Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I think it's easy to dismiss the OP's question, and I don't think anyone really thinks that the two states are part of the Sunbelt, but anyone that's spent time in NV, AZ, Southern UT, or NM could definitely see some Southwestern similarities if they cruised through parts of central parts of WA or OR. I agree with an earlier poster that the angle of the winter sunlight is somewhat different, but I think many people would be very surprised at the look the area, and wouldn't be able to correctly identify the region if blindfolded and dropped off. And I think that some places, like Wenatchee, Yakima, and especially the Tri-Cities- have a Sunbelt feel to the growth in the area, as well.
The sunbelt (to me at least) refers to a group of cities that experienced rapid growth simply due to the fact they were located and blessed with warm and sunny weather. Often such cities are particularly attractive for retirees since they don't have to worry about jobs. Two states that exemplify this the best are Florida and Arizona. You can make a case for California, however most of her "sunbelt" development proceeded the coined term. Even now, most growth in California is around the Bay Area, not because of 'great weather and sunshine' but because of the Tech Industry. It seems like California shed her dumb 'fun in the sun' stereotype and transitioned into an intellectual and entrepreneurial powerhouse of the USA. The same cannot be said for Florida or Arizona as of yet, but things may change.
Going back to Seattle and Portland, their development patterns are neither in tune with other sunbelt cities, or for the same reasons. No one moves to Seattle for good weather, not that I heard anyway. On the other hand, there is a strong tech field there, as well as aviation and in general high paying jobs and a recognized high standard of living with the benefit of all the natural surroundings.
:-D I simply used Bend and Flagstaff as examples to show how cities from two different regions look alike. But you're right, maybe not the best example of a Sunbelt community, obviously more of a mountain community. Anyway, I'll stick to my observation that some of the lower altitude, desert towns in Eastern Washington that are growing rapidly and filling up with retirees- do bear a resemblance to some Sunbelt areas, despite the fact that many people on C-D haven't visited them. Apparently, many people from other places apparently don't understand that only about 1/3 of OR and WA contain the lush, forested scenery they associate with the Pacific NW. The region encompasses far more than Seattle or Portland.
Again, places like the Tri-Cities are a good example of what I'm referring to- 7 inches of rain annually, 300 days of sunshine (a dubious claim, I realize), and explosive growth. It was the fastest growing metro in the US in 2012, and is still expanding rapidly today. Here's a good article on the subject:
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
