape Coral.
“While hurricanes hit the Northeast less frequently than the Gulf Coast, the region’s tremendous population density and property values mean the risk is very high,” said Maiclaire Bolton-Smith, vice president of insurance market insights at Cotality. “It’s critical that homeowners in the Northeast understand that while hurricanes may not make landfall as often as in other states, the risk is still real.
“A single event can cause historic economic losses, making early mitigation a critical investment that will pay huge dividends when the storm inevitably makes landfall.”
At the state level, Cotality said Florida remains the most hurricane-exposed state in the country. The company estimates that about 8.25 million households in the state are at moderate or greater hurricane risk, with reconstruction costs worth more than $2.56 trillion. Texas ranks second with nearly 4.8 million homes at risk, followed by North Carolina with more than 3.1 million homes at risk.
Cotality also found that Florida experienced the highest storm surge impacts in the nation, with approximately 2.47 million homes at risk and nearly $748 billion in damaged property. That total is more than three times that of Louisiana, which ranks second among U.S. states, according to the company.
The report further highlights what Cotality describes as significant hidden flood risks across the country. More than 927,000 homes, equivalent to about $405 billion in property value, are said to be at severe risk of hurricane-related flooding, even though they are outside federally required flood insurance zones. Cotality estimates the annual flood damage to these homes to be approximately $1.73 billion.
Louisiana has been identified by Cotality as one of the states with the highest exposure to hidden flooding. Orleans Parish alone has more than $41.8 billion in risk property value outside the mandatory insurance zone, followed by neighboring Jefferson Parish at $28.6 billion. Brevard County in Florida, Harris County in Texas and Suffolk County in New York were also listed as among the most exposed counties in the report.
“Traditional flood maps have long provided an important baseline for the industry, but as hurricane-driven rainfall becomes more intense and reaches further inland, it’s clear that a higher-definition lens is needed to see the full picture,” Bolton-Smith added.
“By looking beyond traditional boundaries and analyzing structural elevation data down to the individual property level, we are expanding the horizons of homeowners and insurance companies to help prevent unexpected financial losses.”