Data shows central states have higher fertility rates than national average

While the overall fertility rate in the United States continues to decline, a corridor of central states has a higher fertility rate than the national average. Data shows that North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas are experiencing a greater number of babies born per 1,000 women than other states, including California and New York.

Key Takeaways:

• The total fertility rate is measured by the number of babies born per 1,000 women of typical childbearing ages, 15-44.

• This is not to be confused with the total number of births, which is measured by general fertility rate.

• States in the central part of the U.S. had a markedly higher general fertility rate than other states in the country.

The Details:

As of 2024, the national general fertility rate was 53.8 births per 1,000 women in the demographic, while the general fertility rate of the six central states averaged at 59.3

Each of those states beat the national average in 2024:

• North Dakota: 60.4

• South Dakota: 66.7

• Nebraska: 62.9

• Kansas: 58.3

• Oklahoma: 58.4

• Texas: 59.3

Axios pointed to several possible demographic, economic, and cultural factors which may be behind the comparative baby boom in the midwestern states and Texas.

The age demographic in Texas and North Dakota is young, right behind Utah, which means that there are more women in their prime childbearing years in these states, which could be a reason for the birth rates in these states being higher than the national average.

A large difference in the cost of living between the Midwest and coastal states could also be a factor in the disparate birth rates. Childcare and housing costs are sometimes wildly lower in the central states than in states like California.

Axios cited Redfin data, which found the median cost of a house in Oklahoma is $260,000, while the median price in California is $800,000 as of May 2026.

Zoom In:

Culture is likely another factor with the birth rates. Young people in rural and religious communities tend to marry at earlier ages and have children before their peers in metropolitan areas, as Axios pointed out.

Previous research and reporting from Live Action News' "The Kids Are Not Alright" series strongly suggests that culture and mindset, in addition to economic factors, play a significant role in the choice of young people to avoid having children:

Gen Z… prioritizes things like financial independence and having enough money to do whatever they wish, over marriage and family. This mindset was further illustrated in a recent Buzzfeed article, in which DINK ["Double-Income No Kids"] couples revealed what they love about their child-free lives. It was a collection of goals that largely involved a life focusing on self-gratification above all else.

The Bottom Line:

The United States birth rate continues to fall. Newly released provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shows that there was a drop in birth rates from 2024 to 2025. The total fertility rate in the US is just 1.6 children per woman, well below the 2.1 population replacement rate.