The popular image of suburbia, in America and much of the English-speaking world

, is that of a sort of Wisteria Lane inhabited by desperate housewives; with nea

t two-storey houses, manicured lawns and sun decks â and overwhelmingly white. Sur
e, thereâ s a scattering of African and Asian American families, but these are gene
rally highly qualified individuals with $100,000 salaries. The average blacks, H
ispanics, Koreans, Vietnamese et al lived downtown in poorly maintained apartmen
t blocks and ruled the mean streets.
That is gradually changing, however. Many younger, educated whites move to citie
s for jobs and shorter commutes. The houses they leave behind are being occupied
by minorities, the poor and a rapidly growing older population â a reversal of po
pulation, as it were. This data was compiled based on an analysis of 2000-2008 c
ensus data by the Brookings Institution, which covered the 100 largest metropoli
tan areas, which represent two-thirds of the US population. The analysis also h
ighlights the fact that whites are getting older and now constitute a major comp
onent of that ethnic group; whereas the proportion of young whites is rapidly de
clining. For blacks, Hispanics and Asians, the demographic is reversed.
At the moment, whites still have a slight edge in suburbia, but perhaps not for
long. For the first time, a majority of all racial and ethnic groups in large me
tro areas live outside the city. Suburban Asians and Hispanics already had toppe
d 50% in 2000, and blacks joined them by 2008, rising from 43% in those eight ye
ars.
The largest poor population in the country now lives in the suburbs. The vast m
ajority of baby boomers aged 55 to 64 reside there. Many of these will soon be e
ligible for Medicare, putting a further strain on social services. And they are
being joined by substantial shares of minorities who are leaving cities. On the
other hand, cities such as Washington, DC, and Atlanta have become magnets for a
spiring young adults who are attracted by access to knowledge-based jobs, public
transportation and a new city ambiance.
Source: Associated Press