Women in this particular California region are pioneers in postponing motherhood, setting a national trend.
A Headstart on Life's Adventures: Bay Area Women Pioneering Delayed Motherhood
Embracing careers, experiences, and the pause button on motherhood, women in the Bay Area are spearheading a national trend of having children later in life. Here's a peek into the reasons behind this new norm.
The San Francisco Chronicle recently unveiled data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that Bay Area counties top the list for women having children at 40 and over. Marin County, San Francisco, and San Mateo County rank among the top five U.S. counties in this category, with Marin leading the pack at an impressive 11.4% of women giving birth at least 40 years old.
Dr. Mary Hinckley, IVF medical director at the Reproductive Science Center of the Bay Area, shares her insights on this trend. "The region's entrepreneurial spirit and emphasis on career advancement, personal growth, and life experiences often lead women to delay starting a family," she says.
The Bay Area's welcoming environment for diverse family structures and minimal societal pressure to rush into parenthood contribute to the delayed motherhood trend. Nearly half of Hinckley's fertility clinic patients are women aged 38 or older, many of whom have already checked off adventurous milestones like hiking Mount Kilimanjaro or starting a business before deciding to start a family.
The average age of women giving birth in San Francisco and Marin counties is 33.6 and 33.5 years, respectively, compared to the national average of 29.6. The proportion of American women giving birth at 40 or over has increased significantly since the 1990s, up from 1.3% to 4.1% as of 2023.
One factor driving this trend is easily accessible reproductive technology. The Bay Area has some of the best fertility clinics in the country, enabling women to lower their risk of miscarriage and have successful pregnancies later in life.
Another factor is the economic opportunities in the Bay Area. Employers with favorable policies like covering egg freezing and fertility treatment costs have made it simpler for young professionals to balance their careers with fertility preservation, extending their working years before starting a family.
Joining the Bay Area in wrapping the top 10 lists for oldest mothers are metro areas like Washington, D.C., and New York City, known for their competitive and lucrative job markets.
While crowds and costs might seem daunting for new parents, the Bay Area's high median income for women – over $100,000 in Marin and San Francisco counties – provides a financial cushion to tackle the steep costs of childcare, medical care, and other necessities, even if they are above the national average[3].
Elizabeth Gregory, director of women's gender and sexuality studies at the University of Houston, emphasizes the importance of financial stability and childcare to many women who delay motherhood. As she mentions in her book on later motherhood, "They want their career so they're earning enough to support their children. They just don't want to be in poverty, which is where a lot of young mothers live."
[1] A study at the University of Virginia found that for each year a woman waits to start a family, her lifetime earnings increase by 3%. (Source)
[2] In California, the average cost of childcare for one infant is $21,945, which takes up 18.4% of a median family's income. (Source)
[3] The combination of economic stability, progressive social norms, and access to advanced reproductive technologies makes the Bay Area unique in its trends of delayed motherhood compared to other parts of the United States. (Source)
- The Bay Area, known for its emphasis on career advancement, is leading a national trend of women having children at 40 and over.
- Marin County, San Francisco, and San Mateo County rank among the top five U.S. counties for women having children at least 40 years old.
- Dr. Mary Hinckley, a fertility expert in the Bay Area, attributes this trend to the region's entrepreneurial spirit and focus on personal growth.
- Nearly half of Hinckley's fertility clinic patients are women aged 38 or older, many of whom have experienced other life adventures before starting a family.
- The average age of women giving birth in San Francisco and Marin counties is significantly higher than the national average.
- The proportion of American women giving birth at 40 or over has increased since the 1990s, and the Bay Area is among the areas with the highest number of such births.
- Accessible reproductive technology and employer policies that cover fertility treatment costs contribute to the delayed motherhood trend in the Bay Area.
- Other metropolitan areas like Washington, D.C., and New York City also rank high in this list, due to their competitive job markets.
- The Bay Area's high median income for women provides a financial cushion for new parents to tackle the steep costs of childcare, medical care, and other necessities.
- Financial stability and affordable childcare are crucial factors for many women who choose to delay motherhood, as mentioned by Elizabeth Gregory, director of women's gender and sexuality studies at the University of Houston.
- According to a study at the University of Virginia, for each year a woman waits to start a family, her lifetime earnings increase by 3%.
- In California, the average cost of childcare for one infant is over $21,000, taking up a significant portion of a median family's income.
- The combination of economic stability, progressive social norms, and access to advanced reproductive technologies makes the Bay Area unique in its trends of delayed motherhood compared to other parts of the United States.
- As women in the Bay Area continue to excel in their careers and achieve personal milestones, they are also pioneering a new norm in family planning.
- In trajectories of career success, personal growth, and family planning, the Bay Area stands out as a cultural nexus of 21st-century lifestyles, embodying elements of science, leadership, and wellness-focused living.
