Revisiting the role of secondary towns: How different types of urban growth relate to poverty in Indonesia

•We relate city and town growth to annual poverty rates for 497 Indonesian districts.•Satellite observations of night-time lights are used to measure urban growth.•Spatial econometric models show an important role for spillovers.•Growth of big city lit area is positively associated with poverty.•Expansion of Indonesia’s secondary towns is negatively associated with poverty.