Poverty is growing faster in the suburbs than anywhere else in the United States, soaring 64% over the past decade.
That was more than twice the growth rate of the urban poor population, according to the Brookings Institution, which has released Confronting Suburban Poverty in America. There are now almost 16.4 million suburban residents living below the poverty line, nearly 3 million more than in the cities.
The poverty line for a family of four was $23,021 in 2011, the latest Census figures available.
Low-income Americans have been moving to suburbs for many years, as wealthier Americans and companies relocated there. The poor were chasing the unskilled job opportunities that cropped up to cater to these people and businesses, said Elizabeth Kneebone, who co-authored the book.
“When people think of poverty in America, they tend to think of inner city neighborhoods or isolated rural communities,” Kneebone said. “But today, suburbs are home to the largest and fastest growing poor population in the country.”
During the 2000s, many poor people found work in the suburbs in construction, fueled by the housing boom in the first part of the decade, and in the services sector, working in restaurants and retail shops. Also, more impoverished immigrants increasingly moved directly to the suburbs over the past decade, joining predecessors who established communities outside of cities.
The Great Recession exacerbated the suburban poverty problem, as the construction industry cratered and many businesses closed, leaving low-wage workers without jobs. Also, the downturn forced formerly middle class families down the economic ladder into poverty.
Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor
via Suburban poverty soars – Economy.
Related Posts
US / Census Bureau / New poverty measure, higher than the official measure, at 16.1 percent
Officially, the U.S. poverty rate in 2011 was 15 percent exactly, a 0.1 point reduction from 2010. But as I pointed out when that number was released in September, that figure doesn’t mean a whole lot. The official poverty threshold is the amount of money a family of three would have to make to spend … Continue reading »
US / Means-tested programs and tax credits for low-income households rose more than tenfold in the four decades since 1972
The federal government devotes roughly one-sixth of its spending to 10 major means-tested programs and tax credits, which provide cash payments or assistance in obtaining health care, food, housing, or education to people with relatively low income or few assets. Those programs and credits consist of the following: Medicaid, The low-income subsidy (LIS) for Part … Continue reading»
Child poverty has risen in 16 OECD countries since 2007
Income inequality increased by more in the first three years of the crisis to the end of 2010 than it had in the previous twelve years, before factoring in the effect of taxes and transfers on income, according to new OECD data. The analysis says that the welfare state has cushioned the blow for many … Continue reading »
Discussion
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
Pingback: icomoney | Suburban Poverty? - May 20, 2013
Pingback: US Census / Are Big City Growth Coming Back ? | Job Market Monitor - June 5, 2013
Pingback: US / Those on Food Stamps Outnumber the Entire Population of Spain | Job Market Monitor - June 26, 2013
Pingback: Poverty, brain power and the Chicago’s School of economics | Job Market Monitor - August 29, 2013
Pingback: US / Women in Poverty | Job Market Monitor - January 9, 2014
Pingback: US / Addressing income inequality is not government’s job voters says to Fox Poll | Job Market Monitor - January 23, 2014
Pingback: US – About 14.7 million people, or 4.7 percent of the population, were near-poor in 2012 | Job Market Monitor - May 2, 2014
Pingback: Poverty in US – The Psychological Effects (Infographic) | Job Market Monitor - June 13, 2014
Pingback: Poverty in the United States in 2013 – A Congressional Research Service (CRS) Report | Job Market Monitor - October 3, 2014