Sun Belt

Sun Belt

The Sun Belt comprises the southern tier of the United States. It includes the states of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, Texas, roughly two-thirds of California, and parts of North Carolina, Nevada, and Utah. Eight of the ten states have extremely high biodiversity, not only to the state governments, but to the federal government.

About Sun Belt in brief

Summary Sun BeltThe Sun Belt comprises the southern tier of the United States, including the states of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, Texas, roughly two-thirds of California, and parts of North Carolina, Nevada, and Utah. The Sun Belt has seen substantial population growth since the 1960s from an influx of people seeking a warm and sunny climate, a surge in retiring baby boomers, and growing economic opportunities. In 2005, the U.S. Census Bureau projected that approximately 88% of the nation’s population growth between 2000 and 2030 would occur in the Sun Belt.

The largest statistical areas are Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Miami, and Atlanta. Some endangered species live within the belt, including five species of endangered species. Eight of the ten states have extremely high biodiversity, not only to the state governments, but to the federal government. The region also has the highest number of distinct ecosystems: chaparral, deciduous, temperate rainforest, tropical rainforest and tropical rainlands, including desert, dry desert, and dry desert.