A Typology of Inner–Ring Suburbs: Class, Race, and Ethnicity in U.S. Suburbia

Abstract

Inner–ring suburbs initially built in the postwar period and before have evolved into places with varied characteristics, assets, and problems. Analyzing a sample of 1,742 inner–ring suburbs nationwide, this article identifies five different types: “vulnerable;”“ethnic;”“lower income and mixed;”“old;” and “middle class.” This typology indicates that inner–ring suburbs, often perceived as homogenous entities, are in fact places largely differentiated by issues of class, race, and ethnicity. as this article demonstrates, the identification of these different types of inner–ring suburbs reveals much about suburban transformation, stability, and decline in the United States.