General · Texas behavioral health news
Census: Texas leads the U.S. in having more kids, but the state’s fertility rate is still falling
Texas Tribune – Health · By Joshua Fechter · June 25, 2026
In plain language
Texas continues to have a higher birth rate than many other large states, including California and New York. While Texans are having more children than the national average, the state's fertility rate has still been slowly declining for nearly twenty years. Experts say this shift is caused by several factors, such as the high cost of living, expensive childcare, and people choosing to start families later in life. Despite the decline, certain Texas counties like Dallas, Harris, and Tarrant remain among the leaders for births in the country.
AI-generated summary of the source article. Not medical advice.
Key takeaways
- Texas maintains a higher fertility rate than the national average and other large states like Florida and California.
- The birth rate in Texas has been steadily falling for nearly two decades, following a global downward trend.
- Financial pressures, including high housing and childcare costs, are major factors discouraging people from having more children.
- Dallas, Harris, and Tarrant counties currently have the three highest birth rates among the largest counties in the United States.
- Texas has a younger population and a high Hispanic population, both of which contribute to its relatively high birth rates.
- A significant drop in teenage births has contributed to the overall decline in fertility rates both locally and nationally.
A man blows bubbles with his baby in Boerne on April 8, 2024. " data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.texastribune.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/0408-Boerne-Eclipse-MF-11-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1" /> Americans aren’t having enough children to maintain the country’s population, a decline driven by factors like the high cost of living. The post Census: Texas leads the U.S. in having more kids, but the state’s fertility rate is still falling appeared first on The Texas Tribune.
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