The hidden nature of hunger and poverty makes us less aware of its prevalence in the suburbs, but hunger does exist in the suburbs and it is growing.
The growth in poverty and hunger in the suburbs is caused by the lure of job growth, the revitalization of central cities making city life too expensive for many poor people, and the creation of cheaper housing in "inner ring" suburbs, as middle class people move further out.
Facts
- In 2008, the prevalence of household food insecurity in suburban areas was 12.7 percent (6.1 million households), and the prevalence of very low food security was 5.1 percent (2.5 million households). i
- Feeding America estimates that 48 percent of all clients served reside in rural/suburban areas. ii
- Suburban poverty appears to have distinct regional patterns. Fourteen of the fifteen suburbs with the highest poverty rates in 2000 were located in the Southern or Western regions of the country. iii
- The poverty rate for people living in suburban areas was 9.8 percent in 2008. iv