Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Madison, and Minneapolis each grew by more than 7 percent. During that period, Des Moines exploded by 12.9 percent and Columbus by more than 9 percent. Some Rust Belt cities are growing faster than the nation as a whole and, at times, approaching Sunbelt rates. These large cities are complemented by smaller success stories, including Iowa City Lafayette, Indiana and Traverse City, Michigan. Metro hubs like Columbus, Kansas City, Des Moines, Grand Rapids, Madison, and Minneapolis-St. But other cities within those states are booming. The Midwest and the northeastern Frost Belt are home to numerous stagnant and shrinking cities such as Flint, Michigan Youngstown, Ohio Rockford, Illinois Muncie, Indiana and Erie, Pennsylvania. But the Rust Belt’s urban resurgence disguises the reality that regional cities remain weak magnets for new residents on a national basis. Residents of Rust Belt states are migrating to larger cities that have emerged as centers of success in the modern economy. As the economy continues to adapt from industrial to service- and knowledge-based sectors, we’re witnessing another population change-this time, in the country’s former industrial heartland. America’s transition from an agricultural to an industrial economy resulted in a spatial shift in population, from rural to urban.