After the heat wave, one in four French people is more inclined to move
The heat waves in May and June have strengthened the desire among 26% of French people to move to a climate-friendly environment, according to the annual moving survey conducted for the Les déménageurs bretons network. More than half say they are willing to make compromises regarding their housing or its location in order to better cope with future summers.
Three heat waves since late May, temperature records broken in many departments, and a question on everyone’s mind: Should we leave? The 2026 Moving Barometer—an online survey of 2,003 people representative of the general population conducted from April to May, supplemented by a post-heatwave wave of responses in early July—measures, for the first time, the direct effect of an extreme summer on residential relocation intentions. The result is clear: 26% of French people say the heat wave has strengthened their desire to move to an environment better suited to the climate, including 10% who now want to do so “much more.”
This phenomenon primarily affects young people and urban dwellers. Among those under 35, the proportion rises to 45 percent. Parents (35 percent) and residents of major metropolitan areas (33 percent, and up to 40 percent in the Paris metropolitan area) follow. The heat wave is acting as a catalyst for a trend that was already underway: even before this summer, 17% of French people who had moved within the last ten years reported that climate change had influenced their decision or their choice of destination, citing very concrete reasons: avoiding regions that are too hot (31%), areas prone to wildfires (26%), flood-prone areas (23%), or regions facing water shortages (22%).
Pay More or Downsize: The New Trade-offs
The most interesting shift in the survey concerns the nature of these trade-offs. Since the heat wave, 54% of French people say they are willing to accept at least one change to live in a home or region better suited to the climate. One-third focus their compromises on the home itself: 21% would accept paying more for a more energy-efficient home, and 21% would accept a smaller home that is better equipped to handle extreme heat. More than a quarter (27%) are willing to compromise on location, either by choosing a different region than originally planned if it is less exposed to risks (18%) or by moving farther away from their current place of residence (14%).
Before the summer, people’s trade-offs focused more on the logistics of the move than on the housing itself: 60% were willing to sacrifice flexibility, 54% a longer move, and 43% a more complex move, in exchange for concrete actions such as reusing cardboard boxes or donating furniture. The heat is shifting the focus from the moving process to the features of the future home—even if it means paying a higher price.
Environmental Factors Are Becoming Key Selection Criteria
Beyond short-term economic factors, 73% of French people considering a move place importance on environmental criteria in their search, and 27% consider them very important. This awareness is highest among those aged 65 and older (85%), families with children (83%), and homeowners (79%). Top priorities include energy-efficient housing (65%), proximity to shops and services (62%), green spaces (60%), and a good energy performance rating (58%).
Economic realities, however, have the final say: among those who consider these criteria secondary, 41% cite price, size, or location as their top priority, and 41% cite budget constraints. It remains to be seen whether these intentions—expressed in the heat of the moment, quite literally—will translate into actual purchases over the next twelve months.
