Birth and fertility rates by state
Utah had the highest birth rate in 2024, 13.3 per 1,000 residents, and Vermont the lowest, 7.7 per 1,000 residents, against 10.7 per 1,000 residents nationally. On the fertility rate, the number of births per woman, South Dakota ranks first (2.04) and the District of Columbia last (1.11); the US figure is 1.601.
Data as of October 29, 2026 (newest release used on this page).
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Births; Census Bureau, 2024 Cartographic Boundary Files. Darker states are higher; DC is the dot. Period: 2024.
| 1 | Utah | 13.3 | Higher | 1.80 | 59.9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Texas | 12.5 | Higher | 1.77 | 59.3 |
| =3 | Nebraska | 12.4 | Higher | 1.92 | 62.9 |
| =3 | South Dakota | 12.4 | Higher | 2.04 | 66.7 |
| =5 | Alaska | 12.1 | Higher | 1.80 | 60.8 |
| =5 | North Dakota | 12.1 | Higher | 1.81 | 60.4 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 11.7 | Higher | 1.76 | 58.4 |
| =8 | Idaho | 11.6 | Higher | 1.82 | 58.6 |
| =8 | Indiana | 11.6 | Higher | 1.77 | 59.1 |
| =8 | Louisiana | 11.6 | Higher | 1.77 | 58.2 |
| =8 | Tennessee | 11.6 | Higher | 1.72 | 58.5 |
| =12 | Arkansas | 11.5 | Higher | 1.76 | 58.8 |
| =12 | Kentucky | 11.5 | Higher | 1.80 | 60.3 |
| =14 | Kansas | 11.4 | Higher | 1.77 | 58.3 |
| =14 | Mississippi | 11.4 | Higher | 1.74 | 57.3 |
| 16 | Georgia | 11.3 | Higher | 1.64 | 54.7 |
| =17 | Alabama | 11.2 | Higher | 1.72 | 57.2 |
| =17 | Iowa | 11.2 | Higher | 1.80 | 58.8 |
| 19 | North Carolina | 11.1 | Higher | 1.66 | 55.8 |
| 20 | Missouri | 10.9 | Higher | 1.67 | 55.9 |
| =21 | Colorado | 10.8 | Higher | 1.49 | 51.6 |
| =21 | District of Columbia | 10.8 | Higher | 1.11 | 39.8 |
| =23 | Minnesota | 10.7 | Not significant | 1.67 | 55.2 |
| =23 | New Jersey | 10.7 | Not significant | 1.64 | 55.7 |
| =23 | Ohio | 10.7 | Not significant | 1.65 | 55.6 |
| =23 | South Carolina | 10.7 | Not significant | 1.67 | 55.5 |
| =23 | Virginia | 10.7 | Not significant | 1.60 | 53.7 |
| 28 | Maryland | 10.5 | Lower | 1.59 | 53.3 |
| =29 | Arizona | 10.4 | Lower | 1.57 | 53.2 |
| =29 | Washington | 10.4 | Lower | 1.48 | 51.3 |
| =29 | Wyoming | 10.4 | Lower | 1.70 | 54.8 |
| =32 | Hawaii | 10.3 | Lower | 1.68 | 56.6 |
| =32 | New York | 10.3 | Lower | 1.51 | 52.1 |
| 34 | California | 10.2 | Lower | 1.46 | 49.8 |
| =35 | Delaware | 10.0 | Lower | 1.61 | 53.7 |
| =35 | Montana | 10.0 | Lower | 1.59 | 53.3 |
| =35 | New Mexico | 10.0 | Lower | 1.56 | 51.9 |
| =35 | Wisconsin | 10.0 | Lower | 1.60 | 52.8 |
| =39 | Illinois | 9.9 | Lower | 1.47 | 49.7 |
| =39 | Nevada | 9.9 | Lower | 1.48 | 50.1 |
| 41 | Michigan | 9.8 | Lower | 1.52 | 51.5 |
| 42 | Pennsylvania | 9.7 | Lower | 1.53 | 51.2 |
| =43 | Florida | 9.6 | Lower | 1.55 | 52.2 |
| =43 | Massachusetts | 9.6 | Lower | 1.38 | 46.8 |
| =43 | West Virginia | 9.6 | Lower | 1.63 | 54.3 |
| 46 | Connecticut | 9.4 | Lower | 1.48 | 48.9 |
| 47 | Oregon | 9.1 | Lower | 1.36 | 46.1 |
| 48 | Rhode Island | 9.0 | Lower | 1.33 | 45.0 |
| 49 | New Hampshire | 8.4 | Lower | 1.35 | 45.9 |
| 50 | Maine | 8.3 | Lower | 1.38 | 46.3 |
| 51 | Vermont | 7.7 | Lower | 1.27 | 41.7 |
| United States | 10.7 | 1.60 | 53.8 |
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Births. Period: 2024. "=" marks a tie at the displayed precision.
Births per woman: the fertility ranking
The total fertility rate is the number of children a woman would have over her lifetime if she gave birth at each age at the rates observed in 2024. It is the figure most people mean by "fertility rate", and it ranks the states differently from the birth rate in the table's first column.
South Dakota leads with 2.04 births per woman, 28% above the US figure (1.60) and higher than every bordering state (Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota and Wyoming). It is followed by Nebraska (1.92), Idaho (1.82) and North Dakota (1.81). Three states share fifth place at 1.80: Iowa, Kentucky and Utah. The national rate is 1.60, and 291 states are above it.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Births. Period: 2024.
Show the numbers
| State | Births per woman |
|---|---|
| South Dakota | 2.04 |
| Nebraska | 1.92 |
| Idaho | 1.82 |
| North Dakota | 1.81 |
| Iowa | 1.80 |
| Utah | 1.80 |
| Kentucky | 1.80 |
| Alaska | 1.80 |
| Kansas | 1.77 |
| Indiana | 1.77 |
| Texas | 1.77 |
| Louisiana | 1.77 |
| Arkansas | 1.76 |
| Oklahoma | 1.76 |
| Mississippi | 1.74 |
| Tennessee | 1.72 |
| Alabama | 1.72 |
| Wyoming | 1.70 |
| Hawaii | 1.68 |
| Minnesota | 1.67 |
| Missouri | 1.67 |
| South Carolina | 1.67 |
| North Carolina | 1.66 |
| Ohio | 1.65 |
| New Jersey | 1.64 |
| Georgia | 1.64 |
| West Virginia | 1.63 |
| Delaware | 1.61 |
| Virginia | 1.60 |
| Wisconsin | 1.60 |
| United States | 1.60 |
| Maryland | 1.59 |
| Montana | 1.59 |
| Arizona | 1.57 |
| New Mexico | 1.56 |
| Florida | 1.55 |
| Pennsylvania | 1.53 |
| Michigan | 1.52 |
| New York | 1.51 |
| Colorado | 1.49 |
| Washington | 1.48 |
| Connecticut | 1.48 |
| Nevada | 1.48 |
| Illinois | 1.47 |
| California | 1.46 |
| Maine | 1.38 |
| Massachusetts | 1.38 |
| Oregon | 1.36 |
| New Hampshire | 1.35 |
| Rhode Island | 1.33 |
| Vermont | 1.27 |
| District of Columbia | 1.11 |
The lowest rates are in New England, Oregon and the District of Columbia. DC, a single city, has the lowest rate in the country (1.11). Among the states, Vermont is lowest (1.27), followed by Rhode Island (1.33), New Hampshire (1.35) and Oregon (1.36). Maine and Massachusetts tie at 1.381.
Each region has its own range. In the Midwest the rate runs from 1.47 in Illinois to 2.04 in South Dakota; in the West from 1.36 in Oregon to 1.82 in Idaho. In the South, Kentucky is highest (1.80). In the Northeast only New Jersey (1.641) is above the national rate; every other state in the region is below it.
Why Utah and DC move so far between the two rankings
The birth rate (births per 1,000 residents, also called the crude birth rate) counts every resident in the denominator: children, women past childbearing age, men. A state with many young adults records more births per resident even if each woman has no more children than elsewhere. The fertility rate removes that effect, because it is built from birth rates at each age.
Two places show the gap clearly:
- Utah has the highest birth rate in the country but is tied for 5th highest on the fertility rate (1.80). It is also the youngest state, with a median age of 32.6 years in 2025. Its birth rate among women aged 25 to 29 is 124.6 per 1,000 women aged 25 to 29, 39% above the US figure (89.5 per 1,000 women aged 25 to 29).
- The District of Columbia has a birth rate of 10.8 per 1,000 residents, 1% above the US figure (10.7 per 1,000 residents), yet the lowest fertility rate in the nation. Its population is young (median age 35.0 years, 2nd youngest2), but its age-specific birth rates are low: 30.3 per 1,000 women aged 25 to 29, 66% below the US figure (89.5 per 1,000 women aged 25 to 29), and 60.1 per 1,000 women aged 30 to 34, 36% below the US figure (93.7 per 1,000 women aged 30 to 34)1.
| State | Birth rate | Births per woman | Fertility rate (per 1,000 women 15-44) | Median age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | 12.4 | 2.04 | 66.7 | 38.5 ±0.4 |
| Utah | 13.3 | 1.80 | 59.9 | 32.6 ±0.2 |
| Kentucky | 11.5 | 1.80 | 60.3 | 39.8 ±0.2 |
| Maine | 8.3 | 1.38 | 46.3 | 45.1 ±0.2 |
| Vermont | 7.7 | 1.27 | 41.7 | 44.6 ±0.3 |
| District of Columbia | 10.8 | 1.11 | 39.8 | 35.0 ±0.1 |
| United States | 10.7 | 1.60 | 53.8 | 39.5 ±0.1 |
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Births; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B01002. ± is the 90% margin of error.
The general fertility rate, the third column of the main table, sits between the two: births per 1,000 women of childbearing age. It adjusts for the number of women but not for their ages. On this measure South Dakota is first (66.7 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44) and the District of Columbia last (39.8 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 441), the same ends as the total fertility rate.
At the other end, the age effect works the opposite way. Maine and Vermont2 have the oldest populations of any state, and they have the two lowest birth rates of the 50 states: Maine at 8.3 per 1,000 residents and Vermont at 7.7 per 1,000 residents. Their fertility rates are also among the lowest (1.38 and 1.271), so an older population and few births per woman show up together.
Births, deaths and natural increase
A high birth rate does not by itself mean a growing population. In the year to June 2025, the Census Bureau estimates that births exceeded deaths by 7.1 per 1,000 residents in Utah, the largest natural increase of any state, and by 1.5 per 1,000 residents nationally. In 17 states deaths outnumbered births: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia. The gap was widest in West Virginia (−4.5 per 1,000 residents3).
Kentucky is on that list even though its fertility rate (1.80) is highest in the South. Mississippi and Arkansas are on it too, with fertility rates of 1.74 and 1.761, both above the US figure. Natural increase depends on how many residents are of childbearing age and how many are old, which the fertility rate leaves out by design. The insight More deaths than births looks at these states in detail.
In absolute numbers, the largest states have the most births: California recorded 398,632 and Texas 390,203 in the year to June 2025, close to each other although California has far more residents. The US total was 3,620,4613.
Teen births
The birth rate among females aged 15 to 19 ranges from 4.6 per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19 in New Hampshire to 22.8 per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19 in Mississippi, against 12.6 per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19 nationally. The five highest rates are all in the South: Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. Utah, first on the overall birth rate, is 10th lowest on teen births (8.2 per 1,000 females aged 15 to 191). The full state list is on the teen birth rate ranking.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Births. Period: 2024.
Show the numbers
| State | Teen birth rate |
|---|---|
| Mississippi | 22.8 |
| Arkansas | 22.2 |
| Louisiana | 21.3 |
| Kentucky | 20.4 |
| Tennessee | 19.9 |
| Oklahoma | 19.6 |
| Alabama | 19.1 |
| Texas | 18.5 |
| New Mexico | 18.0 |
| West Virginia | 17.8 |
| United States | 12.6 |
Sources and how to read the figures
- Final counts, not estimates. The rates come from Births: Final Data for 2024, the National Center for Health Statistics report built from every birth certificate filed in the United States (3,628,9341 births in 2024). They have no survey margin of error. States with the same rate to one decimal are shown as tied.
- Births are counted where the mother lives, not where the birth took place, so a state with large hospitals that serve neighboring states does not get extra births.
- Two sources, two periods. NCHS rates refer to calendar year 2024. The Census Bureau's population estimates, used here for natural increase and birth counts, cover July 2024 to June 2025; its birth rate for that year (10.6 per 1,000 residents nationally) puts Utah first and Vermont3 last as well.
- Latest year: 2024. NCHS final data for 2025 births are expected in mid-2027. Provisional figures published earlier are revised and are not used on this page.
- The fertility rate is a snapshot. It describes the age-specific rates of one year, not the number of children women in a state actually end up having.
Questions about birth and fertility rates
Which state has the highest birth rate?
Utah, with 13.3 per 1,000 residents in 2024, 24% above the US figure (10.7 per 1,000 residents). Texas (12.5 per 1,000 residents) is second, and Nebraska and South Dakota share third place (12.4 per 1,000 residents1).
Which state has the highest fertility rate?
South Dakota, with a total fertility rate of 2.04 births per woman in 2024, ahead of Nebraska (1.92) and Idaho (1.82). The US rate was 1.601.
Which state has the lowest birth rate?
Vermont, at 7.7 per 1,000 residents, followed by Maine (8.3 per 1,000 residents) and New Hampshire (8.4 per 1,000 residents). Vermont also has the lowest fertility rate of any state (1.271); only the District of Columbia is lower.
Is the birth rate the same as the fertility rate?
No. The birth rate divides births by the whole population, children and older people included. The fertility rate looks only at women and their age-specific birth rates, so it is not affected by how old a state's population is. The two can rank the same state very differently.
Related rankings
Sources
- CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Births; 2024 final natality; released June 9, 2026. www.cdc.gov
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B01002; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
- Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025; released January 27, 2026. www2.census.gov
- Census Bureau, 2024 Cartographic Boundary Files; table cb_2024_us_state_20m; 2024; released April 10, 2025. www2.census.gov
Margins of error (±) are at the 90% confidence level. A difference is called significant only when it passes the Census Bureau's test at that level. How every figure is built: methodology. Found an error? Write to [email protected]; corrections are listed on the updates page.