As Insurers Retreat, the Hamptons Becomes a Test Case for Climate Risk

Photo: Aerial view of Shinnecock Bay, the Ocean View Terrace Inn, and Edgewater Grill – May 29, 2019. Photo credit: Masterchief1307 via Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 4.0 (photo was resized), Article by  Stuart J. Green. Observer – July 21, 2026.

It has never been more expensive to buy into the Hamptons. In late 2025, the median sales price hit a record $2.34 million, with sales above $10 million soaring 75 percent from the previous year. On paper, one of America’s most climate-exposed luxury markets has never looked stronger, even as the risks beneath it continue to grow. The same coastline looks starkly different when viewed through the eyes of an insurance broker. National and regional carriers have stopped writing new homeowner coverage in eastern Suffolk County and, increasingly, across Long Island. […]

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