Eugene, OR

Eugene's NRI overall score of 52 places it among the lower-risk markets in this dataset—a measurement that reflects genuine comparative advantage over Sun Belt, coastal, and WUI-adjacent cities, but should not be read as a risk-free certificate. The 2021 heat dome reached Eugene with temperatures exceeding 108°F, affecting housing stock built around a temperate climate assumption that no longer consistently holds for the July-August window. The 2020 Lane County smoke season degraded air quality repeatedly—regional fires produced conditions that closed schools, limited outdoor activity, and affected health exposure in a city where outdoor lifestyle is central to residential value. What we noticed: Eugene's risk profile is moderate but shifting. Heat at the 68th national percentile is rising; the 2021 event exceeded anything in the historical record. South Hills' 97405 tree canopy reduces ambient heat but introduces wildfire-fringe scrutiny as development approaches less-managed terrain. Downtown's 97401 river-adjacent flood context requires parcel-level review despite the low overall flood score of 36. Annual premiums range from $1,100 to $2,600—the lowest premium range in this dataset. That reflects the genuine absence of coastal, seismic, or extreme wildfire exposure. The practical risk in Eugene is expressed through habitability stress during heat and smoke events, cooling-system adequacy in older housing, and the University-area rental stock's vulnerability to heat events in buildings without mechanical cooling. Flood at the 41st national percentile and wildfire at the 44th are both low—the comparative advantage over higher-risk Western markets is real. Treating Eugene as a zero-risk market, however, is the wrong read: the 2021 heat dome is the more accurate summer baseline going forward.

— Open Data Collective