Poverty Grows in U.S. Suburbs
May 22, 2013
The number of people living below the poverty line in American suburbs surged by 64 percent over the past 10 years, reported the Brookings Institution after an extensive study. The United States government defines the poverty line as an income of $23,550 or less for a family of four. The Brookings Institution is a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. The report, “Confronting Suburban Poverty in America,” reveals that for the first time, the number of poor people in suburban communities outnumbers the number in cities, and that poverty is growing in the suburbs at more than twice the rate that it is growing in urban centers.
The Brookings report cites the collapse of the housing market and the subsequent foreclosure crisis as aggravating a problem that was developing before the financial crisis of 2008. The report also points to the rapid loss of largely suburban jobs in manufacturing, construction, and retail during the Great Recession of 2008 and 2009.
Additional World Book articles:
- Economic Crisis: The Banking Meltdown (a special report)
- Economic Crisis: The Government Jumps In (a special report)
- Economic Crises: Then and Now (a special report)