America's child population is shrinking everywhere but the South

According to new Census Bureau estimates, America's child population fell by one point eight million between twenty twenty and twenty twenty-five — with one major exception: the South. The South gained more than three hundred thousand children in that period, the only U.S. region with growing child populations. Meanwhile, the West saw its under-eighteen population shrink by more than a million, down five point seven percent. The South's boom reflects strong migration of families in prime working and family-building years, plus retirees. The region's total population grew six percent — nearly double the national rate of three point one percent. But growth is concentrated: Southern metro areas added the children, while rural counties lost them. The consequences are real. The South faces crowded classrooms and housing pressure, while most of America prepares for fewer students. Demographers note the South's growing child population — particularly among Black and Latino families — could reshape the region's electoral and economic influence, provided these booming counties invest adequately in schools, housing, and transit. Nationally, the pattern is clear: America is aging. The median age rose to thirty-nine point four, the sixty-five-plus population grew sixteen point two percent, while the under-eighteen fell two point four percent.

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