Slow Your Applause Urbanists, Exurbs Are Growing Fastest

New analysis from the Urban Institute and researchers at the U.S. Census Bureau shows that, despite the housing bust and economic recession, exurban growth in recent years has been significantly higher than in more densely populated areas.

1 minute read

July 20, 2012, 1:00 PM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


Urban enthusiasts have been encouraged by recent trends that seemed to indicate American cities growing at a faster rate than suburbs. But as further inquiry, and new analysis of longer-term trends illustrate, a more nuanced picture of American population growth is emerging.

Nate Berg reports on new analysis that shows America's exurban areas - "those deconcentrated towns flung far beyond the urban core and just outside the suburban spread" - have grown at as astonishing rate. "Between 2000 and 2010, the total U.S. population grew about 10 percent,
from 281 million to 309 million. Over that same time, the exurban
population grew by more than 60 percent, from about 16 million to almost
26 million people, according to the analysis."

A new interactive map
from the Urban Institute, based on an analysis by U.S. Census Bureau researchers Todd Gardner and Matthew Marlay, "shows how the growth rates in exurban areas
have been higher – and in some cases much higher – than the growth rates
in their corresponding metropolitan areas," writes Berg.

Thursday, July 19, 2012 in The Atlantic Cities

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight