Birth Rates by State: Where Americans Are Having Children
Published April 14, 2026 · CDC NVSS + Census ACS
Utah, South Dakota, and Nebraska have the highest birth rates in America. Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine have the lowest. The gap, often more than five births per 1,000 people, translates into a fundamentally different demographic trajectory for each region. Roughly 3,667,758 babies are born across these states per year.
States with the Highest Birth Rates
| # | State | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah | 13.7 |
| 2 | Texas | 13.1 |
| 3 | Alaska | 12.8 |
| 4 | South Dakota | 12.5 |
| 5 | Nebraska | 12.4 |
| 6 | North Dakota | 12.3 |
| 7 | Louisiana | 12.2 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | 12.1 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | 12.0 |
| 10 | Tennessee | 11.8 |
| 11 | Idaho | 11.8 |
| 12 | Georgia | 11.7 |
States with the Lowest Birth Rates
| # | State | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | 8.2 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 8.7 |
| 3 | Maine | 8.8 |
| 4 | Oregon | 9.3 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | 9.4 |
| 6 | West Virginia | 9.5 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 9.8 |
| 8 | Connecticut | 9.8 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 10.0 |
| 10 | Illinois | 10.1 |
| 11 | Montana | 10.1 |
| 12 | Florida | 10.2 |
Why Birth Rates Vary So Much
Age structure. States with younger populations have more women in peak childbearing years. Utah, Alaska, and the Dakotas score high on both young-population and high-birthrate rankings. Vermont and Maine, with their older populations, inevitably have fewer births per capita.
Religion and culture. Utah's long history of high fertility is inseparable from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' cultural emphasis on family size. The influence is now gradually waning, but the state still outpaces every other in fertility.
Economic factors. States with lower housing costs and stronger extended-family support tend to have somewhat higher fertility. Expensive metropolitan areas on both coasts have the lowest birth rates, partly a cost-of-living effect.
The Age of First Birth Keeps Rising
Nationally, first births to mothers under 20 have fallen dramatically since 2007, while births to women 35 and older have climbed. The shift is fastest in coastal, high-education states. In Massachusetts, New Jersey, and California, a substantial share of births are to mothers 35+, whereas in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, under-25 mothers still account for a larger share.
The Broader Trend
US fertility has fallen well below replacement and shows no sign of reversing. That means population growth in the coming decades will come entirely from international migration and from life expectancy gains, not from natural increase. States with high in-migration will keep growing; states with low fertility and limited in-migration will shrink.
Related
See the full highest birth rate ranking. Compare with oldest and youngest states. For total births instead of rate, see states with most births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Utah has the highest birth rate among US states at 13.7 births per 1,000 residents.
Vermont has the lowest birth rate at 8.2 per 1,000.
The crude birth rate is the number of live births per 1,000 total population per year. State-level birth data comes from the CDC National Vital Statistics System, which tracks every birth certificate filed in the United States.
Yes. The US total fertility rate has declined from about 2.1 children per woman in 2007 to near 1.6 today, well below the replacement rate. The drop is broad-based across age groups and states, though the pace differs.
Birth counts and rates from the CDC NVSS natality file. Crude birth rate is births per 1,000 total population.