Housing Costs and Fertility Rates

A scatter plot showing the relationship between the total fertility rate and the cost of a 2-bedroom home relative to median prime-age adult income across different states in 2024. The trend indicates that states with higher housing costs have lower fertility rates.

From the Institute for Family Studies:

The US fertility rate hit a record low in 2025. But fertility rates vary significantly across states, ranging from under 1.4 children per woman in states like Vermont and Oregon to over 1.9 in Nebraska and South Dakota. IFS’s Family Structure Index found that housing affordability explains 25% of this variation in total fertility rates, rising to 31% when outliers California and Hawaii are excluded. Expensive housing suppresses fertility by creating budget constraints, shifting young families into smaller housing, and driving the migration of families to more affordable areas. IFS senior fellow Lyman Stone offers one solution to the fertility decline: build family-friendly housing.

Note: Judging from the chart above, Virginia is slightly below the trend line, with fertility rate and housing costs as a ratio of prime-age adult income both in the middle of the pack nationally.


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