urban-suburbs

Community Snapshot

These 112 counties hold the wealthy, diverse suburbs of most major cities and they have come to take on many of those big city characteristics.

Roughly 70.2 million people live in these dense close-in suburban areas and over the past 20 years they have changed dramatically. They are still the wealthiest and best educated of all the types in the American Communities Project — with a median household income of about $87,700 and 42% of adults with a bachelor’s degree. Broadband access reaches a high of 91%. These communities have also experienced the growth and racial diversification of their big city neighbors. As they grow denser and more urban, they are seeing growing poverty rates as well. Currently 11% of children here live in poverty and 43% are eligible for reduced price school lunch. And as these changes have remade the Urban Suburbs, they have become decidedly more Democratic in their politics. They have voted for the Democrat in every presidential election since 2000. Voter turnout stands at 74%, which is 6 points above the national average.

Median Household Income

$87,700 Annual Median

About $18,000 above the national average

Vol. 3 2020-2021

Deaths of Despair Across America

The American Communities Project is undertaking a 30-month study of Deaths of Despair in its 15 community types.

Learn More