The Child Population in These Cities is Dropping Fast

The proportion of young children in western U.S. metros is falling faster than in other parts of the country, reports Jordan King in Newsweek. “Metros in Utah, Colorado and Nevada are among those facing the starkest drops in their under-5 shares of the total population, according to new analysis from the housing market data site Realtor.com published on New Year’s Day.” 

Along with longer lifespans, this signals a major shift in demographics that puts new pressures on the labor market, health care, and social security systems. “Lower birth rates can sometimes ease immediate pressure on housing and schools, but also lead to challenges in supporting economic growth and elder care, as the ratio of working adults to retirees declines.”

The decline in the under-5 population is shaped by a multitude of factors. In Utah, where roughly half the state identifies as Latter-Day Saints, the birth rate has historically been higher than most of the country, but, according to Utah Women and Leadership Project (UWLP) founder Susan R. Madsen, “the longstanding gap between Utah’s births and the rest of the country’s has narrowed since 2010, showing ‘Utahns are not immune’ to the changes affecting birth rates everywhere.”