American families with young children are leaving urban cities in high numbers, which might indicate urban progressive policies are to blame, according to a recent report in The Atlantic and analysis by a Manhattan Institute scholar. The decline of families in America’s progressive cities is becoming a growing concern as the under-5 population is dwindling twice as fast in large urban counties compared to other parts of the country.
The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson highlighted the family problem that progressives are facing due to the declining number of younger children in cities like Manhattan, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and St. Louis. The trend of families, especially multiracial families with children, moving out of urban areas has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Housing affordability, or the lack thereof, is a major factor contributing to this issue.
After the 2008 financial crisis, young, high-income, college-educated individuals were moving into cities, while families with children were moving out. This trend has been ongoing since the 1980s, with the number of women under 40 who have never given birth doubling. The COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated this trend, leading to concerns about a potential family-exodus doom loop.
According to Connor O’Brien, a policy analyst at the Economic Innovation Group think tank, several major cities are expected to lose 50% of the under-5 population in the next 20 years. This decline in families has significant implications for the social and economic vibrancy of these cities. The Manhattan Institute’s Robert VerBruggen emphasized the need for cities to address housing affordability to attract families and ensure access to basic amenities like schools and playgrounds.
The U.S. is currently facing a housing affordability crisis, making it challenging for younger generations to become homeowners. Home prices reached a new record high in May, exacerbating the issue. Cities in red states are building more housing than those in blue states, leading to high costs for local services like childcare and a shortage of workers willing to work for lower wages.
To address the decline of families in America’s progressive cities, VerBruggen suggested that cities need to build more housing, especially housing for families, to bring prices down. Additionally, cities should focus on controlling disorder, offering educational choice for families, and making public areas more accessible to children. By addressing these factors, cities can work towards reversing the trend of families moving out of urban areas, ensuring a more sustainable future for all residents.