Overview
- Reports published July 27, 2026, based on a Wall Street Journal analysis of Census data, show children under 18 fell about 6% in the 38 largest U.S. cities from 2015 to 2024 while children under 5 dropped about 15%.
- San Jose has been hit hardest, with roughly a 20% decline in under‑18s and about a 34% drop in under‑5s over the decade, and several other coastal and older metros saw double‑digit child declines.
- Falling birthrates, which have reduced national births by about 9% over the last decade, combine with high housing and childcare costs and post‑pandemic family moves to drive the urban youth retreat.
- Health systems have already pared services in response, with Becker's reporting 18 hospitals ending maternity care so far in 2026 after 29 closures in 2025, and some hospitals converting pediatric space for adult care.
- The split pattern of losses and gains — with several Sun Belt cities adding children — is reshaping school enrollment, municipal revenues and future workforce pipelines for local hospitals and employers.