An elevator system includes an elevator car, one or more sheaves, and one or more belts operably connected to the car and interactive with the one or more sheaves for suspending and/or driving the elevator car. The one or more belts include a plurality of wires arranged into one or more cords, and a jacket substantially retaining the one or more cords. A cord ratio, between a smallest sheave diameter (D) of the one or more sheaves of the elevator system that are interactive with the belt and a largest cord diameter (dc) of the one or more cords, (D/dc) is less than about 55. A wire ratio, between the smallest sheave diameter (D) and the largest wire diameter (dw) of the plurality of wires, (D/dw) is between about 160 and about 315.