From New York to Houston, the ground is sinking—literally. A new study finds 28 major U.S. cities are subsiding, increasing the risk of flooding, foundation damage, and infrastructure failure.
A new satellite analysis of land elevation in the 28 most populous U.S. cities reveals a hidden but growing problem: many of America’s major metro areas are sinking. This gradual sinking poses significant risks to infrastructure and amplifies flood hazards, especially in coastal urban areas.
“This is the first high-resolution, satellite-based measurement of land subsidence across the 28 most populous U.S. cities,” lead author Leonard Ohenhen of Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory said. “It offers critical information for urban planning, infrastructure adaptation, and hazard preparedness.”
According to the study by Virginia Tech researchers published in the journal Nature Cities last week, every city analyzed has at least 20% of its land area subsiding, or slowly sinking. In 25 of the 28 cities, more than 65% of the land area is affected. The primary culprit? Groundwater extraction—pulling water from underground aquifers faster than nature can replace it.
Cities sinking the fastest
Texas is particularly at risk. Among all metro areas, Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth are the fastest sinking cities in the U.S., with large portions of land subsiding more than 5 millimeters per year—nearly 2 inches every decade. In Houston alone, 42% of the city is subsiding at that rate, with some areas exceeding 10 mm per year, one of the fastest rates in the country.
Other cities with widespread and rapid subsidence include:…