Americans had always been on the move, exploring new territories and settling new lands. The economic boom in postwar America, however, brought a new demographic transformation. The financial security shared by many had far-reaching effects, including wider wealth distribution and population shifts toward warmer climates across the nation. The "Sunbelt," as it came to be known, was the most popular destination for Americans seeking to relocate their families. The Sunbelt is the belt of states stretching from Virginia south through Florida, west to Texas and northwest through California.

From approximately 1945 through 1975, an average of 30 million individuals every year decided to change their residences, usually moving to one of the Sunbelt states. During this time, the Sunbelt states nearly doubled their population in contrast to the industrial northeast, which was shrinking in population. The state of California saw the most striking population increase, accounting for almost 20 percent of the nation's population growth. By 1963, California surpassed New York as the most populous state in the union, and by the turn of the century, the state's residents accounted for one out of every eight Americans.

The reasons the Sunbelt states were so popular went beyond just warmer climate conditions. The Sunbelt states offered lower taxes and more and better job opportunities. California had a booming electronics industry, and Texas and Florida benefited from large aerospace firms and military facilities. Changes in the Social Security laws enabled more Americans to retire, and the result was a stream of retirees moving to the Sunbelt states—most notably to newly built retirement communities in Florida and Arizona. The mass production of air-conditioning units helped alleviate the sweltering summertime heat, while milder winters allowed families to save on reduced heating costs.

One of the most significant reasons the Sunbelt experienced such prosperity was the massive support provided by the federal government. Federal defense spending for weapon systems and military installations was appropriated mostly to the Sunbelt states, partially due to powerful western and southern legislators. Funds appropriated for infrastructure, such as new roads and highway construction, seemed to disproportionately favor the Sunbelt states. This trend to financially favor southern and western states continued, and by 1990 these states were receiving almost $125 billion more in federal funds than northern and midwestern states.

The redistribution of people and wealth had a negative impact on the northeastern states, especially those in the industrial Ohio Valley. Dubbed the "Rustbelt" or "Frostbelt" states, these older manufacturing regions became increasingly displeased with the government's allocation of funds to the Sunbelt states. Starting in the early 1970s, the Rustbelt states were hit especially hard as foreign steel became more affordable and economically attractive to American companies. Many of the jobs in the Midwest began to move to either Sunbelt states or overseas, further increasing the affliction being felt throughout the region. America's shift from a manufacturing to a service-based economy hurt industrial states like Ohio and Pennsylvania deeply, and even midwestern states suffered drastic vocational change as giant agribusinesses replaced the small family farm.

Along with the demographic shift in the national population came a political shift. Congressional power began to move from the northern states to the Sunbelt region. Since 1964, every president elected has claimed a Sunbelt state as home, and burgeoning populations has meant increased representation in the House of Representatives. Slowly, the demographics of politicians and their constituents changed as well. Following the Immigration Act of 1965, a flood of Latin Americans migrated to the U.S., most of them from Mexico. By 1990, Latinos represented around 25 percent of the total population in the Sunbelt states of Texas, Arizona, and California.

Copyright 2006 The Regents of the University of California and Monterey Institute for Technology and Education