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Massachusetts has the lowest fertility rates among women in their 20s
A woman’s peak reproductive years are between the late teens and late 20s. Yet Massachusetts women in this age group are far less likely than the average twentysomething to have children. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, in 2022, just 26.1 babies were born per 1,000 Massachusetts women aged 20 to 24 — less than half the national rate of 57.5. Among women 25 to 29, the rate is 60.2 births per 1,000 here versus 93.5 nationally.
For women in their thirties and forties, the pattern reverses. Those aged 30 to 34 and 35 to 39 have fertility rates that exceed the national average — “but they’re not high enough to make up for the lack of births among women in their 20s,” said Kenneth Johnson, a demographer at the University of New Hampshire.
A key driver is education. According to America’s Health Rankings, nearly half (49.4 percent) of Massachusetts women aged 25 to 44 hold at least a bachelor’s degree — the highest share in the country. But experts warn that education itself doesn’t lower fertility.
“Education delays childbearing, and advancing maternal age is one of the strongest contributors to low fecundity,” said Lauren Wise, a Boston University epidemiologist, referring to a woman’s biological capacity to conceive children. “But when you hold age constant, women with higher education actually have higher fecundity.”
Higher education is often linked to higher incomes, which can bring advantages like better health care access, lower stress, and healthier lifestyles. Still, delayed childbearing often leads to fewer total children — especially given declining fecundity after age 35.
Massachusetts is one of the most expensive states in the country to raise a family
Infant care in Massachusetts averages over $26,000 a year — the highest in the country. For many, that cost is compounded over many years, as some towns still don’t offer full-day kindergarten, forcing working parents to pay for multiple years of care.
In some Massachusetts counties, families spend nearly 20 percent of their income on child care — nearly triple the 7 percent benchmark for affordability set by the US Department of Health and Human Services.
“That’s huge,” said Dr. Stephanie Ettinger de Cuba, a public health researcher at BU. “Parents have to pay for childcare generally near the beginning of their career, when they’re not at their top earning potential.”
Housing costs don’t help. In Greater Boston, the median home price surpassed $950,000 in 2024, placing it among the ranks of the country’s most expensive metros and prompting many younger adults to delay or reconsider having children.
“People can’t borrow against their future to pay for daycare,” Ettinger de Cuba said. “And housing and student debt are already stretching them thin. People are making deeply rational choices in a system that’s not set up to support families.”
Massachusetts residents are more likely to be white, wealthy, urban, liberal, and secular.
While none of these traits directly reduces fecundity, they are associated with cultural norms — like delayed childbearing and smaller desired family sizes — that help explain lower fertility rates.
“It’s not that being liberal or high-income causes lower fertility,” said Wise. “It’s that these traits are associated with family formation patterns where people tend to want fewer children.”
Economic and political instability also plays a role. “When the economy is not doing well — during recessions or wars — birth rates decline,” Wise said, pointing to a sharp drop during the Great Depression and a rebound during the post-WWII economic boom. “People wait. They don’t want to start or grow a family when their future feels uncertain.”
Not all groups feel these pressures equally. “We shouldn’t conflate not having children with not wanting them,” said Ettinger de Cuba. For many low-income and immigrant families, the decision not to grow a family reflects systemic constraints — like food insecurity, unaffordable childcare, and unstable housing — more than personal preference.
The $5,000 Question
In April, Trump proposed a $5,000 “baby bonus” for new mothers. Some experts were skeptical.
“That’s not going to move the needle,” Wise said flatly. “It costs about $233,000 to raise a child.” The figure, from a decade-old USDA estimate, has only grown with inflation.
“There’s so much more to it than receiving a medal,” added Ettinger de Cuba, referencing another Trump idea to honor women with six or more children with a “National Medal of Motherhood.”
If policymakers are serious about boosting fertility rates, she said, they’d be better off funding paid family leave, universal childcare, affordable housing, and health care.
Nathan Metcalf can be reached at nathan.metcalf@globe.com. Follow him on Instagram @natpat_123.
BOSTON, MA — An international restaurant group with locations across the globe is preparing to open its first Massachusetts restaurant this year.
LPM Restaurant & Bar, a French Riviera-inspired restaurant founded in London, is set to open on the second floor of the Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street in Back Bay, according to Four Seasons. The hotel lists the restaurant as “Opening Summer 2026,” while the Boston Business Journal reported the restaurant plans to open in September.
The Boston restaurant will mark LPM’s debut in the Northeast and its third U.S. outpost, following locations in Miami and Las Vegas, according to a Four Seasons announcement.
LPM, also known as La Petite Maison, was founded in London in 2007 and is known for French-Mediterranean food, Mediterranean ingredients and dining rooms influenced by Belle Époque design.
The business operates locations in London, Dubai, Miami, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Riyadh, Limassol, Doha, Mykonos, Kuwait, Boston, Maldives and Bangkok.
Four Seasons said LPM will take over the space that formerly housed One Dalton’s breakfast concept, One + One. The restaurant will join other dining options at the hotel, including Zuma and Trifecta.
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A Massachusetts high school is under investigation after “several” teachers have been diagnosed with breast cancer or precancerous conditions.
The state Department of Public Health is set to visit Uxbridge High School on Thursday to “conduct a series of air quality tests,” to determine whether the multiple cases are potentially connected.
Superintendent David Ljungberg and Principal Michael Rubin alerted families and district staff on Monday of the “sombering news,” after Uxbridge High School’s graduation over the weekend.
“We are writing to inform you about a concern we are investigating at Uxbridge High School,” Ljungberg and Rubin stated in the letter. “Several female teachers have been diagnosed with breast cancer or precancerous conditions over the past few years.”
“It is, of course, possible that these multiple cases are not connected to one another,” the leaders added, “but out of abundance of caution, we are looking into any environmental factors at the school that may be a factor in their diagnoses.”
The 123,000-square-foot school, with an enrollment of roughly 600, was constructed in 2012 at a cost of $45 million, including a $22-million state reimbursement.
Uxbridge school leaders say they notified the state Department of Health and local health board as soon as they became aware of the cases, seeking “counsel about how best to proceed.”
“Massachusetts DPH officials have indicated that there is no evidence of immediate danger in the building and no reason to limit access to or use of the facility at this time,” they wrote in their letter. “In fact, the public health officials have commended our decision to approach them with these concerns, our readiness to partner with them in support of the evaluation process.”
Health officials are assessing the school’s interior and exterior to “ensure there are no issues with the infrastructure that would present risks (including electrical, plumbing, mechanical, HVAC, and other systems)” and the indoor and outdoor air quality on campus.
The superintendent and principal said that state officials have ruled out water supply as a “risk factor” after “thorough testing.”
“The team has reached out to the women who have been diagnosed, requesting data to evaluate whether there may be a connection among their cases,” Ljungberg and Rubin wrote. “We are grateful for their cooperation.”
They added that the state has said discovering an environmental “smoking gun” is “rare” in workplace investigations.
“However, even if a direct causal link is not established,” the leaders wrote, “the administration is utilizing this process to rigorously test the building and guarantee that it meets all safety standards moving forward.”
Local News
Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a measure that would allow cities and towns to temporarily extend bar and restaurant hours during the summer, as the state prepares to host FIFA World Cup matches and celebrations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The legislation (H.5465) filed by state Rep. Carole Fiola, would allow licensed establishments to sell alcohol one hour later than their normal closing time, up to 3 a.m., between June 1 and Aug. 31, 2026. The bill would also allow communities to establish designated public consumption districts where alcohol could be consumed in approved public spaces.
In a press release announcing the bill, Fiola said the summer’s threefold events lineup — the World Cup, Tall Ships, and July 4th — is an economically significant moment that the state should take advantage of.
“We should capitalize on these events that will generate economic benefits for small businesses and the state as a whole. It’s a local opt-in idea worth exploring that’s being done in other states,” Fiola said.
The proposal has received support from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and most recently Gov. Maura Healey, who submitted written testimony Monday to the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies urging lawmakers to advance the measure.
“Massachusetts is planning for a once-in-a-generation summer,” Healey wrote, according to the Boston Globe. “In 2026, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, welcome tall ships from around the world to Boston Harbor for Sail Boston, and host seven FIFA World Cup matches in Foxborough, along with watch parties across the Commonwealth.”
The governor argued that the added flexibility could help local economies benefit from an influx of visitors.
“That flexibility can help communities capture more visitor spending, support jobs, keep downtowns active, and strengthen Massachusetts’ image as a dynamic destination ready to host the world and a place our residents, including our young professionals, are proud to call home,” Healey wrote.
She also urged lawmakers to move the legislation forward, saying it will “help Massachusetts meet the full economic and cultural opportunities for the summer ahead.”
In Rhode Island, a similar bill to allow bars and restaurants to remain open until 4 a.m. during the World Cup was signed into law on Friday.
Fiola’s bill remains before the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. Any final version would require approval from both the House and Senate before reaching Healey’s desk.
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