More Oregonians wait longer to start families
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Moms in Oregon are having babies later than ever, according to new provisional CDC data.
Why it matters: More people are pressing pause on parenthood thanks to increased access to reliable birth control and fertility treatments, though obstacles remain to getting pregnant later in life.
By the numbers: The average age of mothers in the state has crossed into a new decade — as of 2024, it's 30.1, up from 27.4 in 2003.
- Oregon ranks 16th in the nation for maternal age, an Axios analysis found, with the national average at 29.7.
State of play: As more Oregonians are choosing to have children later, the state's overall birth rate is declining rapidly — a trend that's unfolding alongside efforts in the Legislature to expand access to fertility care.
- Oregon saw a nearly 30% drop in the number of births between 2007 and 2022, mirroring a national decline.
- Advocates and state lawmakers are once again pushing to require some health insurers to cover fertility care — such as in vitro fertilization, embryo transfers and intrauterine insemination — in the current legislative session, as 22 other states have done.
- The bill, SB 535, currently sits in a Senate committee with a "do pass" recommendation, and it includes an exemption for religiously affiliated health plans.
Between the lines: Although it's more common, getting pregnant at "advanced maternal age" isn't always easy.
- And finding child care in Oregon is also not easy once a baby arrives, due to workforce shortages and long wait lists.
The big picture: Knowing about fertility barriers ahead of time could encourage hopeful older parents to address a medical issue and perhaps freeze eggs for IVF early on — giving them a better shot at pregnancy.
- "Fertility declines with age, but 35 is not a cliff by any stretch," Emily Oster, an economist and bestselling author of pregnancy and parenting books, told Axios.