Buy Home, Make Babies

Social scientists have long theorized that when housing is available and affordable, the birth rate goes up. A recent New York Times article outlines some potential reasons for this premise — including the recent boom in the housing market — to prove that the data recently released by the National Center for Health Statistics supports why the total female fertility rate is up for the first time in 35 years.  

In reading the article, “From the Housing Market to the Maternity Ward,” I thought, that’s just silly.  Could the increase in home ownership over the past few years really have made that big of a difference? After reading the full article and giving it a bit more thought, it started to make more sense.  When you buy a home, you have more space to fill and you are likely in a greater position of financial security. You start nesting. Also, who can deny the fact that a big back yard without a toy or two strewn about seems just a bit wrong?  While not too many of my friends have entered into parenthood yet, those who have do have one thing in common: home ownership.  Coincidence? 

The article furnishes some interesting factoids, including:

• 4,265,996 babies were born in 2006, the most since 1961
• Children are most likely to be Hispanic, live in a red state, and be part of an evangelical Christian family
• Birth rates were highest in Republican states of Utah, Arizona, Idaho, and Texas
• Birth rates were lowest in the predominantly blue states of Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts

It is hard to tell if this is a trend or a fluke. Only time, and more babies, will tell, but at the very least an interesting way to look at the data.