28 U.S. Cities Are Sinking: Scientific Studies Reveal Alarming Urban Risk Amid Rising Sea Levels

Recent scientific research has revealed a deeply troubling trend: many of the major cities across the United States are sinking — a process known as land subsidence — while also facing the dual threat of sea level rise. These combined forces are placing increasing strain on urban infrastructure, residential areas, and the broader economy.

28 U.S. Cities Are Sinking Scientific Studies Reveal Alarming Urban Risk Amid Rising Sea Levels

A recent study conducted by the University of Rhode Island and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory examined satellite data across 28 major U.S. cities and identified clear signs of subsiding land in each of them. The research shows that this subsidence, when coupled with rapid sea-level rise, could significantly increase the risk of coastal flooding, infrastructure damage, and even eventual urban uninhabitability.

Key Findings: Cities at Risk

Some of the findings are especially alarming. Here's a breakdown of affected cities and their respective subsidence rates:

1. Houston, Texas: Houston is the fastest sinking major U.S. city, with some areas subsiding at a rate of up to 5 centimeters per year. This city has long struggled with land sinking due to groundwater extraction and urban expansion.
2. New York City, Chicago, Seattle, and Denver: These cities are subsiding at a more moderate rate of approximately 2 millimeters per year, but over time, even small changes can dramatically alter the urban landscape, especially when combined with rising seas.
3. Dallas, Fort Worth, and Columbia: These inland cities are seeing the land sink at over 4 millimeters annually, which can still cause long-term stress on buildings, roadways, and pipelines.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) projects that sea levels along U.S. coastlines will rise by 25 to 30 centimeters (10 to 12 inches) by 2050. While that may not sound dramatic on its own, when combined with subsiding land, the effective relative sea level rise is significantly amplified. In cities that are both sinking and facing ocean encroachment, this means higher risk of storm surges, flooding, and damage to critical infrastructure.

(Source: NOAA Sea Level Rise Technical Report 2022)

Root Causes of Land Subsidence and Urban Sinking

The reasons behind this phenomenon are complex but largely human-driven. The following are the four primary contributors to land subsidence in urban environments:

1. Excessive Use of Groundwater

One of the leading causes of land sinking is the excessive extraction of groundwater. Many cities rely on underground aquifers for their water supply, particularly during dry seasons. Over time, withdrawing large volumes of water reduces pressure in the underground water tables, causing the soil above to compress and collapse.

In cities like Houston, groundwater extraction has been especially damaging. According to USGS studies, decades of over-pumping have caused irreversible sinking in parts of the city, making it more prone to flooding.

2. Oil and Gas Extraction

The removal of oil and gas from beneath the earth's surface can also lead to subsidence. When fossil fuels are extracted, they leave behind empty pockets underground. These voids eventually collapse under the weight of the land, causing the ground to sink.

States like Texas and California, which are known for large-scale oil production, have seen localized subsidence events linked to energy resource exploitation. A notable example includes Wilmington, California, where land subsided more than 9 meters during the peak of oil extraction activities in the 20th century.

3. The Weight of Urban Development

Modern cities are heavy. As cities grow, they are filled with skyscrapers, apartment blocks, roadways, and other large infrastructure projects. The cumulative weight of these developments exerts pressure on the ground beneath, especially in areas with soft or unconsolidated soil.

A recent study published in Earth's Future found that the city of New York is sinking under its own weight, with estimates suggesting the city’s mass — approximately 1.68 trillion pounds — is accelerating subsidence in certain neighborhoods. (Source: AGU's Earth's Future Journal)

28 U.S. Cities Are Sinking Scientific Studies Reveal Alarming Urban Risk Amid Rising Sea Levels

4. Climate Change and Extreme Weather

Climate change is an overarching factor that not only causes sea-level rise through melting polar ice caps but also contributes to extreme weather events like heavy rainfall, flooding, and hurricanes. These intense events can erode soil, increase runoff, and weaken ground stability.

Additionally, rising sea levels push saltwater further inland into groundwater systems, degrading the quality and increasing the need to pump fresh water — further exacerbating land compression.

Long-Term Consequences for Cities and the Economy

The combination of sinking land and rising sea levels spells major trouble for America’s cities. Here are a few of the consequences:

• Urban Flooding: Cities like Miami, New Orleans, and New York already struggle with regular flooding. Subsidence makes this worse by reducing elevation relative to sea level.

• Infrastructure Damage: Sinking land causes cracks in roads, bridges, buildings, and pipelines. Repairing or rebuilding such infrastructure places massive financial burdens on local governments.

• Property Devaluation and Housing Crisis: As flood risks increase, real estate values may plummet in vulnerable areas, leaving homeowners with assets that become unsellable or uninsurable.

• Mass Displacement: In the long term, people may be forced to migrate from at-risk cities. The U.S. could face climate migration, with economic and political ramifications nationwide.

What Can Be Done?

While the threat is serious, experts believe that proactive steps can reduce future damage:

• Implementing stricter groundwater regulations, especially in areas already prone to subsidence.

• Investing in resilient infrastructure, such as elevated roads, sea walls, and better drainage systems.

• Enforcing urban planning policies that limit overdevelopment in vulnerable zones.

• Transitioning to renewable energy to minimize oil and gas extraction impacts.

• Raising public awareness about the risks of climate-related urban sinking.

Several cities are already taking action. New York City, for example, has invested in the Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency Project, a $1.45 billion plan to protect its coastline from rising waters. Other cities are following suit, but more aggressive, coordinated federal and state-level policies are still urgently needed.

Conclusion:

The sinking of U.S. cities is not a future hypothetical—it is happening now. As climate change continues to reshape the physical world, understanding and responding to these environmental stressors is essential. Without decisive action, the cost—human, economic, and environmental—could be catastrophic.

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