Climate change’s undeniable impacts on the environment and people’s lives threaten economies, cultures, and societies worldwide, particularly affecting families reliant on the natural environment. Different cultural backgrounds influence individuals’ perceptions and responses to climate change challenges. The study explores family resilience, adaptation strategies, and cultural context among 515 households from diverse cultural groups in China. Additionally, the research investigates the mediating role of cultural adaptation and the moderating effect of socio-economic status on family resilience and adaptation. The study’s results confirm the majority of proposed hypotheses through the application of PLS-SEM, providing valuable insights into the factors shaping family resilience and adaptation to climate change impacts. Social support, coping abilities, supportive networks, and cultural background emerged as crucial elements in building family resilience. Additionally, cultural adaptation plays a pivotal role in explaining the influence of cultural background on family resilience and adaptation. Understanding this mediation effect emphasizes the importance of adaptive behaviors and cultural adjustment in coping with environmental challenges. Moreover, the study highlights the moderating effect of Socio- Economic Status (SES) on the relationship between family resilience and adaptation, underscoring the need to consider SES in promoting adaptive capacity in the face of changing environmental conditions. It is necessary to recognize and respect the diverse cultural backgrounds of communities when designing and implementing climate change adaptation programs.