The City Newspaper had a great piece about the trend in many parts of the country of well-educated 25 to 34 year-olds choosing cities over suburbs. The article was inspired by The Young and Restless and the Nation’s Cities report put out by City Observatory. The report analyzed census data from the past few decades and found that two-thirds of that age group with at least a bachelor’s degree now live in the 51 largest metropolitan areas. The study also found that the trend is spurring business, as businesses seek to be where that demographic is.
This is all great news for Rochester. Rochester is, after all, one of those 51 largest metro areas. The report only shows data from 2010 (4.2%) and 2012 (4.5%) for that demographic, but Rochester could follow the nationwide trend. We are seeing an uptick in young professionals and empty-nesters moving into the city, with denser developments, more amenities and better walkability that offer an attractive alternative.
So what about when people who love cities have kids?
The census data shows that when families’ kids reach about age 10, the number of city dwellers decreases to about 28%. Now people choose to make changes for all sorts of reasons when they have kids and those who love cities often move back once their kids are out of high school. But how do you encourage families who want to live in the city to stay?
According to a City Observatory survey, the most important things to families who choose to live in cities are schools, space and safety. Rochester has plenty of big houses for families at affordable prices when compared to other cities. But as Mary Anna Towler points out in her article, schools currently are a big factor for Rochester.
I don’t normally like to address the debate over schools on my blog. It’s not my area of expertise, so I don’t have any solutions. There are lots of good people and organizations working diligently trying to raise Rochester City schools up. And it’s no simple fix, as there are so many contributing factors. The poverty rate for City of Rochester children, for example, is the second highest in the nation, just behind Detroit. It may take years to turn the aircraft carrier, but I believe it can happen. Until then, however, schools currently are a factor in where people choose to live (many people, of course, don’t have a choice and it is important to acknowledge that too.)
I am a big fan of the city, but know first-hand how challenging it is to live in the city with kids. Not because of the logistics — all of that is great. Our kids can walk to the museum, to get frozen yogurt, etc. But there aren’t many other families around, and that means no kids for our kids to independently pal around with on a regular basis. Our first few years here, we had a core group of 4 families scattered throughout the city. Slowly, that number dwindled to just us as their kids got older and out of elementary school. And we feel that absence. We have fantastic neighbors. And we have lots of friends in the neighborhood, but most of them don’t have kids.
If you have kids, you know there is a difference in how you live and operate on a daily basis from when you didn’t have kids. And your priorities shift. I still love all the things that make cities cities — density, walkability, restaurants, cultural events, access to mass transit, etc. And our kids benefit from those things.
I think it is fantastic that the downtown is having a renaissance, that the perception outsiders have of the city is changing and that more people are choosing to live in the city. This alone encourages more families — no matter where they live in our area — to come to the city and support it. They come to events, frequent restaurants and shop. You don’t have to live in the city to love it and support it.
This city and the people in it are fantastic. But Towler’s City Newspaper article conclusion captured a concern for many families when choosing where to live in Rochester:
“The issue of schools, though, will continue to hold Rochester back. It may not deter young adults and adults whose children are grown, but holding onto college-educated adults with school-age children will be a struggle.”
I’d love to hear from those of you with families who support and frequent the city — whether you live in it or not. What do your families love about the city?
Written by: Renee
Tags: kids in rochester, rochester families, rochester schools, rcsd,
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