Posted on 05/11/2010 3:51:57 PM PDT by Lorianne
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 younger, educated Whites move to cities for jobs and shorter commutes.
An analysis of 2000-08 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 today provides the freshest detail on the nation's growing race and age divide, 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.
Calling 2010 the "decade of reckoning," the report urges policymakers to shed outdated notions of America's cities and suburbs and work quickly to address the coming problems caused by the dramatic shifts in population.
Among its recommendations: affordable housing and social services for older people in the suburbs; better transit systems to link cities and suburbs; and a new federal Office of New Americans to serve the education and citizenship needs of the rapidly growing immigrant community.
Other findings:
• About 83 percent of the U.S. population growth since 2000 was minority, part of a trend that will see minorities become the majority by mid-century. Across all large metro areas, the majority of the child population is now non-White.
• The suburban poor grew by 25 percent between 1999 and 2008 - five times the growth rate of the poor in cities. City residents are more likely to live in "deep" poverty, while a higher share of suburban residents have incomes just below the poverty line.
(exerpted)
Working U.S. Citizens abound in the suburbs and fly-over country. With the ACORN-types running the Census, you KNOW that representation and Districts will show MORE voterbase-favorable zones being packed, to assure electoral votes, and to assure more Entitlements-dependent goodies in the future.
AMEN! I grew up in a city and you couldn't pay me enough to go back.
Lot of truth here. Most every young adult I worked with recently and know through my daughter want to move into NYC.Nabes like Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Astoria are overflowing with young white suburban types,single or married. Becoming a bit like Europe where the burbs are for the immigrants and the cities for the well to do.
I could see single white people moving to the cities, but I cannot imagine families moving there.
Somewhat true as cities build “lofts” the younger crowd loves them along with the clubbing.
Of course. Educated young people are flocking to live in places like Detroit, Buffalo, Newark, Camden, and Philadelphia....not to mention Miami and Oakland.
This report is probably put out by a bunch of crappy New Urbanists. I’m sure many of the young people moving to the city will move back to the burbs when it’s time to settle down and raise a family.
Lofts = overpriced old warehouses that used to house commerce.
Nothing like being surrounded.
This isn’t new - yutes always like the city. They move to the suburbs when they get married, have kids and purchase homes.
I agree. There's a wealth effect at work. Cities have a lot to offer in convenience and amenities if you can afford to live in a decent neighborhood.
The wealth effect applies to schools as well as housing. I live in DC. Private school is part of the price we pay. We have the income to manage it. Those who don't tend to move to the burbs.
Voucher the schools and you would see an extraordinary transformation of the cities within a generation.
From a political perspective, the lesson learned is that we should not regard any territory as “safe” ... nor write off any area or the people in it.
Just as there is economic and social mobility, there is political mobility. Just as we had Reagan Democrats so we now have Tea Party Democrats. For example, in Chicago running against Jan (socialist) is Joe Pollack (R label) who can only be described as an ex-Democrat now a Tea Party Democrat. Being a recent convert, he lacks some of the traditional/country club attributes of Republicans.
We can welcome these converts or alienate them because they are not yet perfect (as if our country club Republicans were).
What changes to choice of place to live do you think would happen with a education voucher system?
I have my idea but I’m interested in what you think would happen.
maybe things will return to the way they once were, before the 20th century surburban exodus, fueled by the oil boom happened. Before, didn’t the wealthy live in the cities and the less affluent live on the outskirts?
Not exactly a roll call of our most populous cities. There have been articles about this supposed back to the cities movement before, going back at least twenty years, almost anytime some young whites decide to buy a loft apartment in the city, or some developer coverts an old, multi-story office building to high end condos.
It makes me laugh what people pay to live in crapholes like NYC.
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