Houston: America’s Fastest-Sinking Major City
A 2025 study published in the journal Nature Cities by researchers from the Columbia Climate School confirms that Houston is experiencing the most rapid subsidence among major U.S. cities. The study found that over 40% of Houston is sinking more than 5 millimeters (about 0.2 inches) per year, with approximately 12% of the city subsiding at twice that rate. Some localized areas are sinking as much as 5 centimeters (2 inches) annually.
This subsidence poses significant risks to infrastructure, increasing the likelihood of flooding, damaging buildings, and stressing transportation systems. As climate change intensifies drought conditions, reliance on groundwater may increase, potentially exacerbating the problem .
New York City: Weight of the City Contributes to Sinking
According to a NASA-led study, New York City is gradually sinking at an average rate of approximately 1.6 millimeters per year. This subsidence is primarily due to natural geological processes, such as glacial isostatic adjustment, and human activities, including the immense weight of the city’s infrastructure and land-use practices like landfill construction…