Suburbs Now Have Largest Poor Population In U.S.

[bobbyw24]

Suburbs Losing Young Whites To Cities, Brookings Institution Finds

HOPE YEN | 05/ 9/10 12:52 AM | AP


WASHINGTON � White flight? In a reversal, America's suburbs are now more likely to be home to minorities, the poor and a rapidly growing older population as many younger, educated whites move to cities for jobs and shorter commutes.

An analysis of 2000-2008 census data by the Brookings Institution highlights the demographic "tipping points" seen in the past decade and the looming problems in the 100 largest metropolitan areas, which represent two-thirds of the U.S. population.

The findings could offer an important road map as political parties, including the tea party movement, seek to win support in suburban battlegrounds in the fall elections and beyond. In 2008, Barack Obama carried a substantial share of the suburbs, partly with the help of minorities and immigrants.

The analysis being released Sunday provides the freshest detail on the nation's growing race and age divide, which is now feeding tensions in Arizona over its new immigration law.

Ten states, led by Arizona, surpass the nation in a "cultural generation gap" in which the senior populations are disproportionately white and children are mostly minority.

This gap is pronounced in suburbs of fast-growing areas in the Southwest, including those in Florida, California, Nevada, and Texas.

"A new metro map is emerging in the U.S. that challenges conventional thinking about where we live and work," said Alan Berube, research director with the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings, a nonpartisan think-tank based in Washington. "The old concepts of suburbia, Sun Belt and Rust Belt are outdated and at odds with effective governance."

Suburbs still tilt white. But, for the first time, a majority of all racial and ethnic groups in large metro areas live outside the city. Suburban Asians and Hispanics already had topped 50 percent in 2000, and blacks joined them by 2008, rising from 43 percent in those eight years.

The suburbs now have the largest poor population in the country. They are home to the vast majority of baby boomers age 55 to 64, a fast-growing group that will strain social services after the first wave of boomers turns 65 next year.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0..._n_569226.html

[AMBurns]

If you are poor in the USA you are poor by choice. We're one of the only countries in the world where the poor people are FAT.

I don't have much sympathy for poor adults. I just don't.

[bobbyw24]

Is it that simple?

[silverhandorder]

Didn't we have a story not long ago how whites are fleeing to suburbs and how it is a dangerous precedent or something.

[Vessol]

Urban sprawl and suburbia has been on the fasttrack to dying for a long time. It was supported and propped up by cheap gas and bubble economics for a long time.

[Endgame]

If you are poor in the USA you are poor by choice. We're one of the only countries in the world where the poor people are FAT.

I don't have much sympathy for poor adults. I just don't.

This isn't as true as it once was. Government $#@!s over a lot of people who wouldn't be poor otherwise.

[dwdollar]

if you are poor in the usa you are poor by choice. We're one of the only countries in the world where the poor people are fat.

I don't have much sympathy for poor adults. I just don't.

lulz

[bkreigh]

If you are poor in the USA you are poor by choice. We're one of the only countries in the world where the poor people are FAT.

I don't have much sympathy for poor adults. I just don't.

There are always going to be poor people...unless you believe in wealth distribution.

[Lovecraftian4Paul]

Maybe the extreme left tilt of a lot of cities will be diluted once the minorities are dispersed.

[JeNNiF00F00]

If you are poor in the USA you are poor by choice. We're one of the only countries in the world where the poor people are FAT.

I don't have much sympathy for poor adults. I just don't.

Bull$#@!. A lot of poor people are "fat" because they can afford cheap food which has basically no nutrients, and is cooked in grease, or is made up of some kind of crap that has less nutritional value than bologna. Good food is expensive. I am not poor by choice.

[ChaosControl]

Bull$#@!. A lot of poor people are "fat" because they can afford cheap food which has basically no nutrients, and is cooked in grease, or is made up of some kind of crap that has less nutritional value than bologna. Good food is expensive. I am not poor by choice.

Perhaps, but that is mainly processed stuff.
I have found that raw fruits and veggies, specifically veggies, are far cheaper than even the crappy cheap processed foods. The problem is most people want stuff that they can just nuke in the microwave. Although I suppose once you start to want to get organic stuff it becomes less true and certain fruits do get pretty up there, but a lot of it is far less expensive than having a frozen pizza or french fries all the time.

Anyway, suburbs are disgusting. They are so monotonous. Cities suck, but at least there are some historic buildings and history to them. Rural areas will always be best though. I wish we'd people move out of cities and just have perhaps less gaps between smaller towns instead. But then again I suppose keeping all the urbanites away in one compact area isn't necessarily a bad thing either...

[bobbyw24]

Bull$#@!. A lot of poor people are "fat" because they can afford cheap food which has basically no nutrients, and is cooked in grease, or is made up of some kind of crap that has less nutritional value than bologna. Good food is expensive. I am not poor by choice.

True-good food is very expensive. Veggies are not cheap. Processed food is cheap.

[TheBlackPeterSchiff]

Gentrification

[MelissaWV]

Perhaps, but that is mainly processed stuff.
I have found that raw fruits and veggies, specifically veggies, are far cheaper than even the crappy cheap processed foods. The problem is most people want stuff that they can just nuke in the microwave. Although I suppose once you start to want to get organic stuff it becomes less true and certain fruits do get pretty up there, but a lot of it is far less expensive than having a frozen pizza or french fries all the time.

Anyway, suburbs are disgusting. They are so monotonous. Cities suck, but at least there are some historic buildings and history to them. Rural areas will always be best though. I wish we'd people move out of cities and just have perhaps less gaps between smaller towns instead. But then again I suppose keeping all the urbanites away in one compact area isn't necessarily a bad thing either...

Pasta is often BOGO at under a dollar. That's two boxes of pasta for a dollar. That's a lot of suppers compared to $1's worth of veggies (and the veggies still need to be cooked and seasoned somehow... I lived off of plain pasta for some time). Ramen noodles are what... $0.12? What vegetarian dinner are you making with $0.12 and tap water When it got down to just ingredients, and I didn't even have money for pasta, there was thankfully enough to make funnel cakes for supper. Yes. You heard me.

Of course, it's excellent incentive to stop being poor and go do something about it. Food pantries, incidentally, provide fairly balanced kits with things like cereal, canned veggies, oatmeal, etc..

[ChaosControl]

Pasta is often BOGO at under a dollar. That's two boxes of pasta for a dollar. That's a lot of suppers compared to $1's worth of veggies (and the veggies still need to be cooked and seasoned somehow... I lived off of plain pasta for some time). Ramen noodles are what... $0.12? What vegetarian dinner are you making with $0.12 and tap water When it got down to just ingredients, and I didn't even have money for pasta, there was thankfully enough to make funnel cakes for supper. Yes. You heard me.

Of course, it's excellent incentive to stop being poor and go do something about it. Food pantries, incidentally, provide fairly balanced kits with things like cereal, canned veggies, oatmeal, etc..

Okay sure, noodles are an exception if you can stand to eat that every day. But most the people who eat like crap and are poor on food stamps are buying frozen french fries, tv dinners, pizza, and crap. I was just thinking of all the misc stuff. And veggies don't need to be cooked or seasoned o_O. I eat them raw.

Even if it costs $1/meal, thats still under $100 a month.