Many members of a society deal with their everyday problems on their own, but there are people who look for and receive support from other individuals, groups and institutions. Social networks are considered important providers of resources accumulated in and of services delivered by the local community. The article is focused on social support networks of families living in big city in comparison with families living less urbanized communes. The first part of the analyses presents social support networks in various theoretical approaches. The main subject of empirical reflection are the resources available to these families as a result of informal social relations. The main conclusions are that informal social network of studied families is important for solving their every-day problems and the main resource of support for them are close relatives, then friends and the most rarelyneighbors, but the patterns of support expected and received within informal networks vary according to age and quality of residence. The paper is based on the results of the research conducted in 2008–2009 (the quota sample – 500 families living in Lodz and 1000 families living in less urbanized communes) within the project “Social network and local partnership in counteracting social exclusion and intergenerational transmission of poverty” (Nr H02E 021 29) coordinated by author.