Sunbelt

American  

[suhn-belt] / ˈsʌnˌbɛlt /

Or Sun Belt

noun

(sometimes lowercase)

1. the southern and southwestern region of the U.S.

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Sunbelt British  

/ ˈsʌnˌbɛlt /

noun

1. the southern states of the USA

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Sunbelt Cultural  

1. States in the South and Southwest marked by warm climate, rapid economic and population growth in the last two decades, and (often) political conservatism.

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Etymology

Origin of Sunbelt

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Sunbelt

The deal will combine Independence Realty Trust’s portfolio of multifamily holdings primarily across the Sunbelt, with Centerspace’s real-estate portfolio that largely spans the Midwest and Mountain West, the companies said Wednesday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

The population of children under 18 in both cities grew 10% between 2015 and 2024, a bigger increase than in many family-friendly Sunbelt locales.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

The culture and politics of the Sunbelt — sometimes called “America B” by people who spend too much time online — is now inescapable.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

The price point is part of the attraction to the Sunbelt, as these markets have seen steep declines in home prices over the last year.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

BellSouth was headquartered in Atlanta, ambitious metropolis of the new high-tech Sunbelt; and BellSouth was upgrading its network by leaps and bounds, digitizing the works left right and center.

From The Hacker Crackdown, law and disorder on the electronic frontier by Bruce Sterling