Could your city survive a nuclear apocalypse? We hope you never have to find out.

Nevertheless, realtor.com looked at the 200 largest metros and rated each based on a number of factors, including the percentage of listings with a lake, pond or well (for drinking water); the percentage of listings with a safe room, bunker or fallout shelter; and the percentage of listings with solar power (in case the city power grid goes out), just to name a few.

Based on those factors, Kansas City, Mo. is the best place to survive a nuclear apocalypse.

Kansas City has one of the highest rates of listings with bunkers and fallout shelters, and most basements there are constructed out of brick — a material that is better equipped to withstand a nuclear blast.

“Surviving a disaster will often have more to do with where you are than with any other factor,” said Richard Duarte, author of Surviving Doomsday, in an interview with realtor.com. “Finding yourself in a highly populated urban center, competing with violent crowds for dwindling resources, will usually not end well. If the scarcity doesn’t get you, the resulting chaos certainly will.”

New York City, on the other hand, is the worst place to survive a nuclear apocalypse thanks to its large population and lack of natural resources. It would be impossible to forage for food and find water on your own, and the sheer number of people would make it nearly impossible to exit the city quickly as roadways, subways and trains would be overcrowded or inoperable.

Los Angeles; Dallas; Nashville, Tenn.; Atlanta; Washington D.C.; Fayetteville, NC; and Seattle rounded out the worst places list for the same reasons.

Duarte says New Yorkers and Los Angelinos shouldn’t feel too bad — everyone, including Kansas Citians, would have a tough time dealing with the fallout of a nuclear crisis.

“If it does happen, I don’t know if any amount of time preparing will do much difference. I’ve seen what happens in the aftermath of a simple weather event — people go into chaos,” he said. “That thing we call civilization goes away quick.”

Email Marian McPherson.

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×