Utah moms are younger than national average, but near middle of the pack
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Utah's mothers are relatively young — but not as far from national norms as you might guess.
By the numbers: The average age of Utah moms who had babies in 2023 was 28.93 years — tied with Ohio as the 18th-youngest, according to provisional CDC data.
- The national average age was 29.58, ranging from 27.31 in Mississippi to 31.74 in Washington, D.C.
The intrigue: Utah's moms aren't the nation's youngest, even though the state is known for its young families.
- That reputation is due in large part to religious teachings that encourage early marriage and childbearing.
Zoom in: Moms 19 and younger accounted for just 2.7% of 2023 births in Utah — the nation's third-lowest share and well below the national rate of 4%.
- Moms younger than 25 made up 21.1% of Utah's births last year — the same as the national share.
Yes, but: Utah had the nation's biggest share of births to mothers aged 25 to 29 — the state's most common age range for childbirth, at more than 35%.
- By contrast, the most common age range nationally was 30 to 35.
Between the lines: While Utah children are no more likely than babies elsewhere to be born to young mothers, they are less likely to be born to older mothers.
- 51.4% of U.S babies were born to moms in their 30s and older, compared to only 43.6% in Utah.
The big picture: In the last few years, age 35 has gone from the start of "geriatric pregnancy" to potentially a maternal-age sweet spot, Axios' Carly Mallenbaum reports.
- 35-year-olds received more prenatal monitoring and had a small decrease in prenatal mortality compared to those even a few months younger, according to a 2021 JAMA Health Forum study.
- Some research suggests that being 35+ and pregnant could lead to better brainpower after menopause and a smaller gender wage gap.
Reality check: Pregnancy risks do increase with age. But the effects are much more pronounced after age 40, compared to 35.
- New ACOG guidelines emphasize that pregnancy risks should be considered among patients in five-year age groups — ages 35–39, 40–44, etc. — instead of in one big advanced maternal age group.
The trendline: While "geriatric" pregnancies are less common in Utah, the share of births here to moms younger than 25 is half what it was a quarter-century ago, according to an Axios analysis of CDC data.
The fine print: The data accounts for all births — not just a mother's age at first birth.
- With the nation's largest average family size, many of Utah's births in a given year are to moms who already have kids.
- Utah also has the nation's lowest percentage of births to unmarried mothers, which likely contributes to the low rate of teen births, driving up the average age.