Seattle and D.C. Are Bucking the Trend by Attracting Families With Kids

Rachel Louise Ensign, Paul Overberg:

Most big, expensive cities are losing kids as families struggle to cover the cost of living. The opposite is happening in Seattle and Washington, D.C., two pricey coastal cities diverging from the broader demographic trajectory. 

The population of children under 18 in both cities grew 10% between 2015 and 2024, a bigger increase than in many family-friendly Sunbelt locales. Both places had an influx of affluent young professionals in the 2000s and 2010s who stayed once they had kids. Many of those sticking around value diversity and urban experiences more than their own suburban-dwelling parents did.  

The cities have vast differences, but possess a few common ingredients that seem to have spurred their growing population of children: high-paying jobs and decent local schools.  

In Seattle, tech workers said relocating to the pricier San Francisco area would be a lifestyle downgrade. In D.C., home prices are up markedly in the nearby suburbs, which often come with crushing commutes.

The uptick in kids in these places may be short-lived. Falling birthrates mean both could start to see their child populations decline again soon. 

For now, though, there aren’t just more kids in these two cities—the makeup of the child population is dramatically different than it was a decade ago. In both places, the number of children in families with incomes below $100,000 fell while the number from families with higher incomes rose sharply, even after adjusting for inflation.

The two places aren’t perfect. Both are expensive and have above-average rates of certain crimes. Many students in D.C. public schools don’t meet performance standards. Open drug use is common in some areas of Seattle. Still, they offer some lessons on how to keep residents once they have kids and attract new families too.