Young families with children — already a shrinking part of the U.S. population in many areas — are seeing a notable decline in major urban centers, including Boston, San Francisco, New York, Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit, Seattle, Philadelphia, San Jose and Washington, D.C.
During the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, many families with children moved to suburban or rural areas in search of more space, and this trend has continued: Americans ages 25 to 44 (the years when people typically start families) are increasingly moving to rural counties and small metro areas, according to research conducted by Biswa Das, associate professor of community and regional planning at Iowa State University.
The problem: Families form the backbone of thriving communities, and their presence positively affects city infrastructure, local economies and overall quality of life.
Why are these families leaving large cities? Das’s research identifies many reasons, includin
