Americans are increasingly reaching major life milestones later than previous generations, and parenthood is no exception.
While overall U.S. fertility rates have fallen for decades, births among women over 40 are moving in the opposite direction. Rising education levels, delayed marriage, and high housing costs have all contributed to a growing share of women waiting longer to have children.
Using newly published research based on National Vital Statistics System data, this map, via Visual Capitalist's Dorothy Neufeld, shows where births among women ages 40–49 are most common across the country.
Births After 40 Are Growing NationwideFor the first time, women over 40 are having more babies than teenagers. Since 1990, the share of U.S. births to women 40 and older has more than tripled, reaching 4.3% in 2025, while birth rates among women ages 40–49 rose 24% over the past decade.
The table below highlights where births among women ages 40–49 were most common in 2024. Washington, D.C., recorded the highest rate in the nation at 13.6 births per 1,000 women, followed by New York, New Jersey, and Hawaii.
State Births per 1,000 WomenMany of the highest-ranking states are both highly educated and expensive, with steep housing costs increasingly delaying homeownership and parenthood.
By contrast, Southern states account for seven of the 10 lowest birth rates among women in their 40s, including West Virginia, Mississippi, and Arkansas. Still, most have seen double-digit growth since 2015, highlighting how later parenthood is rising even in lower-rate states.
How Education Is Reshaping America’s Birth RatesThe average age of first-time mothers reached a record 27.5 years in 2023, rising from 21 in 1972.
Compared with previous decades, Americans are also spending more years in higher education. With more time spent attaining degrees and advancing their careers, women are increasingly deferring childbirth into their 30s and 40s.
Researchers have also found that older parents often bring greater financial resources. Studies suggest that children of older mothers perform better on math and behavioral assessments, largely due to higher levels of parental education and income rather than age itself.
Later Parenthood Is Becoming More VisibleBirths after 40 remain uncommon compared with women in their 20s or 30s. Yet their rapid growth highlights how much the timeline of adulthood has changed.
Previous generations often married, purchased homes, and started families in their 20s. Today, many Americans spend longer pursuing education, building careers, and saving for housing before reaching those milestones.
As those timelines shift, later parenthood is becoming a more visible part of the American family landscape.
To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the cost of raising a child in every state.
Tyler Durden Sun, 07/12/2026 - 22:45Authored by Lawrence Wilson via The Epoch Times,
Affordable Care Act premiums rose sharply in 2026 and are likely to continue to do so in 2027, based on early rate change filings by some insurers.
A pedestrian walks past an insurance agency that offers Affordable Care Act plans, in Miami on Jan. 28, 2021. Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesOf the 77 insurers whose proposed rates are now publicly available, the median proposed premium increase is 14 percent, according to a July 8 report by health information group Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker.
The primary reason given for the proposed rate hikes is that the insured population under the Affordable Care Act - former President Barack Obama's health care law, known as Obamacare - is likely to be smaller and sicker than this year's.
Enrollment in the program dropped by about 3 million this year, and the report estimates that healthier people were more likely to withdraw from the program.
Some experts say that the fall-off in participation was driven by the fall-off of fraudulent enrollments or of participants who had been enrolled unknowingly.
This would be the fifth consecutive year of premium increases in the program. Last year's median proposed change was 18 percent. The final median change was 20 percent, according to the report.
The benchmark silver premium, which is used to set subsidy rates, increased by about 25 percent in 2026, according to KFF.
Initial premium rates for 2027 were filed in mid-June and will be finalized by Aug. 12, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The Peterson-KFF analysis was based on 77 plans across 17 jurisdictions.
Those were Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, and Washington. However, only partial data were available for Hawaii, Illinois, and Texas.
For 2026, 183 health plan issuers are participating in Obamacare, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Despite the expiration of the enhanced subsidies, the vast majority (87 percent) of 2026 Obamacare enrollees receive an advance premium tax credit, according to the Healthcare Financial Management Association.
The average enrollee who gets a federal subsidy receives a $650 credit, leaving a $96 monthly premium, according to data provided by KFF.
Subsidies are available to Americans with a household income of between 100 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level. That equates to about $15,600 to $62,600 for an individual or about $32,200 to $128,600 for a family of four.
Current Obamacare enrollment is about 19.2 million - the highest for any year except 2025.
Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms published a similar preliminary analysis of 2027 rates on June 18. That report forecasted an enrollment decline of 17 percent to 26 percent in the individual market.
The Georgetown report estimates rate hikes ranging from about 7 percent in Vermont to about 22 percent in Washington.
Final rates for Obamacare plans will be posted in October. Open enrollment begins on Nov. 1.
Tyler Durden Sun, 07/12/2026 - 22:10update(2210ET): The Pentagon has confirmed late in the day Sunday that US forces have continues launching more strikes on Iran throughout the day, describing that the latest wave of strikes are aimed to "degrade Iran's ability to attack civilian mariners."
US Central Command has been providing more frequent updates throughout the day, as the conflict intensifies. "At 5 p.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching more strikes against Iran to continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz," it stated. "The Commander in Chief has directed the strikes to hold Iranian forces accountable." According to some emerging targeting info:
And more of the latest from Trump:
Also Sunday, President Donald Trump told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the strait was open to commercial traffic.
“It’s open. We bombed the hell out of them last night. They’re very, very evil and sick people,” Trump said. He said that the Iranians agreed to “a perfect deal for us” the day prior — “no nuclear, no this, no that, no nothing. They gave up everything.”
“And then after that, they left the room. And then within an hour, they launched a drone at a ship,” Trump said.
US Navy 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain reported struck by Iranian ballistic missiles this weekend:
Smoke can be seen rising over the (mostly abandoned) US 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain after this morning's Iranian missile attack. pic.twitter.com/Qux9Xi3pvo
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) July 12, 2026In the meantime The Washington Post has on Sunday issued an investigative report from the opening days of the war. Washington Post on Sunday is reporting that six Americans were killed in an Iranian drone attack on Kuwait during the second day of sustained exchanges of fire, on March 1st. Military sources cited in WaPo allege this was after American military commanders failed to act on warnings that the targeted facility was vulnerable. The emerging details point toward a severe failure of operational oversight:
Exclusive: Six soldiers died on day two of the Iran war in a drone strike on Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. Dozens more were wounded, some seriously.
It's one of the war's costliest attacks for U.S. personnel — and survivors fear no one will be held accountable. https://t.co/jBXpUs3bZz
Update 1210ET.
The escalation cycle intensified overnight and into early Sunday as the US conducted its third round of strikes this week, while Iran enforced its declared closure of the Strait of Hormuz and launched retaliatory attacks across multiple Gulf states.
CENTCOM confirmed strikes began around 7:15 p.m. ET Saturday night, hitting approximately 140 Iranian military targets. These focused on degrading IRGC capabilities to threaten commercial shipping, including radars, missile/drone sites, launch systems, and coastal assets. Explosions were widely reported in southern and eastern Iran, with state media noting activity in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Qeshm, Bushehr, Asalouyeh, Jask (10+ blasts), Minab, and other areas. Some unconfirmed reports indicated strikes reached farther north toward Tehran, with Iranian air defenses active over the capital.
A massive plume of smoke can be seen rising from Qeshm Island following heavy U.S. airstrikes.
According to Axios, missile and air defense systems as well as IRGC speedboats were targeted in the attack. https://t.co/8Svlz532Rh pic.twitter.com/E8Efuvboq5
The immediate trigger was the IRGC attack on the Cyprus-flagged container ship M/V GFS Galaxy in the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel suffered significant engine-room damage and fire; the crew abandoned ship in lifeboats, with one civilian crew member reported missing. Iran described it as a "warning shot" on an unauthorized route.
Iranian Response And Hormuz ClosureThe IRGC declared the Strait of Hormuz closed "until further notice" and until the end of "American interventions." Tehran framed its actions as defensive and retaliatory, launching ballistic missiles and drones at US-linked targets in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan (including Muwaffaq Salti Airbase), and Oman.
Footage shows a massive plume of smoke following the impact of multiple Iranian ballistic missiles in Kuwait.
According to my sources, the target of this attack are U.S. HIMARS ground-based missile systems, which were used last night against southern Iran. pic.twitter.com/34SS1psjZM
Reports noted multiple salvos, with some impacts claimed at Jordanian facilities housing US assets (e.g., potential F-35 hangars). Gulf states reported interceptions and minor damage in places.
Wow
🇯🇴 Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan appears to have suffered major damage from Iranian strikes
Today’s satellite imagery shows a destroyed hangar and major ground disturbances across the apron, likely where US drones were housed. It also appears the runway was directly hit. https://t.co/GRTTx89cN3 pic.twitter.com/Q8K0S2ikAo
President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized accountability, with statements underscoring that violations would carry costs. On the Iranian side, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei reiterated calls for revenge, tying them to national sentiment following the funeral observances for his father. The June Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) appears effectively suspended, with both sides accusing the other of bad faith. Qatari-mediated contacts continue but show no breakthrough, as Iran insists the US must first fulfill commitments on Hormuz transit and oil exports.
This round represents the most significant breach of the fragile ceasefire to date, with risks to global energy flows heightened by the Hormuz closure. Oil prices remain volatile amid the uncertainty. Casualty figures from the latest strikes are still emerging (Iranian reports cite deaths and injuries), and the situation continues to evolve rapidly. Further monitoring of CENTCOM, IRGC statements, and regional air defense activity is critical, as both sides signal readiness for sustained pressure while leaving narrow diplomatic off-ramps.
* * *
Update 10:40pm ET.
Somewhat predictably, as has been the pattern of this war - Iran is in the very early morning hours (local) launching retaliatory strikes on Arab Gulf nations, or as the Iranians say against US assets and bases in the Gulf. Per state media:
IRAN LAUNCHES SERIES OF STRIKES AGAINST US TARGETS: PRESS TV
Last week Kuwait and Bahrain were favored targets, but there are signs that Iran - now with reports of Tehran having been hit tonight (CBS) - could begin widening its attacks to include the UAE, or even potentially the Saudis (though there have yet to be signs of this).
What's clear is that things are back to square one - with the MoU agreement clearly effectively dead, unless diplomacy gets into overdrive and both sides show some measure of restraint. But restraint is not evident currently, only a widening up the escalation ladder.
Iran has fired 12 Ballisitc Missiles towards Muwaffaq Salti Airbase in Jordan
Reports of 3 impacts.
The reason they aimed there could be for the F-35s parked there. We shall see. I was expecting them to aim for Bahrain or Kuwait. pic.twitter.com/zfYEJmTW3a
To recount from where we started Saturday morning, we wrote...
As for the big picture of where things stand, University of Chicago political scientist Robert Pape, who authors "The Escalation Trap," has pointed out that that the millions of Iranians who took to the streets last week to attend the late Ayatollah's funeral demonstrate growing nationalist resolve. He explained that this only makes further escalation more likely later this summer, as public sentiment gets hardened against the US.
"The balance of military capabilities did not change over the weekend," Pape said. "The balance of political will shifted."
Referencing the now unraveling ceasefire and negotiations process, Pape is predicting: "The pause appears to be another stage in the escalation process rather than the beginning of de-escalation."
* * *
Update 8:40pm ET.
At 7:15pm ET, the US launched its third round of strikes on Iran this week after Tehran declared that it’s closing the Strait of Hormuz “until further notice", and Iranian forces attacked a Cyprus-flagged container ship, the M/V GFS Galaxy, transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command said that President Donald Trump ordered the fresh strikes, which targeted Iran’s ability to attack commercial vessels, after the latest Iranian attack on the Hormuz-crossing vessel. Central Command said a civilian crew member is missing and the ship was unable to continue its journey after suffering significant damage.
At 7:15 p.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching the third round of strikes this week against Iran after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces blatantly attacked M/V GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz. A civilian crew…
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 11, 2026Shortly after the Iran’s state-run media reported explosions at multiple areas along the country’s southern coasts, including the energy and petrochemical hubs of Bushehr and Asalouyeh. Blasts were also reported at the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Bandar-e Dayyer, as well as the Sirik area near the Strait of Hormuz.
BREAKING: The IRNA news agency says more than 10 explosions have been heard in the port city of Jask in the southern Hormozgan province.
🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/sfnZg9WSSH pic.twitter.com/FAzm8nC9ou
According to unconfirmed reports, the US strikes on Iran have reached all the way north to the Capital of Iran, Tehran as the US goes "full scale from bases in Kuwait and Bahrain."
CBS Reports the Strikes on Iran have reached the Capital of Iran, Tehran
The U.S. is going FULL SCALE from the bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Iran's air force is in the air and air defenses are active over TEHRAN pic.twitter.com/S0c6DWz9dE
“Iran made a poor choice,” Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said on social media. “Now they pay.”
Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay. https://t.co/8m4fEfgrXv
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) July 11, 2026The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the Hormuz closure, saying it won’t allow any vessels to pass through until foreign interference ends, according to state-run IRIB News. The IRGC said it halted a cargo ship after firing a warning shot because it tried to transit the strait on Saturday despite being told not to, the outlet added.
The developments cast significant doubts over the potential for talks aimed at trying to reach a more lasting peace deal. The rhetoric had been getting more heated on both sides in recent days even as the two parties had suggested there was still room for conversations.
Reports from Iran of heavy new U.S. airstrikes in a Bandar Abbas, Bushehr nuclear facility, Minab, Qeshm, and several other locations pic.twitter.com/k2zK9N5pOm
— Emily Schrader - אמילי שריידר امیلی شریدر (@emilykschrader) July 11, 2026Earlier on Saturday, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Oman on Saturday for talks on the future of Hormuz, but there was no sign of involvement by senior US envoys. Also Earlier, Iran demanded that the US implement key commitments under a recent deal before more talks take place, rejecting Trump’s contention that negotiations could continue without a ceasefire. Tehran said Washington must meet Iran’s conditions for resolving transit issues through the Strait of Hormuz and normalizing its oil exports.
On Friday Trump threatened to shower Iran with “1000 Missiles” if it acted on a threat to kill the US leader, “in this case, ME!”
The US had also demanded that Iran publicly declare all channels of the Hormuz open to shipping and pledge not to attack civilian vessels transiting the waterway. Tehran would face consequences if it fails to deliver the public assurance, senior Trump administration officials told reporters. Those demands followed several days of US airstrikes and Iranian retaliation that sent oil prices higher this week.
The Islamic Republic is holding a three-day memorial ceremony for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following a days-long funeral that drew large crowds to cities in Iran and neighboring Iraq. Khamenei was killed in an attack as the US and Israel began their war on Iran at the end of February.
His son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, on Saturday called for revenge for the killing of his father.
“It is our certain and undeniable duty that this revenge be carried out,” he said in a post on X.
Earlier
Iran has thrown Trump's ultimatum and Saturday deadline right back at Washington, saying that instead it is the United States that must first meet the agreed-upon conditions in order to normalize shipping and energy transit in the Strait of Hormuz.
Fars news agency reports Saturday that Iranian leadership is demanding that the US implement "agreed-upon understandings" before any talks take place. While the White House has declared the ceasefire to be 'over' - it has also indicated ongoing contacts and talks with Iran via mediators. But this appears to have been reduced to simple ultimatums being shuttled between capitals by Qatari mediators. There are no actual sit-down talks on the horizon after two rounds of fresh tit-for-tat attacks broke out this past week.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) itself is barely alive at this point, also with Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani, separately announcing that Tehran could stop honoring the MoU if US attacks continue.
"Should the United States continue to violate its obligations under the MoU, Iran will no longer be bound to fulfil its obligations under the MoU," Iravani told reporters at UN headquarters.
But he did make clear that Iran is still committed to the agreement "provided that the United States fully and faithfully complies with its own obligations."
President Trump has meanwhile continued to issue his own warnings and threats. He said Friday that the US military would "completely decimate" Iran if its leaders attempted or carried out his assassination. He took it a step further in an overnight Truth Social Post, saying he has 1,000 missiles "locked and loaded" - aimed at Iran - should he be targeted by Tehran's agents.
Strangely, the US President signed off with his puzzling "praise be to Allah!" reference - perhaps mockingly or sarcastically.
Meanwhile, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei still hasn't been seen in public after the Feb.28 US-Israeli airstrikes took out his father, killed members of his family, and reportedly badly wounded him. Mojtaba is said to be observing a private memorial for his slain father, and made no known appearance at the week-long funeral processions and burial.
But on Saturday he did call for revenge in a rare public message. "It is our certain and undeniable duty that this revenge be carried out," he said.
"We pledge to avenge your pure blood and the blood of all the martyrs of these two [recent] wars by taking revenge against the criminal, disgraceful murderers," the Ayatollah also stated. "This vengeance is what our nation is demanding, and this must definitely be done."
He issued a series of statements tinged with Shia Islamic references. His words contain repeat vows to enacting vengeance, including this not so veiled threat to kill Iran's enemies:
The criminal, disgraceful murderers of the martyred Leader, whose names are fully documented from the highest to the lowest ranks, will carry their dream of a peaceful death in bed to the grave.
— Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (@MKhamenei_ir) July 11, 2026As for the big picture of where things stand, University of Chicago political scientist Robert Pape, who authors "The Escalation Trap," has pointed out that that the millions of Iranians who took to the streets last week to attend the late Ayatollah's funeral demonstrate growing nationalist resolve. He explained that this only makes further escalation more likely later this summer, as public sentiment gets hardened against the US.
"The balance of military capabilities did not change over the weekend," Pape said. "The balance of political will shifted."
Referencing the now unraveling ceasefire and negotiations process, Pape is predicting: "The pause appears to be another stage in the escalation process rather than the beginning of de-escalation."
Tyler Durden Sun, 07/12/2026 - 22:10