families more children



Raising children requires substantial financial preparedness. One’s ability to save enough to house and support a growing family can depend on a variety of factors. Residents in some locations, however, are having more kids than in others. That’s why SmartAsset analyzed the data to uncover the places across the 100 largest U.S. cities where families are having more children.



To do this, we considered six metrics: the percentage of households with one or more people younger than age 18; the five-year change in the percentage of households with one or more people younger than age 18; percentage of the population who are children; the five-year change in the percentage of the population who are children, the percentage of women who gave birth in the past 12 months and the five-year change in the percentage of women who gave birth in the past 12 months. For details on our data sources and how we put all the information together to create our final rankings, check out the Data and Methodology section below.

Key Findings:

Texas and Nebraska dominate the top 10. Three of the top 10 cities in our study are in Texas, and two others are in Nebraska.

No Northeastern states in top 25. According to Census regional divisions, no top-25 city in our study is located in a Northeastern state. The first city from this region to appear in our rankings is Jersey City, New Jersey, coming in at No. 31.

Changes in children’s population are incremental. We are not in the middle of a baby boom, as child populations are declining study-wide Even the cities near the top of this list are experiencing relatively small increases to the total number of children. The average change in the percentage of the population who are children ­ across the top 10 cities in our study is 0.26%.

1. Glendale, AZ

In 2017, Glendale, Arizona reported the second-highest percentage overall of women who have given birth in the past 12 months, at 7.6%. That is an uptick of 2% from 2013, the sixth-highest increase in this study. Around 30.3% of all people in Glendale are children, the eighth-highest rate for this metric in the study. Glendale also ties for No. 7 in SmartAsset’s study on best places to buy a family home.

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2. Oklahoma City, OK

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma had the highest increase in our study for the percentage of the population who are children, at 1.6%. Approximately 28.8% of Oklahoma City’s population is made up of children. At 7.5%, this city also had the third-highest rate in the study for percentage of women who gave birth in the past 12 months, according to 2017 numbers. Be sure to check out SmartAsset’s study of the best places for millennial mothers.

3. Irvine, CA

Irvine, California has top-three rates for each of the change metrics that we considered. From 2013 through 2017, it had the third-highest rate for increase in percentage of households with one or more people younger than the age of 18, at 2.9%. Over that timeframe, Irvine also had the second-highest increase in the percentage of the population who are children, at 1.5%, and the third-highest increase in the percentage of women who gave birth in the past 12 months, at 2.3%.

4. Arlington, TX

A suburb of Dallas, Arlington, Texas is the fourth city in our top 10. According to 2017 numbers, it ranks fourth when it comes to the percentage of women who have given birth in the past 12 months, at 7.4%. While the percentage of the population who are children in Arlington decreased slightly from 2013 through 2017, the city still has a top-10 rate for the percentage of the population who are children, at 30.2%. Additionally, it has top-20 rates for the percentage of households with at least one person younger than 18 as well as for the increase in the percentage of these households from 2013 through 2017.

5. Corpus Christi, TX

The second Texas city in our top 10, Corpus Christi has the fifth-highest percentage in the study of women who gave birth in the past 12 months, at approximately 7.3%. Around 36% of households have at least one person who is younger than 18, which is an increase of 0.5% from 2013 through 2017. Corpus Christi ranks 22nd overall for both of these metrics. Check out SmartAsset’s study on the best places for children, in which Corpus Christi ranks 15th.

6. Chesapeake, VA

Chesapeake, Virginia is one of only two East Coast cities in our top 10 and finishes in the top 20 for all three of the change metrics in the study. From 2013 through 2017, it saw an increase of approximately 1% in terms of households with at least one person younger than age 18. In 2017 compared to 2013, Chesapeake saw a 0.9% increase in the percentage of women who gave birth in the past 12 months. And from 2013 through 2017, it saw no increase or decrease in the percentage of the population who are children.

7. Jacksonville, FL

In 2017, Jacksonville, Florida, the other East Coast city in our top 10, had the highest percentage in the study of women who gave birth in the past 12 months, at 7.73%. The change in that percentage from 2013 to 2017 was approximately 2.3%, the fourth-highest increase for this metric overall. Jacksonville also has a top-10 rate for the 2013-2017 increase in the percentage of households with at least one member younger than 18, at approximately 1.3%.

8. Omaha, NE

Omaha, Nebraska ranks within the top 35 for every metric. Around 31.3% of households in the city have at least one member younger than age 18. The number of children as a percentage of population in Omaha is about 27.7%. As family size grows, of course, it’s important for parents consider the best cities for working parents.

9. Houston, TX

Houston, the last of three Texas cities to make it into the top 10 of our study on where families are having more children, had the ninth-highest 2013-2017 increase in the percentage of its population who are children, at about 0.2%. In 2017, the number of children as a percentage of total population was approximately 27.7%. And according to 2017 numbers, approximately 6.73% of women in Houston gave birth in the past 12 months, the 11th-highest rate for this metric in the study. Parents having more kids may be interested in exploring the best places to raise a family in Texas.

10. Lincoln, NE

Lincoln, Nebraska rounds out the top 10 of our study on where families are having more children. It saw a 2013-2017 increase of about 1.4% in the percentage of households with at least one person younger than 18, the eighth-highest increase for this metric in the study. Additionally, Lincoln had an approximately 0.5% increase in the percentage of its population who are children, the sixth-highest increase for this metric in the study.

Data and Methodology

To find the cities in America where families are having more children, SmartAsset analyzed data for the 100 largest U.S. cities across the following metrics from the Census Bureau:

Percentage of households with one or more people under 18 years old

Change in the percentage of households with one or more people under 18 years old

Percentage of the population who are children

Change in the percentage of the population who are children

Percentage of women who gave birth in the past 12 months

Change in the percentage of women who gave birth in the past 12 months

All data comes from the Census Bureau. For the total percentage metrics, data is for 2017. For the percentage change statistics, data is for 2013 and 2017.

First, we ranked each city in each metric. We then found each city’s average ranking, giving a double weight to the three metrics referring to change in percentage and a single weight to the three remaining metrics. Based on these average rankings, we assigned each city a final score. The city with the highest average ranking received a score of 100 and the city with the lowest average ranking received a score of 0.

Tips for Managing your Money

Get smart with your advice. If you are thinking of having children, a financial advisor can help you get all your finances in order. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with financial advisors in your area in five minutes. If you’re ready to be matched with local advisors that will help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

How much house can you afford? If you want a house big enough to hold your whole family, you might want to start thinking about buying. Use SmartAsset’s tool to see how much house you can afford before you start your search so you are looking at the right types of homes.

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