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University of Wisconsin–Madison
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty

Poverty in the US Suburbs

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  • Suburbs take hit as US poverty climbs in downturn, By Hope Yen (AP), October 7, 2010, Washington Post: “The American suburb is no longer a refuge from poverty in cities. A pair of analyses by the nonprofit Brookings Institution paints a bleak economic picture for the 100 largest metropolitan areas over the past decade and in coming years, and finds that suburbs now are home to one-third of the nation’s poor, and rising. The study of census data finds that since 2000, the number of poor people in the suburbs jumped by 37.4 percent to 13.7 million. The growth rate of suburban poverty is more than double that of cities and higher than the national rate of 26.5 percent…”
  • Poverty on rise in ‘burbs, By Francine Knowles, October 7, 2010, Chicago Sun-Times: “The number of poor in Chicago’s suburbs jumped in the last decade, and social service agencies are overwhelmed, a study from University of Chicago researchers found. Most suburbs examined experienced more than 50 percent increases in the number of poor from 2000 to 2008. In Aurora, the number jumped nearly 62 percent to 19,479, and in Joliet, it rose 39.5 percent to 15,266. Meanwhile, more than half of suburban Chicago nonprofits surveyed reported a loss in a key revenue source last year, the study released today showed. One in four reduced services, and 30 percent laid off full-time and part-time staff. More funding cuts are anticipated. The study, prepared for the Brookings Institution, looked at 30 Chicago suburbs…”
  • Poverty hits high among city suburbs, By Troy Anderson, Staff Writer, October 6, 2010, Contra Costa Times: “Once a haven where people moved to pursue the American Dream, the nation’s suburbs are experiencing a dramatic spike in poverty among working-age residents, straining social services traditionally geared to the inner-city poor. A pair of analyses released today by the nonprofit Brookings Institution paint a bleak economic picture for the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas, where the poverty rate is projected to hit 15 percent in the coming years. More startling, however, was a finding that suburbs – including those in the San Fernando, Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys – are bearing the brunt of the increase…”