Seattle and Portland are wrestling for the title of the city with the lowest birth rate. But it's not just the Pacific Northwest. Birth rates are declining across the country. 

Environmentalists say there are benefits to slowing population growth, like less consumption and strain on resources. But economists start to worry when birth rates dip well below the replacement rate. That’s because it can mean slower economic growth and labor shortages down the road.  

There are a lot of things driving down Seattle’s birth rate, but the most obvious: it costs a lot to raise a family here.

On today's episode, what does it mean for Seattle’s economy if people can’t afford to have kids? 

Sign up for our first FREE live event atKUOW.org/events. Join Joshua and The Big Dig podcast to explore the future of Seattle’s highways and hear some experts making big decisions about what’s next for our roads. October 27 at 7pm at the Central Library in downtown Seattle.  

Coming up: Did you or someone you know move to the Pacific Northwest because of climate change? Whether the motivation was environmental disaster, rising insurance costs, or just general anxiety, we want to hear from you. Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail with your experience -- it could be featured on an upcoming episode. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. 

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Seattle and Portland are wrestling for the title of the city with the lowest birth rate.&nbsp;But it's not just the Pacific Northwest. Birth rates are declining across the country.&nbsp;
Environmentalists say there are benefits to slowing population growth, like less consumption and strain on resources. But economists start to worry when birth rates dip well below the replacement rate. That&rsquo;s because it can mean slower economic growth and labor shortages down the road. &nbsp;
There are a lot of things driving down Seattle&rsquo;s birth rate, but the most obvious: it costs a lot to raise a family here.
On today's episode, what does it mean for Seattle&rsquo;s economy if people can&rsquo;t afford to have kids?&nbsp;
Sign up for our first FREE live event at <a href="KUOW.org/events">KUOW.org/events</a>. Join Joshua and&nbsp;The Big Dig podcast to explore the future of Seattle&rsquo;s highways and hear some experts making big decisions about what&rsquo;s next for our roads. October 27 at 7pm at the Central Library in downtown Seattle.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Coming up: Did you or someone you know move to the Pacific Northwest because of climate change? Whether the motivation was environmental disaster, rising insurance costs, or just general anxiety, we want to hear from you. Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail with your experience -- it could be featured on an upcoming episode. You can also email us at <a href="mailto:booming@kuow.org">booming@kuow.org.</a>
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/booming">kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes</a>.&nbsp;
Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/carol-smith">Carol Smith</a>. Our producers are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/lucy-soucek">Lucy Soucek</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/alec-cowan">Alec Cowan</a>. Our hosts are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/joshua-mcnichols">Joshua McNichols</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/monica-nickelsburg">Monica Nickelsburg</a>.

Booming is a weekly podcast about the economic forces shaping our lives here in the Pacific Northwest. The Seattle area's been home to many booms over the years. It’s brought jobs, people, and wealth to the region, but also real growing pains that people here feel every day. In Booming, KUOW economy reporters Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg help listeners make sense of our ever-changing economy. We'll dig into what people are seeing or feeling and unpack the story behind it.

Booming is a weekly podcast about the economic forces shaping our lives here in the Pacific Northwest. The Seattle area's been home to many booms over the years. It&rsquo;s brought jobs, people, and wealth to the region, but also real growing pains that people here feel every day. In&nbsp;Booming, KUOW economy reporters Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg help listeners make sense of our ever-changing economy. We'll dig into what people are seeing or feeling and unpack the story behind it.

Booming

It costs a lot to raise a family here.  So what does it mean for Seattle’s economy if people can’t afford to have kids? 

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