Trouble in the Suburbs Poverty Rises in Areas Outside Cities
SOURCE: Flickr/ thomasbrandt The suburbs were once considered by
many to be a retreat from poor economic and social conditions in
cities. Now, however, they’re home to nearly one-third of our
nation’s poor—and rising. The last decade set in motion this
shift in the map of poverty, but the recession exacerbated key
economic trends that rapidly increased the growth rate of
suburban poverty to more than double that of central cities.
Federal and state governments should take note: This emerging
trend calls for a corresponding shift in poverty policies that
includes a more regional, all-encompassing approach. New data
show large increase in suburban poverty since 2000 The numbers
are startling. Analysis from the Brookings Institute found that
since 2000 the number of poor people in the suburbs jumped by
more than 37 percent to 13.7 million—also outpacing the national
growth rate of 26.5 percent. In a reversal from the beginning of
the decade 1.6 million