All articles tagged with #sun belt
Rising rents and high home prices are pushing tenants to search for rentals in more affordable markets like Buffalo, Chicago, and Houston. Zillow data shows out-of-town rental interest is surging in these cities, a trend that often precedes increased home sales. Meanwhile, established Sun Belt hubs like Raleigh and Nashville continue to attract renters from high-cost coastal areas, particularly New York.
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has launched a new quarterly Commercial Real Estate Demand Index, which ranks 306 US metropolitan areas based on local economic drivers rather than traditional leasing metrics. The index identifies St. George, Utah, as the top market with a score of 128, driven by strong office employment growth and population gains. While major coastal cities like New York and Los Angeles lag behind, smaller Sun Belt and mid-sized markets are showing the most momentum, with South Carolina ranking as the strongest state overall.
IRS migration data show Palm Beach County, Florida, attracted more than $3 billion in adjusted gross income from households moving in from other states—the largest gain of any county—followed by Collier County; Manhattan gained the most new tax filers but lost about $922 million in AGI, illustrating that population growth and wealth growth aren’t the same. The broader pattern points to wealth flowing toward low-tax Sun Belt states like Florida and Texas, signaling a southward shift of the economic center and reshaping local tax bases.
Sun Belt unveils its 2026 football schedule with 14 teams including Louisiana Tech, whose move from Conference USA is stalled by a legal dispute; Texas State departs for the Pac-12, and Conference USA has already listed Tech in its slate, signaling contingency planning as the case proceeds. The schedule preserves the division format, includes notable non-conference games (e.g., Louisiana Tech at LSU and Louisiana at USC), and the championship game is set for Dec. 5 on ESPN networks.
In the Sun Belt Championship, the Troy Trojans prevailed 77-61 over Georgia Southern, covering the spread as the favorite (-5.5) and pushing Under the listed total (final 138 against an open around 153.5/152.5). The preview includes current/opening lines, betting splits, and expert picks from analysts Mike Tierney, Micah Roberts, and Eric Cohen, along with DFS projections and player props.
Eight players were ejected and referee Marla Gearhar was knocked to the floor during the Sun Belt tournament game between South Alabama and Coastal Carolina in Pensacola; Tracey Hueston was suspended for the rest of the 2026 postseason, while Cordasia Harris, Amyah Sutton and Daniela Gonzalez received one-game suspensions. South Alabama won 80-70 and advances to face Texas State.
Conferences are increasingly using stepladder-style brackets to reward regular-season success and boost the odds that mid- and low-major teams can compete in the NCAA Tournament. The Sun Belt leads with a seven-round ladder, where seeds like No. 7 can face multiple higher seeds, while top seeds get byes or easier paths; other leagues (WCC, AAC, Big Ten, MEAC) are adopting similar formats to protect strong teams, increase competitiveness, and drive revenue from advancing NCAA teams.
During a Sun Belt Conference women’s tournament game between South Alabama and Coastal Carolina, a physical altercation broke out, a referee was knocked to the floor, and eight players were ejected; the injured official’s status was not immediately clear.
Breeze Airways will add Birmingham, Alabama, and Tallahassee, Florida, as part of a 17-route expansion, offering two nonstop flights from each city to Fort Lauderdale and Raleigh-Durham in July.
December 2025 saw a record 47% more home sellers than buyers in the U.S., shifting negotiating power to buyers. The Sun Belt led buyer markets while the Northeast and Midwest were dominated by seller markets; Dallas posted one of the largest seller surpluses. National prices rose only 0.1% as mortgage rates eased, potentially attracting more buyers in January.
In 2025, several states experienced higher inbound migration, with Washington, DC, and Hawaii leading, driven by factors like affordability and job opportunities, while the Midwest remained less popular for movers. The Sun Belt continues to attract many, despite overall low migration percentages across the US.
The US housing market is diverging into two distinct regions: the Sun Belt and Mountain West are experiencing falling prices and increased inventory due to reduced migration and demand, while the Midwest and Northeast remain strong with tight inventories and rising prices, reflecting broader shifts in migration, labor market, and affordability trends post-pandemic.
The Sun Belt Conference has voted to invite Louisiana Tech to replace Texas State, which is moving to the Pac-12, maintaining the Sun Belt's 14 football schools and reflecting ongoing conference realignment in college sports.
The article discusses the uneven impact of Trump's tariffs and manufacturing revival efforts, highlighting how Sun Belt towns like Gainesville, Georgia, are benefiting from new factories and job growth, while traditional Rust Belt communities like Weirton, West Virginia, face challenges due to industry decline, automation, and global competition, illustrating that economic recovery is not uniform across regions.
A U.S. Government Accountability Office report reveals that Atlanta has the highest share of investor-owned single-family rental properties among major U.S. cities, with 25% of the market. The report highlights the significant role of institutional investors in the Sun Belt region, particularly following the 2007-08 financial crisis. Critics argue that such investments contribute to rising rents and home prices, though the report's findings on these impacts are inconclusive. The report calls for further analysis to understand the effects on homeownership and tenant conditions.