The Evolving Nature of Cities

The terms "Rust Belt" and "Sun Belt" are dead, says a new report from the Brookings Institute titled The State of Metropolitan America. Brookings divides metro areas into seven new categories, including the "Mid-Sized Magnet" metro:

"Mid-Sized Magnet metro areas: These areas 'have experienced high growth, but exhibit lower shares of Hispanic and Asian minorities, and lower levels of educational attainment. Like many Border Growth centers, many of these 15 mid-sized, mostly Southeastern locations got caught in the growth spiral of the 2000s that ended abruptly with the housing crash.'"