Number of young kids in big cities craters by 15% in the last decade and these cities saw the biggest drop
No kids on the block.The number of young children living in America’s big cities has plummeted 15% in the past 10 years, as would-be parents move away or just give up on having kids, thanks to high costs of living and childcare, according to a stunning new analysis.San Jose and Los Angeles saw the biggest decline in the population of kids — down by 20% and 16% between 2015 and 2024.
New York City reported a decline of 8% in under-18s.While the nation’s record-low fertility rate has made headlines, in major urban areas, the disappearance of children is even greater.The number of children under age 5 living in big cities fell 15% between 2015 and 2024, compared with a 7% drop nationwide, new analysis by the Wall Street Journal found.The WSJ analyzed the demographic data of America’s 38 cities with at least residents.The number of under-18s in big cities also fell 6% in the same time period, compared to 1% nationwide.Even cities that grew overall in the past decade lost children, with roughly two-thirds of the 38 large US cities recording a decrease in the population of children.While many young people are opting not to have children, a large number of parents are also choosing to leave the city.Big cities with the largest drop in population under 18, 2015 to 2024… and the cities that added the most kids, 2015 to 2024Parents who moved away cited fears about costs, safety, and quality of life, while childless respondents also expressed worries about the financial implications and lifestyle trade-offs of having a family, according to the WSJ.San Jose, California saw the greatest drop in young children, with the number of kids under age 5 dropping more than a third (34%) in the past decade.Median household incomes in the Silicon Valley hub are nearly twice the US average, pricing out many middle-class families.“I was just over it,” firefighter Ernie Solis told the newspaper, explaining his decision to leave San Jose with his teacher wife and two children....