Bedroom community: meaning, definitions and examples

Used to refer to a residential area where people primarily live and sleep, but commute to work in another place. This term highlights the limited local employment opportunities.

• She lives in a bedroom community outside the city and takes the train to work every day.
• The bedroom community has quiet streets and lots of parks, ideal for families.

A suburb is a residential area situated on the outskirts of a city. It often suggests a degree of separation from urban life and may include larger homes with yards.

• Many young families prefer living in the suburbs for the spacious homes and better schools.
• The suburbs are growing rapidly as more people leave the crowded city.

Refers broadly to regions within a city or town where people live, generally away from commercial or industrial zones. It's a neutral term.

• They just moved into a new house in a quiet residential area.
• The city council is planning to improve the infrastructure in residential areas.

This term is similar to 'bedroom community' but more formally indicates a town from which a large number of people travel daily to work in a nearby city. Emphasizes the distance traveled.

• The population of the commuter town swells during evenings and weekends when everyone returns from work.
• Many commuter towns developed due to the expansion of public transportation.