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Visualizing Sea Level Rise and Decline in America
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Key Takeaways
- Coastal cities, including Grand Isle, Louisiana and Rockport, Texas saw the highest sea level rises in 2024.
- Since 2010, sea levels in Grand Isle have risen seven inches—with Louisiana seeing one of the fastest rate of land loss globally.
- In southeastern Virginia, sea levels are not only rising but land is sinking at a notable rate, further compounding the issue.
In America, the Gulf Coast is experiencing the sharpest sea level rise, with areas particularly hit by high tide flooding. Among the primary causes is the melting of glaciers in Greenland.
By contrast, sea levels are falling at the sharpest rate in Juneau, Alaska, at 13.7 millimeters in 2024. This too is driven by melting glaciers—but instead it is causing the land to rise given the loss of glacier weight.
This graphic shows the rate of sea level change in America, based on data from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.
The study selected 36 U.S. coastal locations with tide monitoring stations for an even distribution across both U.S. coasts, and the city of Naples, Florida was excluded from the visualization due to it not having data for 2024.
Gulf Coast Sees the Fastest Sea Level Rise
Below, we show sea level trends across 35 U.S. coastal cities in 2024:
| Location | Rate of Rise/Fall 2024 (millimeters per year) |
|---|---|
| Grand Isle, LA | 8.2 |
| Rockport, TX | 7.2 |
| Galveston, TX | 6.9 |
| Norfolk, VA | 5.6 |
| Yorktown, VA | 5.4 |
| Port Isabel, TX | 5.2 |
| Solomons Island, MD | 5.2 |
| Sandy Hook, NJ | 4.8 |
| Savannah, GA | 4.6 |
| Annapolis, MD | 4.6 |
| Charleston, SC | 4.3 |
| Baltimore, MD | 4.1 |
| New York, NY | 4.0 |
| St Petersburg, FL | 3.8 |
| Pensacola, FL | 3.7 |
| Ft. Myers, FL | 3.7 |
| Key West, FL | 3.6 |
| Wilmington, NC | 3.6 |
| Boston, MA | 3.5 |
| Cedar Key, FL | 3.5 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 3.3 |
| San Diego, CA | 2.7 |
| Eastport, ME | 2.4 |
| Seattle, WA | 2.1 |
| South Beach, OR | 1.9 |
| San Francisco, CA | 1.9 |
| Portland, ME | 1.8 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 1.7 |
| Alameda, CA | 1.1 |
| Astoria, OR | 0.3 |
| Ketchikan, AK | -0.6 |
| Crescent City, CA | -0.7 |
| Sitka, AK | -3.0 |
| Yakutat Bay, AK | -12.1 |
| Juneau, AK | -13.7 |
Grand Isle, Louisiana ranks first overall, with a 8.2 millimeter per year (mm/year) rise in sea levels in 2024.
Given that the area is highly prone to flooding, average annual home insurance costs a staggering $11,000. Overall, insurance costs total 5.7% of an average home’s value.
Following next in line is Rockport, Texas, which is also susceptible to flash flooding. Overall, Texas is home to three of the top 10 cities with the fastest sea level rise.
On the other end of the spectrum is Alaska, where sea levels fell by 13.7 millimeters in Juneau and 12.1 millimeters in Yakutat Bay. As melting ice reshapes the Arctic, Alaska is gaining prominence in global trade and geopolitics. Its vast reserves of oil, gas, and rare earth minerals make it a strategic asset for nations vying for influence in the region.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
To learn more about this topic from a global perspective, check out this graphic on the countries wit the most freshwater resources.