The Increasing Power Of The Exurban Voter

A new book argues that long-term demographic trends toward suburban living will favor the Democratic Party. David Brooks examines the thesis based on 2002 election results.

1 minute read

November 11, 2002, 5:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen

"These exurbs are booming. Before 1980, says Robert Lang, a demographer at Virginia Tech, only a quarter of all office space was in the suburbs. But about 70 percent of the office space created in the 1990's was in suburbia, and now 42 percent of all offices are located there. You have a tribe of people who don't live in cities, or commute to cities, or have any contact with urban life. Mesa, Ariz., another quintessential exurb east of Phoenix, already has more people than St. Louis. Extrapolate out a few years, and some of these sprawling suburbs will have political clout equal to Chicago's."

Thanks to Peter Gordon

FULL STORY: Time to Meet the Exurban Voter

Sunday, November 10, 2002 in The New York Times

Social / Demographics United States

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