Southern cities might become the new “coastal power zones”

The Future. The US used to have two coastal zones where people could live their best lives without touching down in “flyover” states. But as the quality of life, cost of living, and ability to build in coastal cities like New York and San Francisco decline, economic and societal power could shift to flourishing Southern cities like Houston, Dallas, Nashville, and Miami, according to Business Insider.

Southern charm
A new report from Bank of America sheds light on the South’s budding influence as population growth (one of the key drivers of economic growth) explodes there.

• 39% of the US population resides in the 16 states that make up the region as of 2022.
• The South has the highest birth rate of any region, and people born there tend to stay. 82% of Texans born in the state still lived there as of 2021.
• Texas, South Carolina, and Florida were among the fastest-growing states between July 2021 and 2022 – likely because the South has the highest job openings rate and the lowest unemployment rate of any region in the US.

Gone country
Even with a strong labor market, the region isn’t all peaches and cream. Its high temperatures could become oppressive as climate change worsens, and its housing costs could skyrocket as more Americans flock there.

Still, home is where the heart is, and we guess that’s now down South.