New Heartland consumers, the people living in the Midwest, parts of the Southwest and Southeast, are the ones watching, voting, attending the tour dates and buying the music and merchandise.

FORBES: American Idol: A Lesson In Branding?

While most economies in the West have also outperformed their peers in the Northeast and Midwest over the past four years, living costs there have risen dramatically.

FORBES: The South Rises Again

Why put up with an iffy economy and sky-high property prices when you can find a much better standard of living in the South and the Midwest?

ECONOMIST: Lexington