Debunking the exurban myth: A comparison of suburban households

As American cities spill over their traditional boundaries into "exurbia," the debate about whether this new growth is substantively different from wh at preceded is an important one. We disagree with the idea that the counter urbanization the United States is experiencing represents a dramatic break from previous growth patterns. Using parametric and nonparametric analysis, we examine whether or not the behavioral patterns and demographic characteristics of exurbanites differ f rom those of suburbanites. Is exurbanization really different from suburban ization and are exurbanites really different from suburbanites? Our researc h shows that the answer is no. Exurbia should not be defined separately fro m suburbia. Rather, the development on the metropolitan fringe is simply th e latest incarnation of the continued suburbanization of American cities.