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Where Multifamily Meets the School Bus: Share of Multifamily Households with School-Age Children by Metro
- Jonathan O'Kane
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
With Labor Day in the rearview, families across the country are prepping lunchboxes and sharpening their No. 2 pencils.
One in three US households (33.3%) has a school-age child. While the perception is that multifamily rentals mostly attract young, childless households, the reality is more nuanced. According to the 2023 American Community Survey, about 4.0 million multifamily households include a school-age child — accounting for about one in five (18.3%) households in the sector.
Highest Share of Households with School-Age Children
On the high end of the list are several California metro areas. Among the 100 largest metro areas by population, Oxnard, CA, has the highest share of multifamily households with school-age children at 34.6%. Close behind are Fresno (34.1%), Riverside (33.6%), and Stockton (31.6%). Seven of the top nine markets are in the Golden State. The lowest California metro on the list is San Francisco (18.3%), which still ranks in the top half of the 100 largest markets.
While multiple factors help explain California’s overrepresentation near the top, affordability pressures are among the most salient. California’s housing market remains among the most expensive in the country, alongside Washington, DC, and Hawaii. The development landscape is also a major driver. Markets like Riverside and Modesto have seen relatively high levels of garden-style and low-rise multifamily development, often in areas zoned for families. These buildings, which tend to have larger layouts, are more likely to attract families seeking space and affordability.
Lowest Share of Households with School-Age Children
On the other side of the list are some of the more affordable markets among the top 100. In Wichita, KS, only 6.7% of multifamily households have a school-age child—the lowest share of any metro on the list. According to Zillow, rents in Wichita are 44% below the national average. The other markets rounding out the bottom five—Scranton (8.2%), Pittsburgh (8.5%), St. Louis (9.6%), and Kansas City (9.9%)—also have average rents below the national average.
The persistent affordability of these metros has meant zoning follows a more traditional radial pattern, with multifamily development occurring primarily in dense downtowns. As a result, fewer families need—or are able—to economize by choosing a larger-layout multifamily apartment over a suburban home.
The Bottom Line
As these data show, the multifamily sector serves households of all types—with a meaningful share of units occupied by school-age children. For multifamily owners and operators, keeping a finger on the pulse of how their tenant mix compares with the local profile is critical to optimizing occupancy and the rent roll.
Methodology: Data are from the 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year microdata accessed via IPUMS USA. “School-age” is defined as ages 5–17. “Multifamily renter households” are renter-occupied units in structures with five or more units. Estimates are household-weighted (HHWT). The analysis covers the 100 largest metro areas by population.
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