QuickStats: Birth Rates* by Urbanization Level† and Age Group of Mother — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2017

Weekly / November 16, 2018 / 67(45);1281

The figure is a line graph showing that in 2017, women aged <30 years in rural counties had higher birth rates than those in urban counties. For women aged ≥30 years, birth rates were higher in urban counties than in rural counties. In 2017, the highest birth rates in rural counties were to women aged 25–29 years (126.4 births per 1,000 women); in urban counties, the highest birth rates were to women aged 30–34 years (101.7 births per 1,000 women).

* Birth rates are births per 1,000 females in the specified age group.

† Urbanization level is based on maternal county of residence. Counties were classified according to their metropolitan status using the National Center for Health Statistics Urban–Rural Classification Scheme (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/urban_rural.htm).

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In 2017, women aged <30 years in rural counties had higher birth rates than in urban counties. For women aged ≥30 years, birth rates were higher in urban counties than in rural counties. In 2017, the highest birth rates in rural counties were to women aged 25–29 years (126.4 births per 1,000 women); in urban counties the highest birth rates were to women aged 30–34 years (101.7 births per 1,000 women).

Source: NCHS Data Brief no. 323. Trends in fertility and mother’s age at first birth among rural and metropolitan counties: United States, 2007–2017. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db323-h.pdf.

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Reported by: Danielle M. Ely, PhD, dely@cdc.gov, 301-458-4812; Brady E. Hamilton, PhD.

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Suggested citation for this article: QuickStats: Birth Rates by Urbanization Level and Age Group of Mother — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2017. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2018;67:1281. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6745a9 .