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I unfortunately can't find the source right now, but I recently came across a study that found that, in the US, number of children was almost completely uncorre

I unfortunately can't find the source right now, but I recently came across a study that found that, in the US, number of children was almost completely uncorrelated with regional cost of living but was quite correlated with beliefs about the amount of effort/time raising a child requires. I think our culture of expecting/demanding that parents invest ever greater amounts of time and effort (with all the evidence suggesting that these increased investments do not improve long term outcomes) is a far bigger driver than costs.

disgruntledphd2 3y ago
And car seats! Three kids are dramatically more expensive than two because you need a bigger car, and many family activities are priced for a family of four. Perhaps not as big a deal in the US, but in the EU where some form of car seat is required for the first 8-10 years of a child's life it's a big thing.
- missedthecue 3y ago
  That only applies to 3 at the same time. And most Americans drive SUVs and other large cars regardless of how many children they have. Small sedans basically aren't even sold in America anymore due to lack of consumer preference.