Find where to move based on your priorities.
The United States is reaching its lowest birth ratein history, but that alarming outcome isn’t necessarily intentional. Pew Research Center data show that the majority of young Americans today still want to have children: More than 7 out of 10 people in their 20s and 30s have or plan to have at least one child, and the majority of nonparents between ages 18 and 34 say they want to be parents someday.
Then pressing questions come in: Can people afford it? (Cost is often the top reason cited by people who avoid or delay having children.) Would children be able to grow up in a secure environment with access to a good education? And do people feel safe to conceive given the varying level of abortion access? Research shows that in states where abortions are bannedmothers are more likely to die from unwanted pregnancy and infant mortality increased due to birth defects.
The answers often depend on where people live. Child care is highly expensive in some parts of the country, but there are places where raising a childdoes not cost half of a family’s income. Meanwhile, where children grow up still plays a crucial role in their future success.