Urban vs Suburban vs Rural Population (1950–2020)

Over the past 70 years, America has transformed from a predominantly rural society into a suburban nation. The suburban share of the population has grown from 29% in 1950 to 50% in 2020, while the urban share has declined from 35% to 21%. The rural population has held relatively steady but shrunk from 36% to 29% as younger generations moved to cities and suburbs for jobs and education.