10 Suburbs With The Highest Poverty Rates: Census

Suburbs have long been associated with white picket fences and manicured lawns. But for many living in suburbia today, the reality is much bleaker.

This month, it was reported that 15.1 percent of Americans live below the poverty line last year, the high level since 1993. And while the majority of the 46.2 million impoverished Americans still live in cities, 15.4 million of them inhabit the suburbs. Between 2007 and 2010, the total number of poverty-level suburban dwellers rose by 3.4 million, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data by the Brookings Institute.

"We think of poverty as a really urban or ultra-rural phenomenon," Elizabeth Kneebone, senior research associate at Brookings Institute, told CNN Money, "[B]ut it's not. It's increasingly a suburban issue."

In the last decade, the number of people living in poverty in major-metropolitan suburban areas grew 53 percent, compared to just 23 percent in cities, according to Brookings. Factors such as population growth, housing and job decentralization have contributed to suburbs in the Sun Belt being especially affected.

Since 2009, the California city of Stockton, for example, has consistently experienced one of the consistently high foreclosure rates in the country. Lakeland, Florida has also seen high rates of foreclosure. In what other ways has the recession affected suburban life?

Here are the top 10 suburban areas with the highest poverty rates:

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Comments

[tuberider]

06:43 PM on 09/27/2011

It makes it easier to crash wherever you feel like though...Today Stockton, tomorrow Malibu!

[TRene11]

03:57 PM on 09/27/2011

Anyone else think that on pic #7 it looks like a really skinny guy is peaking his head around the tree?

[tuberider]

06:49 PM on 09/27/2011

E.T. is not a "skinny guy". He's taller now but he's still an illegal alien. Because of the unknown nature of the threat I say we drone him.

[Craig Bovia]

11:14 AM on 09/27/2011

I was surprised that the two worst places for unemployment, at over 35%, were in Texas. I doubt if Perry will speak about them on the campaign trail

[shami50154]

11:43 AM on 09/27/2011

Both those cities have high rates of immigrants, both legal and illegal. Let's hear it for the poor job the Feds do at the border!!!

[Craig Bovia]

12:06 PM on 09/27/2011

I wondered how much time would pass before this rant would rear it's ugly head. Right on time.

[vippy]

05:35 AM on 09/27/2011

NJ Tent City: Reality for Former Prosperous
British Telegraph
Why is it we don't hear or see this in major news?

[brantaydes]

01:59 AM on 09/27/2011

Almost every one of those areas is dominated by Hispanics, and likely by many that are in the country illegally. Not saying anything negative, but those are the areas that have been hit hard, knowing what the populations of those areas are. Consequently, not sure they are suffering extreme hardships from the economic drought, but am certain they'd like things to improve soon.

[vippy]

05:37 AM on 09/27/2011

Read the article above, those were former high income employees and now living in tents!
Always check "insideautomotive.com" for your daily news, best news source in my opinion!

[Edward Wilkes]

08:07 AM on 10/03/2011

vippy--It really sucks when others, refuse to see the truth! You have shared and others that are able to see the truth hear you loud n clear! You are one of the special ones! PEACE! F&F

[freekybig53]

12:11 AM on 09/27/2011

Any surprises that four of the top ten poverty ridden suburbs are is the state of California ???

[brantaydes]

02:10 AM on 09/27/2011

Our house is still worth 4x what we paid for it in 1987, and is irreplaceable to those who want to live in a perfect climate on the Pacific Ocean. However, you are making a very broad claim since the areas experiencing huge forclosures are in more or less rural areas of California - Bakersfield, Fresno, etc. - where the population is hugely hispanic. Am not putting anyone down, as the first generation Hispanic population is, in my opinion, as est and hardworking as anyone. California is so large and diverse that it would be impossible to quantify the state by poverty ridden suburbs. It is also Malibu, Palm Springs, Laguna, Laguna Nigel, Berkeley, San Francisco, Carmel, Big Sur, San Diego ... etc, etc, etc. Meaning that if you want to move to the desert east side of California, you can probably pick up a house on the cheap. But if you want to be in the true California, you'd better move quickly, because this place is never going to be as inexpensive as it is right now, as ridiculously as it still costs right now.

[freekybig53]

08:47 AM on 09/27/2011

Thanks for an excellent post !!! It was very informative and it did not put anybody down ,but did state a realistic fact !!

[zoseph]

12:04 AM on 09/27/2011

Please define "suburb."

[Sarah Trickey]

12:19 AM on 09/27/2011

"a district lying immediately outside a city or town, especially a smaller residential community"
www.dictionary.com

[JC2009USA]

11:52 PM on 09/26/2011

What happend that states in the Midwest didn't rank...I think the study is flawed...industrial cities like Cincinnati, Detroit should have been listed...with the economy manufacturing just about stopped. Most peoples unemployment ran out over a year ago and still no jobs...it's in really bad shape in the midwest.

[xxjawmorexx]

11:48 PM on 09/26/2011

Democratic blue cities I wonder ??????? Hmmmmmm.

[BustMyChops]

08:19 AM on 09/27/2011

Keep chasing your tail around...you're bound to catch it.

[fattrucker]

10:17 PM on 09/26/2011

i live in merced ca and work out of stockton. we are constantly on these top ten lists. crime, unemployment, poverty, etc. etc. etc. let me say, IT DON'T SEEM THAT BAD. i've been in every state in the country. there is a kind of slummy dirty gritty old dangerous looking neighborhood that you only see back east, we don't have that out here. there is a swampy, muddy, backwood living in a shack inbred hillbilly cornpone existence that we don't have out here either. plus it doesnt snow

[mmwwil]

12:25 AM on 09/27/2011

You are so right no other state compares to california. Most people do not know that Ca has more money in the state than all but 5 countries. What a place to live.

[di36ken]

07:51 PM on 09/26/2011

Where can we obtain e-mails for the senators and congressmen?

[GOODDOC1]

08:53 PM on 09/26/2011

You might try google or bing, but I don't know for sure.

[Miz Fit]

10:34 PM on 09/26/2011

Website for the US Senate or Congress?

[LasPlumas]

07:45 PM on 09/26/2011

Most of the communities listed here are not suburbs, but smaller cities which function independently of core cities. A suburb is typically a community located near a large city from which many residents can commute to the city or another suburb for work.

In fact, there are many older suburbs experiencing hard times. Unfortunately, the writer didn't focus on these communities.

[omfgoats]

05:05 AM on 09/27/2011

I can't tell from the article. Are they talking about the city or, the surrounding metro area?

[MANOFCOMMONSENSE]

07:25 PM on 09/26/2011

The Republican Motto? Shut up and be glad you have a job?????

[freekybig53]

12:14 AM on 09/27/2011

The Democrat motto ? Forget the job ,that is just a get rich quick scheme !!!!!

[l78lancer]

06:28 PM on 09/26/2011

While this is not a representative sample from across the country it is interesting that most of the locales here are in red states where the representatives are least likely to vote for the Jobs Bill and would prefer that the free market take care of itself. The question is do the people in these areas have time to wait?

[dansup]

09:40 PM on 09/26/2011

cali's a red state? since when?

[l78lancer]

10:27 PM on 09/26/2011

Okay, let's try this again:

“While this is not a representa­tive sample from across the country it is interestin­g that most of the locales here are in red states where the representa­tives are least likely to vote for the Jobs Bill and would prefer that the free market take care of itself. The question is do the people in these areas have time to wait?”

Did I say California anywhere in my comment?

[edwrmelo]

05:36 PM on 09/26/2011

People you need to get your thoughts and comments out here for everyong to see so they can start thinking of these hard times and issues because our nation is in serious trouble. I see people out here and they have no idea whats really going on they think everything is just fine and have no clue as to the seriouness of our situation. We are in the worst depression of the United States history not to mention the whole world is in the same mess, we won't have food, electric, gas, jobs none of these things. We are in trouble I guess when you can't feed your kids you'll all catch on but it will be to late.