Americans are increasingly moving to the outer edges of metropolitan areas – beyond the suburbs and into the rapidly growing so-called “exurbs.”
Suburbs are areas that are usually about 40 to 40 miles from city centers and are often attractive families looking for more space, affordable housing and a quieter way of life.
This trend has transformed once sleepy rural towns into thriving cultural communities with a booming population and housing market.
Many of the hottest hotspots in the suburbs are in the south.
Anna, Texas, located 45 miles north of Dallas, has seen its population increase by a third since 2020, becoming the fourth fastest growing city in America.
Other popular suburbs include Fort Mill, South Carolina, near Charlotte and Lebanon, Tennessee, near Nashville, and Haines City, Polk County, Florida, located between Tampa and Orlando.
Polk County, once known only for its citrus groves, added nearly 30,000 new residents last year, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
This made it one of the most popular migration destinations in the entire country – and as a result, many of its famous citrus groves have been bulldozed for new housing developments.
Americans are leaving big cities behind and flocking to the outer edges of metropolitan areas – beyond the suburbs and into fast-growing ‘exurbs’ (Haines City, FL)
Hotspots include Anna, Texas, near Dallas; Fort Mill, South Carolina, on the outskirts of Charlotte; Lebanon, Tennessee, near Nashville; and Haines City in Polk County, Florida, located between Tampa and Orlando
The COVID-19 pandemic has played a major role in the shift to the suburbs, with many people now able to live from home thanks to an increase in remote working options.
This means that they are no longer tied to large hubs where offices are located.
Skyrocketing housing costs in major cities have also prompted many families to look for more affordable and spacious alternatives.
Suburbs are especially attractive to people who want to escape the urban grind and enjoy the comfort of the suburbs.
But the transformation is reshaping more than just landscapes.
It changes the demography and culture of these areas.
In Polk County, the Latino population has risen from one-fifth to more than a quarter in just five years.
The trend is mainly caused by migration from Puerto Rico and New York.
Other communities in the South are seeing similar changes, with increasingly diverse populations redefining local traditions.
For some newcomers, the slower pace of life requires adjustment.
Marisol Ortega lives in Haines City, about 40 miles from her job in Orlando, but she says it’s worth the trip
Today, the former citrus hub has become the most popular migration destination in the entire United States – and many of the famed citrus groves have been bulldozed and turned into bustling housing projects
Suburbs, areas typically located 40 to 40 miles from urban centers outside the suburbs, have lured families seeking more space, affordable homes and a quieter way of life – ultimately transforming once sleepy rural towns into thriving cultural communities (photo: Fort Mill, South Carolina)
But migration comes with tradeoffs, such as longer travel times and adapting to new cultural norms.
A newcomer, Yeseria Suero, revealed the culture shock of moving from New York.
She’s still getting used to local traditions, like early restaurant closures and even just strangers chatting in grocery stores.
“My kids now say, ‘Yes, ma’am,’” she joked.
Others are happy to embrace the tradeoffs.
Marisol Ortega, who lives in Haines City, Florida, commutes an hour and a half to Orlando for work, but cherishes her quiet family life.
‘I love my job. “I love what I do, but I also love coming back home and it’s quieter,” Ortega told the Associated Press.
Local resident Schuyler Crouch joked, “The next suburb we’re going to live in is Oklahoma.”
According to a report from StorageCafe (an old train station in Anna, Texas), suburbs have overtaken city and suburban housing markets over the past decade
The increase has been driven by rising prices, limited supplies and changing homeowner preferences (top view of the Fort Mill, South Carolina community)
In Polk City, a tongue-in-cheek sign pointing to what could one day be the heart of the sprawling Orlando and Tampa metro areas is seen installed by a private landowner
The trend has increased so rapidly that the suburbs have surpassed urban and suburban housing markets in the past decade, according to a study by a report from StorageCafe.
The increase is caused by rising real estate prices, limited inventories and changing preferences of homeowners.
Millennials – the largest home-buying generation – are leading the way in suburban living and are looking for larger homes, outdoor space, safer communities and better schools, the analysis found.
“In a landscape characterized by flexible work in the post-pandemic search for more space, suburban and exurban areas are growing faster than urban cores,” explains Doug Ressler, business intelligence manager at Yardi Matrix.
‘Fast-growing suburbs are emerging in areas with natural landscapes, which are especially attractive to remote workers, but also in places with high-performing schools, near medium or large urban areas with strong labor markets, even if that means having a premium must be paid for housing.’
The research found that the number of available homes in the suburbs grew by an average of 15 percent over the ten-year period through 2022, while stock increased by 14 percent in the suburbs and 10 percent in major cities.
During the same period, population growth in the suburbs was 16 percent, higher than the 13 percent growth in the suburbs and the 9 percent growth in major cities.
“This suburban boom is allowing people to enjoy more living space and access to more diverse housing, but it is also complicating efforts to bring workers back to urban offices,” Matrix added.
“The full impact of this major migration shift remains to be seen as suburban and suburban living continues to reshape living and working environments.”
Meanwhile, analysis of Census Bureau data by SmartAsset found that Many of America’s fastest-growing hotspots have been suburbs or suburbs of larger cities across the Sun Belt.
According to the analysis, millennials – the largest generation of homebuyers – are leading the way in suburban living, seeking larger homes, outdoor space, safer communities and better schools (Lenanon, TN)
For example, according to May Census estimates, the cities bordering Phoenix experienced much higher population growth than the Valley overall.
And in November, Buckeye was named the fastest growing city in America. Located 30 miles west of downtown Phoenix, it now surpasses its larger and better-known neighbor.
Buckeye’s population grew 46 percent in five years, reaching 108,900 people by 2023, the SmartAsset study found.
That’s still far fewer than Phoenix’s 1.65 million residents, but Buckeye Mayor Eric Orsborn claimed the newcomer has more room to grow and will eventually “be bigger.”