KIRO NEWSRADIO OPINION

Gee ‘not surprised’ Seattle has one of nation’s steepest drops in fertility rates

Oct 2, 2025, 5:45 PM

Fewer women are having children across America, with Seattle hit particularly hard—the city has the second-lowest fertility rate among major U.S. cities, according to The Seattle Times, citing census data. Portland was the only city with lower fertility rates.

KIRO host Gee Scott said he’s not surprised people aren’t having children, given the uncertainty around future benefits like Social Security.

“In this area, most people that aren’t having kids—you do have some that don’t want to have kids—it’s not that they don’t want to have kids. There’s a lot of folks walking around who can’t afford to have kids,” he said on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio.

Gee pointed out that none of his kids live in Seattle.

“None of them live here in Seattle. And good, because I got to tell you—it’s tough living here, like the cost of living is real,” he said.

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.

Gee and Ursula Show

KIRO Newsradio Opinion

Tacoma cars parked...

Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin Show

‘It’s diabolical’: Gee praises Tacoma’s new parking plan, rips Seattle’s ‘outrageous’ prices

Downtown Tacoma drivers will soon pay a little more to park at the curb, but a lot less to park in city-owned garages, a tradeoff that had Gee Scott fired up.

13 hours ago

Seattle mayor Katie Wilson...

John Curley Show

‘This is where it falls apart’: Curley argues Mayor Wilson’s governing philosophy can’t survive human nature

John Curley has a theory about why Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson governs the way she does. It starts with her father's bookshelf.

15 hours ago

westlake park felon kill...

Jake Skorheim and Spike O'Neill Show

‘Ticking time bombs’: KIRO hosts question how an 8x felon on active supervision was free to kill a man in Westlake Park

Jake Skorheim discussed an eight-time felon under supervision being charged with killing a man in Westlake Park, raising serious questions about public safety.

18 hours ago

seattle job loss tech...

Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin Show

‘The check engine light is on’: Gee warns Seattle’s job losses should worry everyone, not just big tech

Discover how Seattle's recent job losses impact everyone, as nearly 7,000 jobs vanished last year amid economic shifts.

20 hours ago

crime...

Jake Skorheim and Spike O'Neill Show

‘These things don’t mesh’: KIRO hosts say Seattle’s downtown crime drop just shifted problems to other neighborhoods

An analysis by The Seattle Times found violent and property crimes in Seattle's downtown commercial core have fallen by nearly 50% since 2018.

1 day ago

wildfires...

Jake Skorheim and Spike O'Neill Show

‘Stop taking my money’: Jake says lands commissioner’s op-ed ignores what’s actually fueling WA wildfires

KIRO host Jake Skorheim said Upthegrove left out the most important part in his op-ed on wildfires in Washington.

1 day ago

Gee ‘not surprised’ Seattle has one of nation’s steepest drops in fertility rates