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{{About|the region of the southern United States|the college athletic conference|Sun Belt Conference|the region in Europe|Golden Banana}}
{{short description|Region of the southern United States}}
{{update|COVID-19|date=November 2023}}
[[File:Sun belt.svg|thumb|250px|The Sun Belt, highlighted in red]]
The '''Sun Belt''' is a region of the [[United States]] generally considered stretching across the [[Southern United States|Southeast]] and [[Southwestern United States|Southwest]]. Another rough definition of the region is the area south of the [[Parallel 36°30′ north]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://kinder.rice.edu/urbanedge/large-young-and-fast-growing-sun-belt-metros-need-urban-policy-innovation#:~:text=The%20Kinder%20Institute%20defines%20the,degrees%2030%20minutes%20north%20latitude. | title=Large, young and fast-growing Sun Belt metros need urban policy innovation &#124; Kinder Institute for Urban Research }}</ref> Several climates can be found in the region—[[desert climate|desert]]/[[semi-arid climate|semi-desert]] ([[Eastern California]], [[Nevada]], [[Arizona]], [[New Mexico]], [[Utah]], and [[West Texas]]), [[Mediterranean climate|Mediterranean]] ([[California]]), [[Humid subtropical climate|humid subtropical]] ([[Alabama]], [[Mississippi]], [[Louisiana]], [[Florida]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[South Carolina]], [[North Carolina]], [[Arkansas]],[[Tennessee]] and [[Texas]]), and [[Tropical climate|tropical]] ([[South Florida]]).

The Sun Belt has seen substantial population growth post-[[World War II]] from an influx of people seeking a warm and sunny climate, a surge in retiring [[baby boomers]], and growing economic opportunities. The advent of [[air conditioning]] created more comfortable summer conditions and allowed more manufacturing and industry to locate in the Sun Belt. Since much of the construction in the Sun Belt is new or recent, housing styles and design are often modern and open. Recreational opportunities in the Sun Belt are often not tied strictly to one season, and many tourist and [[resort cities]] in the region support a [[tourist industry]] all year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2012/02/where-pittsburgh-has-sun-belt-beat/1158/|title=Where Pittsburgh Has the Sun Belt Beat|author=Kaid Benfield|work=CityLab}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Desert-Like Conditions Hurt Sun Belt|last=Woods|first=Michael|date=January 18, 1981|newspaper=[[The Blade (Toledo)|The Blade]] (Toledo, OH)}}, [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19810118&id=l3cUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nAIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6810,1290417 reprinted by Google News Archive]</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Wichner |first=David |date=September 6, 2022 |title=Tucson region led Arizona tourism spending rebound in 2021 |newspaper=[[Arizona Daily Star]]}}, [https://tucson.com/news/local/business/tucson-region-led-arizona-tourism-spending-rebound-in-2021/article_853832c6-0861-11ed-a3fc-ab2f0e3de2c9.html]</ref>

==Migration==
Of the 15 fastest-growing cities in the U.S., 12 are located in the Sun Belt as of 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Khazan |first=Olga |date=2023-08-15 |title=Why People Won’t Stop Moving to the Sun Belt |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/08/moving-south-sun-belt-housing-economy/675010/ |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=The Atlantic |language=en}}</ref> Additionally, 86 percent of the top 50 zip codes that saw the largest increases in new residents since the start of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] were in Texas, Florida, and Arizona.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Khazan |first=Olga |date=2023-08-15 |title=Why People Won’t Stop Moving to the Sun Belt |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/08/moving-south-sun-belt-housing-economy/675010/ |access-date=2025-07-02 |website=The Atlantic |language=en}}</ref> The traditional explanations for the growth are increasing productivity in the South and West and increasing demand for Sun Belt amenities, especially its pleasant weather. Job decline in the [[Rust Belt]], along with rising cost of living in several Northeastern states, is another major reason for migration.<ref>"[https://www.hks.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/centers/taubman/files/sunbelt.pdf The Rise of the Sunbelt]" by Edward L. Glaeser, Harvard University, and Kristina Tobio, Kennedy School of Government. PB-2007-5. May 2007.</ref>

==Definition==
The Sun Belt comprises the southern tier of the U.S., including the states of Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, Texas, roughly two-thirds of California (up to [[Sacramento metropolitan area|Greater Sacramento]]), and the southern parts of [[Arkansas]], North Carolina, Nevada, [[Oklahoma]], [[Tennessee]], and Utah. Five of the states—Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, and Texas—are sometimes collectively called the '''Sand States''' because of their abundance of beaches and/or deserts.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fdic.gov/bank/analytical/quarterly/2009-vol3-1/vol3-1-sand-states.pdf|   author=Shayna M. Olesiuk and Kathy R. Kalser |title=The Sand States: Anatomy of a Perfect Housing-Market Storm|publisher=FDIC.gov|date=April 27, 2009|access-date=May 10, 2018}}</ref> Other definitions may also include parts of [[Colorado]], [[Kansas]], [[Missouri]], and [[Virginia]] and most or all of Arkansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Tennessee. For example, the Kinder Institute for Urban Research defines the Sun Belt as being south of 36°30′N latitude, which includes all of Arkansas, most of Oklahoma and virtually all of Tennessee (small parts of [[East Tennessee|East]] and [[Middle Tennessee]] extend north of 36°30′ due to surveying errors) but leaves out most of Nevada and California, with only [[Southern California]] and parts of [[Nye County, Nevada|Nye County]] and the [[Las Vegas Valley]] being included. This definition also includes most of the [[Missouri Bootheel]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://kinder.rice.edu/urbanedge/large-young-and-fast-growing-sun-belt-metros-need-urban-policy-innovation#:~:text=The%20Kinder%20Institute%20defines%20the,degrees%2030%20minutes%20north%20latitude | title=Large, young and fast-growing Sun Belt metros need urban policy innovation &#124; Kinder Institute for Urban Research }}</ref>

First employed by political analyst [[Kevin Phillips (political commentator)|Kevin Phillips]] in his 1969 book ''The Emerging Republican Majority'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Phillips|first=Kevin|title=How the GOP Became God's Own Party|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/01/AR2006040100004.html|access-date=September 5, 2012|newspaper=Washington Post|date=April 2, 2006}}</ref> the term "Sun Belt" became synonymous with the southern third of the nation in the early 1970s. In this period, economic and political prominence shifted from the [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]] and [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]] to the [[Southern United States|South]] and [[Western United States|West]]. Factors such as the warmer climate, the migration of workers from [[Mexico]], and a boom in the agriculture industry allowed the southern third of the United States to grow economically. The climate spurred not only agricultural growth, but also the migration of many retirees to retirement communities in the region, especially in Florida and Arizona.

Industries such as [[Aerospace industry#Aerospace manufacturing|aerospace]], [[List of United States defense contractors|defense]], and [[Petroleum in the United States|oil]] boomed in the Sun Belt as companies took advantage of the low involvement of [[trade union|labor unions]] in the region (due to more recent industrialization, 1930s–1950s) and the proximity of [[Military base|military installations]] that were major consumers of their products. The oil industry helped propel states such as Texas and Louisiana forward, and tourism grew in Florida, and Southern California. More recently, [[high tech]] and [[new economy]] industries have been major drivers of growth in California, Florida, Texas, and other parts of the Sun Belt. Texas and California rank among the top five states in the nation with the most [[Fortune&nbsp;500|''Fortune'' 500]] companies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fortune.com/2015/06/15/states-most-fortune-500-companies/|title=States with the most Fortune 500 companies|date=June 15, 2015|website=Fortune|access-date=June 26, 2016}}</ref>
==Projections==
In 2005, the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]] projected that approximately 88% of the nation's population growth between 2000 and 2030 would occur in the Sun Belt.<ref>[http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices/6324745-1.html Sun Belt Growth Shapes Housing's Future], Professional Builder, May 1, 2005  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080624084300/http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices/6324745-1.html |date=June 24, 2008 }}</ref> California, Texas, and Florida were each expected to add more than 12 million people during that time, which would make them by far the most populous states in America. Nevada, North Carolina, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and Texas were expected to be the fastest-growing states.

Events leading up to and including the [[Great Recession in the United States|2008–2009 recession]] led some to question whether growth projections for the Sun Belt had been overstated.<ref>Lewan, Todd: ''[https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna31016073 Has economic twilight come to the Sun Belt?]'', NBC News, May 31, 2009</ref> The [[economic bubble]] that led to the recession appeared, to some observers, to have been more acute in the Sun Belt than other parts of the country. Additionally, the traditional lure of cheaper labor markets in the region compared with America's older industrial centers has been eroded by overseas [[outsourcing]] trends.

One of the greatest threats facing the belt in the coming decades is water shortages.<ref>Cetron, Marvin J.; O'Toole, Thomas: ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=K_VGAAAAMAAJ Encounters with the future: a forecast of life into the 21st century]'', Mcgraw-Hill, April 1982, pg. 34</ref> Communities in California are making plans to build multiple [[desalination]] plants to supply fresh water and avert near-term crises.<ref>Shankman, Sabrina: ''[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124708765072714061 California Gives Desalination Plants a Fresh Look ]'', Wall Street Journal, July 10, 2009</ref> Texas, Georgia, and Florida also face increasingly serious shortages because of their rapidly expanding populations and high per-capita water consumption.<ref>McGovern, Bernie: ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=NclDpB3Fn5AC&dq=florida+water+shortage&pg=PA53 Florida Almanac 2007-2008]'', Pelican Publishing Company, March 2007, pg. 53</ref>

Lingering effects from the [[Great Recession]] slowed, and in some places even stopped, the migration from the [[Snowbelt|Frost Belt]] to the Sun Belt, according to data tracking people's movements over the year from July 2012 – 2013. Americans remained cautious about moving to a different state over this period.<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-snowbelt-sunbelt-migration-sluggish-20140123-story.html New data show 'snowbelt-to-sunbelt' migration sluggish to return], Los Angeles Times, 2014</ref> However, migration to the Sun Belt from the Frost Belt resumed again, according to 2015 Census data estimates, with growing migration to the Sun Belt and out of the Frost Belt.<ref>{{cite magazine | last1=Jotkin | first1=Joel | title=The Sun Belt Is Rising Again, New Census Numbers Show | url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/joelkotkin/2016/03/28/the-sun-belt-is-rising-again-new-census-data-shows/#25217e194750 | date=March 28, 2016 | magazine=[[Forbes]] | access-date=December 28, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last1=Frey | first1=William H. | title=Sun Belt Migration Reviving, New Census Data Show | url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2016/01/04/sun-belt-migration-reviving-new-census-data-show/ | date=January 4, 2016 | publisher=[[The Brookings Institution]] | access-date=December 28, 2016}}</ref> By the 2020s, the United States' fastest-growing cities were in Sun Belt states and, in addition to the US South, Americans favored the Sun Belt for relocation.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Carrigan |first=Ryan |date=6 October 2025 |title=2025 Moving Trends Report: Where are Americans looking to move right now? |url=https://www.movebuddha.com/blog/moving-trends/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Toukabri |first=Amel |date=16 May 2024 |title=New Estimates Show Population Recovered for Large Cities and Grew in Small Places on Outskirts of Urban Areas in 2023 |url=https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2024/05/sun-belt-cities-and-towns.html |access-date=2025-10-31 |website=United States Census Bureau |language=en}}</ref>

==Politics==
The Sun Belt has historically been more conservative than the nation at large, especially in comparison to regions such as [[New England]], the [[Pacific Northwest]], and to a somewhat lesser extent, the [[Mid-Atlantic (United States)|Mid-Atlantic]] states and the Rust Belt.<ref>{{Citation |title=Introduction: What Is the Sunbelt – and Why Is It Important? |date=2014 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/american-politics-in-the-postwar-sunbelt/introduction/B8DB4BCBA3FA714A9A77FE7C02B2BB0A |work=American Politics in the Postwar Sunbelt: Conservative Growth in a Battleground Region |pages=1–16 |editor-last=Cunningham |editor-first=Sean P. |access-date=2023-09-05 |series=Cambridge Essential Histories |place=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |doi=10.1017/CBO9781139170017.001 |isbn=978-1-107-02452-6|url-access=subscription }}</ref> This has been attributed in part to the high percentage of [[Evangelicalism|evangelical Christians]] living in the region.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nickerson |first=Michelle |title=Sunbelt Rising: The Politics of Space, Place, and Region |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |year=2011}}</ref>

Increasing racial diversity and political realignment on urban/rural lines have made some Sun Belt states more competitive, though all states in the region excluding New Mexico and California continue to vote to the right of the national average.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2022 Cook PVI: State Map and List |url=https://www.cookpolitical.com/cook-pvi/2022-partisan-voting-index/state-map-and-list |access-date=2023-09-05 |website=Cook Political Report |date=12 July 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/01/rust-belt-trump-democrats-sun-belt/604678/|title=Democrats' Future Is Moving Beyond the Rust Belt|last=Brownstein|first=Ronald|date=January 9, 2020|website=The Atlantic|language=en-US|access-date=January 26, 2020}}</ref>

Democratic presidential candidate [[Joe Biden]] narrowly won the states of Arizona and Georgia in the [[2020 United States presidential election|presidential election]], and the party gained seats in both states in the [[2020 United States Senate elections|Senate elections.]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Greg |title=Swing state, no more. Moderate Democrats have already turned Arizona blue |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/greg-moore/2022/11/17/arizona-election-blue-state-despite-its-red-reputation/10719234002/ |access-date=2023-02-03 |website=The Arizona Republic |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Analysis {{!}} Georgia is no longer a red state |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/12/08/georgia-elections-republicans-democrats-walker/ |access-date=2023-02-03 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> In the [[2024 United States presidential election|2024 presidential election]], [[Donald Trump]] won the swing states of [[Arizona]], [[North Carolina]], [[Nevada]], and [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]].

==Environment==
The environment in the belt is extremely valuable, not only to local and state governments, but to the federal government. Eight of the ten states have extremely high [[biodiversity]] (ranging from 3,800 to 6,700 species, not including marine life).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ecopolitology.org/2010/06/30/biodiversity-in-the-united-states-map/|title=Biodiversity in the United States (Map)|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110126004017/http://ecopolitology.org/2010/06/30/biodiversity-in-the-united-states-map/|archive-date=January 26, 2011}}</ref> The Sun Belt also has the highest number of distinct ecosystems: [[chaparral]], [[deciduous]], [[desert]], [[Grassland|grasslands]], [[temperate rainforest]], and [[tropical rainforest]].

[[File:Crocodylus acutus mexico 02.jpg|thumb|[[American crocodile]], a vulnerable species found in Florida]]

Some endangered species live within the belt,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.earthsendangered.com/unitedstates-M.asp |title=Earth's Endangered Creatures - United States Endangered Species List |access-date=January 26, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100829233616/http://www.earthsendangered.com/unitedstates-M.asp |archive-date=August 29, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.earthsendangered.com/unitedstates-B.asp |title=Earth's Endangered Creatures - United States Endangered Species List |access-date=January 26, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202190154/http://www.earthsendangered.com/unitedstates-B.asp |archive-date=February 2, 2011 }}</ref> including:

* [[American crocodile]]
* [[Black-capped vireo]]
* [[California condor]]
* [[Florida panther]]
* [[Fraser fir]]
* [[Longleaf pine]]
* [[Mexican wolf]]
* [[Red-cockaded woodpecker]]
* [[Red Hills salamander]]
* [[Sonoran pronghorn]]
* [[West Indian manatee]]
* [[Whooping crane]]

==Major cities==
{| class="wikitable"
|+ {{nowrap|Largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas<ref name="US Census">''[https://censusreporter.org/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140722050622/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/metro/totals/2012/tables/CBSA-EST2012-01.xls |date=July 22, 2014 }}'', United States Census Bureau, July 2012</ref><ref name="US Mayors">''[https://fred.stlouisfed.org/categories/27281] {{webarchive|url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/categories/27281 |date=August 13, 2022 }}'', The United States Conference of Mayors, July 2022</ref>}}
! Principal city !! Metro Population <br/>(millions)  !! [[Gross metropolitan product|GMP (2022)]]<br/>(US$ billion)

|-
| [[Greater Los Angeles|Los Angeles]]|| 13.9|| $1,227
|-
| [[Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex|Dallas–Fort Worth]] || 7.9 || $688.9
|-
| [[Greater Houston|Houston]] || 7.3|| $633.5
|-
| [[Metro Atlanta|Atlanta]] || 6.2|| $525.9
|-
| [[Miami metropolitan area|Miami]]|| 6.1|| $483.8
|- 
| [[Phoenix metropolitan area|Phoenix]] || 5.0|| $362.5 
|-
||[[Inland Empire|Riverside–San Bernardino]] || 4.6|| $237.9
|-
|[[San Francisco Bay Area|San Francisco]]|| 4.6||| $729.1
|-
| [[San Diego County, California|San Diego]]|| 3.2|| $295.6
|-
| [[Tampa Bay area|Tampa]]|| 3.3|| $219.4 
|-
| [[Charlotte metropolitan area|Charlotte]] || 2.7|| $228.9
|-
| [[Greater Orlando|Orlando]] || 2.7|| $194.5
|-
| [[Greater San Antonio|San Antonio]] || 2.6|| $163.1
|-
| [[Sacramento metropolitan area|Sacramento]] || 2.4|| $176.3
|-
| [[Greater Austin|Austin]] || 2.4|| $222.1
|-
| [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]]|| 2.3 || $160.7
|-
| [[Nashville, Tennessee| Nashville]] || 2.1 || $187.8
|-
| [[San_Jose,_California|San Jose]] || 1.9 || $403.0
|-
| [[Jacksonville metropolitan area|Jacksonville]]|| 1.7|| $117.2
|-
| [[Corpus Christi Metropolitan Area|Corpus Christi]] || 1.2 || $58.2
|-
| [[New Orleans metropolitan area|New Orleans]]|| 1.2 || $94.0
|-
| [[Pima County, Arizona|Tucson]] || 1.0 || $68.9
	
|}
The five largest metropolitan statistical areas are [[Greater Los Angeles|Los Angeles]], [[Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex|Dallas]], [[Greater Houston|Houston]], [[Metro Atlanta|Atlanta]], and [[Miami metropolitan area|Miami]]. The Los Angeles area is by far the largest, with over 13 million inhabitants {{asof|lc=y|2012}}. The ten largest metropolitan statistical areas are found in California, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, and Arizona.<ref name="US Mayors" /> Additionally, the cross-border metropolitan areas of [[San Diego–Tijuana|San Diego-Tijuana]] and [[El Paso–Juárez]] lie partially within the Sun Belt. Seven of the ten largest cities in the U.S. are located in the Sun Belt: [[Los Angeles]] (2), [[Houston]] (4), [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] (6), [[San Antonio]] (7), [[San Diego]] (8), [[Dallas]] (9), and [[San Jose, California|San Jose]] (10). Los Angeles County has a veteran population of 270,462.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/losangelescountycalifornia,CA/PST045218|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Los Angeles County, California; California|website=www.census.gov|language=en|access-date=March 23, 2020}}</ref>
{{Clear}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Major cities in the Sun Belt (south of 36°30'N)
! State !! City
|-
| [[Alabama]] || [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]], [[Dothan, Alabama|Dothan]], [[Gulf Shores, Alabama|Gulf Shores]], [[Huntsville, Alabama|Huntsville]], [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile]], [[Montgomery, Alabama|Montgomery]], [[Tuscaloosa, Alabama|Tuscaloosa]]
|-
| [[Arizona]] || [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], [[Tucson, Arizona|Tucson]], [[Mesa, Arizona|Mesa]], [[Marana, Arizona|Marana]], [[Buckeye, Arizona|Buckeye]], [[Chandler, Arizona|Chandler]], [[Casa Grande, Arizona|Casa Grande]], [[Glendale, Arizona|Glendale]], [[Scottsdale, Arizona|Scottsdale]], [[Gilbert, Arizona|Gilbert]], [[Tempe, Arizona|Tempe]], [[Peoria, Arizona|Peoria]], [[Paradise Valley, Arizona|Paradise Valley]], [[Queen Creek, Arizona|Queen Creek]], [[Surprise, Arizona|Surprise]], [[Yuma, Arizona|Yuma]], [[Prescott, Arizona|Prescott]], [[Flagstaff, Arizona|Flagstaff]], [[Nogales, Arizona|Nogales]]
|-
| [[Arkansas]] || [[Bentonville, Arkansas|Bentonville]], [[Fort Smith, Arkansas|Fort Smith]], [[Fayetteville, Arkansas|Fayetteville]], [[Hope, Arkansas|Hope]], [[Hot Springs, Arkansas|Hot Springs]], [[Jonesboro, Arkansas|Jonesboro]], [[Little Rock, Arkansas|Little Rock]], [[North Little Rock]], [[Texarkana, Arkansas|Texarkana]], [[West Memphis, Arkansas|West Memphis]]
|-
| [[Colorado]] || [[Aurora, Colorado|Aurora]], [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]], [[Castle Rock, Colorado|Castle Rock]], [[Centennial, Colorado|Centennial]], [[Castle Pines, Colorado|Castle Pines]], [[Colorado Springs, Colorado|Colorado Springs]], [[Denver, Colorado|Denver]], [[Durango, Colorado|Durango]], [[Falcon, Colorado|Falcon]], [[Fountain, Colorado|Fountain]], [[Fort Collins, Colorado|Fort Collins]], [[Greeley, Colorado|Greeley]], [[Grand Junction, Colorado|Grand Junction]], [[Lone Tree, Colorado|Lone Tree]], [[Littleton, Colorado|Littleton]], [[Northglenn, Colorado|Northglenn]], [[Parker, Colorado|Parker]], [[Thornton, Colorado|Thornton]], [[Telluride, Colorado|Telluride]], [[Windsor, Colorado|Windsor]]
|-
| [[California]] || [[Anaheim, California|Anaheim]], [[Bakersfield, California|Bakersfield]], [[El Centro, California|El Centro]], [[Escondido, California|Escondido]], [[Fresno, California|Fresno]], [[Irvine, California|Irvine]], [[Long Beach, California|Long Beach]], [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], [[Manteca, California|Manteca]], [[Modesto, California|Modesto]], [[Oakland, California|Oakland]], [[Palm Springs, California|Palm Springs]], [[Riverside, California|Riverside]], [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]], [[San Bernardino, California|San Bernardino]], [[San Diego, California|San Diego]], [[San Jose, California|San Jose]], [[San Francisco]], [[Stockton, California|Stockton]], [[Santa Cruz, California|Santa Cruz]], [[Santa Barbara, California|Santa Barbara]]
|-
| [[Florida]] || [[Cape Coral, Florida|Cape Coral]], [[Destin, Florida|Destin]], [[Lakeland, Florida|Lakeland]], [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida|Ft. Lauderdale]], [[Gainesville, Florida|Gainesville]], [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]], [[Miami]], [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]], [[Naples, Florida|Naples]], [[Pensacola, Florida|Pensacola]], [[St. Petersburg, Florida|St. Petersburg]], [[Sarasota, Florida|Sarasota]], [[Tallahassee, Florida|Tallahassee]], [[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]], [[West Palm Beach, Florida|West Palm Beach]]
|-
| [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] || [[Atlanta]], [[Athens, Georgia|Athens]], [[Augusta, Georgia|Augusta]], [[Brunswick, Georgia|Brunswick]], [[Columbus, Georgia|Columbus]], [[Macon, Georgia|Macon]], [[Marietta, Georgia|Marietta]], [[Pooler, Georgia|Pooler]], [[Savannah, Georgia|Savannah]], [[Valdosta, Georgia|Valdosta]], [[Warner Robins, Georgia|Warner Robins]]
|-
| [[Hawaii]] || [[Hilo]], [[Honolulu]]
|-
| [[Louisiana]] || [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]], [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge]], [[Bossier City, Louisiana|Bossier City]], [[Kenner, Louisiana|Kenner]], [[Lafayette, Louisiana|Lafayette]], [[Lake Charles, Louisiana|Lake Charles]], [[Metairie, Louisiana|Metairie]], [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]], [[New Orleans]], [[Shreveport, Louisiana|Shreveport]]
|-
| [[Mississippi]] || [[Jackson, Mississippi|Jackson]], [[Tupelo, Mississippi|Tupelo]], [[Meridian, Mississippi|Meridian]], [[Gulfport, Mississippi|Gulfport]], [[Southaven, Mississippi|Southaven]], [[Hattiesburg, Mississippi|Hattiesburg]]
|-
| [[New Mexico]] || [[Albuquerque, New Mexico|Albuquerque]], [[Deming, New Mexico|Deming]], [[Las Cruces, New Mexico|Las Cruces]], [[Rio Rancho, New Mexico|Rio Rancho]], [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]], [[Tucumcari, New Mexico|Tucumcari]] 
|-
| [[Nevada]] || [[Las Vegas]], [[Henderson, Nevada|Henderson]], [[North Las Vegas, Nevada|North Las Vegas]], [[Reno, Nevada|Reno]], [[Paradise, Nevada|Paradise]], [[Spring Valley, Nevada|Spring Valley]], [[Sunrise Manor, Nevada|Sunrise Manor]], [[Enterprise, Nevada|Enterprise]]
|-
| [[North Carolina]] || [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]], [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]], [[Laurinburg, North Carolina|Laurinburg]], [[Gastonia, North Carolina|Gastonia]], [[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]], [[Hickory, North Carolina|Hickory]], [[Matthews, North Carolina|Matthews]], [[Morrisville, North Carolina| Morrisville]], [[Mooresville, North Carolina|Mooresville]], [[Pittsboro, North Carolina|Pittsboro]], [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]], [[Rocky Mount, North Carolina|Rocky Mount]], [[Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina|Roanoke Rapids]], [[Chapel Hill, North Carolina|Chapel Hill]], [[Cary, North Carolina|Cary]], [[Wilson, North Carolina|Wilson]], [[Sanford, NC|Sanford]], [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina|Winston-Salem]], [[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]], [[Greenville, North Carolina|Greenville (NC)]], [[Fayetteville, North Carolina|Fayetteville]], [[Wilmington, North Carolina|Wilmington]], [[Outer Banks|The Outer Banks (OBX)]]
|-
| [[Oklahoma]] || [[Broken Arrow, Oklahoma|Broken Arrow]], [[Durant, Oklahoma|Durant]], [[Edmond, Oklahoma|Edmond]], [[Lawton, Oklahoma|Lawton]], [[Moore, Oklahoma|Moore]], [[Muskogee, Oklahoma|Muskogee]], [[Norman, Oklahoma|Norman]], [[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma|Oklahoma City]], [[Shawnee, Oklahoma|Shawnee]], [[Tulsa, Oklahoma|Tulsa]]
|-
| [[South Carolina]] || [[Charleston, South Carolina|Charleston]], [[Columbia, South Carolina|Columbia]], [[Greenville, South Carolina|Greenville]], [[Sumter, South Carolina|Sumter]], [[Myrtle Beach, South Carolina|Myrtle Beach]], [[Rock Hill, South Carolina|Rock Hill]], [[Spartanburg, South Carolina|Spartanburg]]
|-
| [[Tennessee]] || [[Chattanooga]], [[Cleveland, Tennessee|Cleveland Tenn.]], [[Cookeville]], [[Franklin, Tennessee|Franklin]], [[Gatlinburg]], [[Jackson, Tennessee|Jackson Tenn.]], [[Johnson City, Tennessee|Johnson City]], [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville]], [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]], [[Morristown, Tennessee|Morristown]], [[Murfreesboro]], [[Nashville]], [[Sevierville, Tennessee|Sevierville]]
|-
| [[Texas]] || [[Austin, Texas|Austin]], [[Amarillo, Texas|Amarillo]], [[Arlington, Texas|Arlington]], [[Buda, Texas|Buda]], [[Beaumont, Texas|Beaumont]], [[Brownsville, Texas|Brownsville]], [[Celina, Texas|Celina]], [[Corpus Christi, Texas|Corpus Christi]], [[College Station, Texas|College Station]], [[Dallas]], [[Denton, Texas|Denton]], [[El Paso, Texas|El Paso]], [[Fort Worth, Texas|Ft. Worth]], [[Frisco, Texas|Frisco]], [[Garland, Texas|Garland]], [[Galveston, Texas|Galveston]], [[Houston]], [[Irving, Texas|Irving]], [[Killeen, Texas|Killeen]], [[Laredo, Texas|Laredo]], [[Lubbock, Texas|Lubbock]], [[McAllen, Texas|McAllen]], [[Midland, Texas|Midland]], [[McKinney, Texas|McKinney]], [[New Braunfels, Texas|New Braunfels]], [[Odessa, Texas|Odessa]], [[Plano, Texas|Plano]], [[Prosper, Texas|Prosper]], [[Sherman, Texas|Sherman]], [[San Marcos, Texas|San Marcos]], [[San Angelo, Texas|San Angelo]], [[San Antonio]], [[Sulphur Springs, Texas|Sulphur Springs]], [[Tyler, Texas|Tyler]], [[Temple, Texas|Temple]], [[Texarkana, Texas|Texarkana]], [[Waco, Texas|Waco]], [[Waxahachie, Texas|Waxahachie]]
|-
| [[Utah]] || [[Provo, Utah|Provo]], [[Sandy, Utah|Sandy]], [[St. George, Utah|St. George]], [[Salt Lake City, Utah|Salt Lake City]]
|-
| [[Virginia]] || [[Bristol, Virginia|Bristol]], [[Chesapeake, Virginia|Chesapeake]], [[Danville, Virginia|Danville]], [[Hampton, Virginia|Hampton]], [[Lynchburg, Virginia|Lynchburg]], [[Martinsville, Virginia|Martinsville]], [[Norfolk, Virginia|Norfolk]], [[Newport News, Virginia|Newport News]], [[Petersburg, Virginia|Petersburg]], [[Roanoke, Virginia|Roanoke]], [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]], [[Salem, Virginia|Salem]], [[Virginia Beach, Virginia|Virginia Beach]]
|}

==See also==
* [[Corn Belt]]
* [[Economy of the United States]]
* [[Northern Tier (United States)]], the northernmost states
* [[Rust Belt]]
* [[Snowbelt]]
* [[Southernization]], refers to the political and cultural effects of the growth of the Sun Belt
* [[Sun Belt Conference]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|last=Weinstein|first=Bernard L.|title=Regional growth and decline in the United States: the rise of the Sunbelt and the decline of the Northeast|year=1978|publisher=Praeger Publishers|isbn=9780275239503|author2=Robert E. Firestine }}
* {{cite book|last=Hollander|first=Justin B.|author-link=Justin Hollander|title=Sunburnt Cities: The Great Recession, Depopulation, and Urban Planning in the American Sunbelt|year=2011|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|isbn=9780415592116|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EO358S7DkP0C&q=Sunburnt+Cities:+The+Great+Recession,+Depopulation+and+Urban+Planning+in+the+American+Sunbelt}}

{{U.S. Belt regions}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Regions of the Southern United States]]
[[Category:Regions of the Western United States]]
[[Category:Sun|Belt]]
[[Category:Belt regions of the United States]]