Ryan Streeter
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Here's an indicator of growth that we don't hear much about but which is very important: the growth in the population of 5-17 year olds.
Joel Kotkin and Wendell Cox have crunched Census data and given us a useful guide to where in America families are going, which is often where the economic growth is the most promising. They write:
So if there are proportionately fewer traditional households, do families still matter in determining how places and regions grow?
The answer is yes. Using Census data, with the help of demographer Wendell Cox, we determined the regions in the U.S. with the biggest increases in children ages 5 to 17. These family hot spots, which include Raleigh, N.C. (No. 1), Austin, Texas (No. 3) and Charlotte, S.C. (No. 4), are also some of the country’s biggest job generators. Many rank highly in the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. And seven of the ten leading regions for kids also have the fastest-growing foreign-born populations.
The three big megacities - New York, LA, and Chicago - have all lost youngsters.
Even though young professionals seemingly flock to the big and vibrant cities that many think of as our centers of opportunities, it turns out that once they find the person they want to marry or spend their life with, they head out to more affordable cities with a better selection of jobs.
Looking over the top 20 cities, it's a "who's who" of the cities that dominated the last round of Census winners and which have enjoyed the best economies.
It's worth recalling that the Greek word at the root of "economy" means household. Family, home, and economic opportunity go together.
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