Americans in the Midwest seem to be getting the busiest in bed, a new analysis shows.
Researchers from financial technology firm SmartAsset reviewed census data from 37 major US cities to determine which ones had the highest and lowest birth rates.
The team reviewed the number of women in each city ages 15 to 50 who had a baby between 2021 and 2022, then compared the data to the total number of women in that age group in each city.
Indianapolis – home of the Indy 500 – topped the list, with 6.5 percent of women giving birth in 2022, amounting to just under 14,500 births.
Dallas and Las Vegas followed closely behind, with 6.3 percent of women and 6.1 percent of women, respectively.
Meanwhile, Seattle came in last place, as just 2.6 percent of women ages 15 to 50 had a baby in 2022 – 5,760.
Despite their relative high numbers in the analysis, overall birth rates in the top cities still remained lower than the national average – 1.6 births per woman – which has dropped to its lowest in more than 100 years.
Indianapolis’ first prize could be due to an influx of people flocking to the area from big cities like New York and Los Angeles.
An analysis from Indiana University, for example, found that the state gained nearly 30,000 new residents in 2023. And that same year, there were 7,510 more births than deaths. In 2022, there were 22,500 new residents.
Census data suggests that New York City lost 78,000 residents in 2023, and the Los Angeles metro area had 71,000 people flee.
Matthew Kinghorn, senior demographer at Indiana University, said about that data: ‘Indiana’s growth was fueled by another year of exceptionally high net in-migration.’
According to the study, the fastest-growing counties were those surrounding Indianapolis.
In 2022, Indianapolis’ birth rate increased from 5.8 percent in 2021. However, the average family size was 3.12, down slightly from 3.24 in 2021.
In Dallas, the average family size was 3.3, and the birth rate increased slightly from 6.1 percent in 2021 to 6.3 percent in 2022.
And the rate in Las Vegas also went up – growing to 6.1 percent from 4.4 percent in 2021. The average family size there was 3.3.
Fresno and El Paso rounded out the top five, both with 5.9 percent of women having a baby in 2022.
In Fresno, this resulted in 7,955 births, along with 9,757 in El Paso.
Experts have warned that while birth rates are increasing in some major cities, the national birth rate has long been declining
Fresno’s average family size was 3.6, while El Paso’s came in at 3.4.
The average US family size is 3.13, according to the US Census Bureau.
Texas dominated the top 10, with four cities having the highest birth rates: Dallas, El Paso, San Antonio, and Houston.
However, its major city of Austin had the fifth lowest birth rate of 3.8 percent.
Meanwhile, Seattle took last place for birth rate. The average family size was just 2.8, down from 3.4 percent in 2021.
This low rate could be due to Seattle’s high cost of living and the city being a hub for more career-minded individuals, such as those working in tech.
Milwaukee, Boston, Portland, and Austin rounded out the rest of the bottom five.
Big cities have long had lower birth rates than more suburban or rural areas. This is often due to higher cost of living, better access to birth control, and having less space to accommodate large families.
Birth rates overall in the US are declining as well. In 2007, the birth rate was 14.3 births per 1,000 people nationwide. By 2022, the latest year with data, this had dropped to just 11.1 per 1,000 people.
Experts believe this drop is due to many Americans choosing to focus on work over family, as well as a higher cost of living.
