Poverty has Moved to the 'Burbs'

Poverty in the United States has long been associated with large urban centers or rural communities, where it has historically been most concentrated. However, between 2000 and 2015, suburbs accounted for nearly half of the total national increase in the poor population. For the first time, suburbs became home to more poor residents than cities—those just outside of the country’s largest metro areas saw the number of residents living below the poverty line grow by 57%.

In 2015, 16 million poor people lived in the suburbs, outnumbering the poor population in cities by more than 3 million, small metro areas by more than 6 million, and rural areas by more than 8 million.

Source: Brookings Institution, 2/15/17, Poverty in the Suburbs