Poverty Heads to the Suburbs

The migration of America's low income population is spreading to the suburbs. But the suburbs aren't ready to handle the influx, according to this piece.

1 minute read

February 26, 2010, 6:00 AM PST

By Nate Berg

"More consequential to a far larger group is the mass out-migration of impoverished people from center cities into the suburbs, often in the same metropolitan areas. According to a recent Brookings Institute Study, the process is accelerating. Between 2000 and 2008, the percent of poor people living in the suburbs increased by 25%, compared to by 5.6% in central cities and 15.4% for the nation as a whole. More of the poor now live in the suburbs than in central cities: 12.5 million versus 11 million.

The out-migration of the lower-middle class has been just as notable."

As a population heavily reliant on public social services and transit, the transition from centralized inner cities to decentralized suburbs will likely result in many needs going unmet.

FULL STORY: The American poor spread to suburbia, but we’re not ready

Thursday, February 25, 2010 in Next American City

Government / Politics Social / Demographics Transportation United States Suburbs Poverty Domestic Migration Migration View More

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