The American Sun Belt: Growth to Gentrification

This brief explores the rise and challenges of the Sun Belt region, focusing on the unique manifestation of gentrification in Southern cities. It examines how the promise of low taxes and cost-of-living in the Sun Belt is being threatened by an influx of new migrants, exacerbating economic inequality and straining local resources.

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June 3, 2023

Inquiry-driven, this project may reflect personal views, aiming to enrich problem-related discourse.

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This brief explores the rise and challenges of the Sun Belt region, focusing on the unique manifestation of gentrification in Southern cities. It examines how the promise of low taxes and cost-of-living in the Sun Belt is being threatened by an influx of new migrants, exacerbating economic inequality and straining local resources.

REFERENCES

[1] Baca, Alex, and Nick Finio. “Gentrification Is Beneficial on Average,
Studies Say. That Doesn’t Mean It’s Not Painful for Some.” Greater
Greater Washington, August 6, 2019.
ggwash.org/view/73267/on-average-gentrification-helps-people-but-that
-doesnt-mean-its-not-painful-for-some.
[2] Bahl, Kiran. “Why Are So Many People Moving to Texas from
California?” PODS Moving and Storage Blog, May 31, 2023.
pods.com/blog/2022/10/moving-to-texas-from-california/.
[3] Brown, T.M. “The American Cities With the Worst Sprawl -- and How
They’re Trying to Change.” Thrillist, June 9, 2017.
thrillist.com/travel/nation/urban-sprawl-worst-cities.
[4] CHOUDARY, WENDIE N. “Mitigating Gentrification: How Several
Sun Belt Cities Are Responding.” Kinder Institute for Urban Research |
Rice University, December 12, 2018.
kinder.rice.edu/urbanedge/mitigating-gentrification-how-several-sun-belt-cities-are-responding.
[5] “CodeNEXT,” August 9, 2018. austintexas.gov/codenext.
[6] Frey, William H. “Sun Belt Migration Reviving, New Census Data
Show.” Brookings, September 29, 2016.

brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2016/01/04/sun-belt-migration-reviving-new-census-data-show/.

[7] Fulton, William. “Why Sun Belt Cities Need Unique Solutions to
Common Problems.” Governing, July 27, 2017.
governing.com/archive/gov-sun-belt-cities-refugees-gulfton.html.
[8] Glaeser, Edward L., and Kristina Tobio. “The Rise of the Sunbelt.” A.
Alfred Taubman Center for State and Local Government, May 2007.
https://www.hks.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/centers/taubman/files/sunbelt.pdf.
[9] Newsom, Mary. “Sun Belt Cities Are Driving Much of Our Urban
Growth. Let’s Study Them.” UNC Charlotte Urban Institute, July 6,
2023.

ui.charlotte.edu/story/sun-belt-cities-are-driving-much-our-urban-growth-let%E2%80%99s-study-them.
[10] “OPINION: Reconstruction Failed in the United States. What If It Had
Succeeded? – National Underground Railroad Freedom Center,” May
29, 2020.
freedomcenter.org/voice/opinion-reconstruction-failed-in-the-united-stat
es-what-if-it-had-succeeded/.
[11] Ramser, Chris. “Austin Migration Insights.” Austin Chamber of
Commerce, February 8, 2022.
austinchamber.com/blog/02-08-2022-migration.
[12] Sen, Conor. “Comment: Sun Belt States Now Feeling Strain of
Gentrification.” Bloomberg Opinion, March 18, 2021.
heraldnet.com/opinion/comment-sun-belt-states-now-feeling-strain-of-gentrification/.

[13] Smialek, Jeanna. “It Was the Epicenter of the Housing Crisis; Now the
Sun Belt Is an Inflation Vanguard.” The New York Times, August 20,
2022.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/18/business/economy/sun-belt-inflati
on.html.
[14] Snyder, Tanya. “Biden won on infrastructure. Democrats are struggling
to get voters to care.” Politico, November 6, 2023.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/06/biden-infrastructure-democrats-voters-00064694.
[15] “The People’s Plan,” March 22, 2018.
austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=298185.
[16] “The Urban Sun Belt: An Overview | Kinder Institute for Urban
Research.” Kinder Institute for Urban Research | Rice University, June
11, 2023. kinder.rice.edu/research/urban-sun-belt-overview.

Johnny Perkins

Spring 2023 Fellow