Americans are increasingly reaching major life milestones later than previous generations, and parenthood is no exception.
While overall U.S. fertility rates have fallen for decades, births among women over 40 are moving in the opposite direction. Rising education levels, delayed marriage, and high housing costs have all contributed to a growing share of women waiting longer to have children.
Using newly published research based on National Vital Statistics System data, this map, via Visual Capitalist's Dorothy Neufeld, shows where births among women ages 40–49 are most common across the country.
Births After 40 Are Growing Nationwide
For the first time, women over 40 are having more babies than teenagers. Since 1990, the share of U.S. births to women 40 and older has more than tripled, reaching 4.3% in 2025, while birth rates among women ages 40–49 rose 24% over the past decade.
The table below highlights where births among women ages 40–49 were most common in 2024. Washington, D.C., recorded the highest rate in the nation at 13.6 births per 1,000 women, followed by New York, New Jersey, and Hawaii.
State Births per 1,000 Women2015 (Ages 40-49) Births per 1,000 Women
2024 (Ages 40-49) % Change District of Columbia 13.1 13.6 4% New York 8.3 10.5 27% New Jersey 7.4 9.8 32% Hawaii 8.6 9.7 13% California 8.4 9.6 14% Maryland 7.0 9.2 31% Massachusetts 6.
