"High-Earning California Couple Claims They Can't Afford Children as State's Birth Rate Plummets"

A California couple earning $200,000 a year has decided not to have children due to financial constraints, joining a growing number of Americans opting to be child-free. With the cost of raising a child to 17 reaching $310,000, the couple, burdened by student debt and housing costs, found it financially unfeasible to have children. Financial experts caution that while being child-free may offer immediate financial benefits, it could lead to challenges in later life care. Declining birthrates in the US reflect a trend of couples citing financial concerns as a reason for delaying or forgoing having children.