Dallas County has more than twice the birth rate of the average U.S. teenager, and Tarrant County is not far behind. While Dallas still has a birth rate of 76 percent per 1,000 women aged 15-19, U.S. teen births have fallen to historic lows, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
The U.S. teen birth rate declined 9 percent from 2009 to 2010, falling to 34.3 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19, its lowest point since record-keeping began in 1940. Fewer babies were born to teens in 2010 than in any year since 1946.
However, The Tarrant County rate is 60, Denton County’s is 29, Collin County is 24, and, as mentioned, Dallas County is 76. The overall Texas birth rate is 63 per 1,000.
Teen childbearing has been generally on a long-term decline in the United States since the late 1950s However, the U.S. teen birth rate remains one of the highest among other industrialized countries.
Childbearing by teenagers bears an elevated health risks for teen mothers and their infants. The estimated public cost associated with teen childbearing is $10.9 billion annually.
The Texas teen birth rate is third nationally, trailing only Mississippi and Arkansas.
