The suburbanization of poverty and minority populations in the 2000s: Two parallel or interrelated processes?

Abstract

Previous research on suburban poverty has found evidence that the population growth of minorities in suburbs is associated with higher poverty rates. However, it has remained unclear whether the changing poverty rates result from a shifting population composition in suburbs, rising poverty rates among one or more groups, or a combination of these processes. Here I estimate the relative strength of these processes for Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White populations in the Chicago-Joliet-Naperville metropolitan area using data from the 2000 census and 2008–2012 American Community Survey. The results show that between 67% and 92% of the poverty increase in suburbs is attributable to the increase in poverty and population growth of minorities. Most of the poverty increase is linked to the greater exposure of minorities to the economic effects of the Great Recession rather than their population growth. However, some of the poverty increase in inner-ring suburbs was linked to the population growth of poor minorities, especially Hispanics.