Shining Sun Belt Beckons to Rust Belt's Weary

Americans are continuing to flock to the Sun Belt, reports the AP. Almost all of the 50 fastest-growing metro areas in 2006 and 2007 were in the South and West, and four of the top 10 were in Texas. None were in the Northeast. Experts say the Sun Belt's strong economies and low house prices are drawing in people, especially from the Rust Belt.

Dallas, Atlanta, and Phoenix were the country's fastest-growing cities. Rust Belt cities are shrinking as Texas booms—Detroit lost more than 27,000 people in 2006-2007, three times more than any other metro area. "People are running away from unaffordable housing, from the economic slowdown," a Texas demographer explained. The shift southwest is slowing, however, as the housing crunch leaves homeowners unable to sell up and move. (More Texas stories.)