Children Are the Future of Every City
Back in 2012, Kathy Keller – now the widow of the beloved Dr. Tim Keller, author and founder of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City – wrote a popular article for the Gospel Coalition with a counterintuitive headline:
“Why the City is a Wonderful Place to Raise Children.”
Here’s how she began the piece:
In 1988 when Tim first mentioned the idea of us going to Manhattan to plant a church, I reacted by laughing. Take our three wild boys (the victims of below-average parenting, as well as indwelling sin) to the center of a big city? Expose them to varieties of sin that I hoped they wouldn’t hear about until, say, their mid-30s? My list of answers to “What is wrong with this picture?” was a long, long one.
Kathy went on to tell the Kellers’ happy story of not only surviving the move and the subsequent years in Gotham, but actually loving and thriving as a Christian family amid the darkness and light of an urban area.
But Monday’s Wall Street Journal, points to a developing trend suggesting families are fleeing cities in record numbers.
A Journal analysis of U.S. Census data has found that the total number of children in America’s largest cities is down 6% over the past decade, but especially so when it comes to families with boys and girls under the age of five. The number of toddlers is down 15% in cities, compared with a nationwide decline of 7% among children overall.
“In all, the number of children declined in about two-thirds of the 38 U.S. cities with more than 500,000 residents,” reports the Journal.
Given the overall declining birthrate in America, you’d expect fewer children everywhere, but mothers and fathers are giving up on cities for a variety of reasons and some for very specific ones.
The cities suffering the most significant loss include San Jose, Calif. (-20%), Los Angeles, Calif. (-16%), Albuquerque, N.M. (-15%) and Portland, Ore. and San Diego (-14%).
Of course, mothers and fathers with children have to go somewhere, and you can probably surmise where many of those wanting to remain in urban areas apparently have relocated – cities in “red” states. Of the top ten cities that gained children, nine of them have more conservative representation. Fort Worth, Tex., and Jacksonville, Fla. (+11%) top the charts.
Other cities in “red” states enjoying modest growth include Columbus, Ohio, Charlotte, N.C., Kansas City, Mo., and Oklahoma City.
Parents fleeing big cities often cite the high cost of living. Despite Kathy Keller’s ringing endorsement of raising children in New York City, I knew someone who once quipped it was great to do likewise, but a whole lot easier if you had someone following you with a wheelbarrow full of cash. It’s easy to see why. Rent for a three-bedroom apartment in Manhattan can be as high as $10,000 a month.
The decline of children from major metropolitan areas is triggering devastating consequences. Fewer children lead to lower tax revenue and an aging population that increasingly draws on government benefits while fewer workers are paying into the system. This spiral has caused New York City’s socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, to call for “free” childcare as an incentive to keep younger families with children in the five boroughs.
But the fallout isn’t just financial.
Fewer children lead to a less dynamic and energized environment and a far more selfish and self-centered population. Children elicit wonder and creativity. Without lots of children, churches and organizations become stale and lose vitality. Traditions fade and the entire vibe of the city shifts. Instead of seeing couples walking with children, you see singles and couples walking their dogs.
Kathy Keller concluded her essay in 2012 by highlighting a laundry list of reasons to love city living. She prefaced it by stating:
My sons loved the city growing up, and love it even more now, not just New York, but all cities. London, Hong Kong, Berlin, Singapore all excite them, whereas a quiet, empty suburb bores them to tears. They love the density of people, the diversity of culture, even the sounds and bustle. While they have an appreciation for mountains and the sea, for camping and hiking, they always want to return to the city, with its needs (one son is a pastor) and its possibilities (one is an urban planner). Having them nearby is just a bonus.
Whether you have chosen to raise children in a city, suburb, or rural setting, we can all be in agreement that every area desperately needs young people – and that the Lord has a perfect plan for each one regardless of where they may live.
