A spatial pattern of settlement that differs from suburbia in that it is located farther from urban centers and features a different mix of land uses and population (Exurban Exchange Program, n.d.). Exurbia is characterized by low population density, high population growth, and commuting to urbanized areas for work. It is often associated with rural gentrification, as people willing to commute long distances move to rural places, raising the cost of living there while also transforming those places socially (Berube, Singer Wilson, & Frey, 2006; Salamon 2003a; Salamon 2003b).
Berube, A., Singer, A., Wilson, J. H., & Frey, W. H. (2006). Finding exurbia: America's fast-growing communities at the metropolitan fringe. Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution. Retrieved September 18, 2008, from http://www.brookings.edu/Metro/pubs/20061017_exurbia.pdf
Exurban Change Program. (n.d.) Defining exurban. Retrieved September 16, 2008, from http://www-agecon.ag.ohio-state.edu/programs/exurbs/def.htm
Salamon, S. (2003a). Newcomers to old towns: Suburbanization of the heartland. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Salamon, S. (2003b). From hometown to nontown: Rural community effects of suburbanization, 68(1), 1-24.