"Older" Moms with Young Children in Western Suburbs? (Chicago: homes, neighborhoods)

[Doglover5]

Just curious if anyone with strong first-hand knowledge of any of the following communities can help me out. I consider myself a somewhat "older" mom, which I suppose I'll define as having had my first child around 35 and another at nearly 40. We're curious about a few communities with respect to whether we'll be in the minority as older parents with small children-- and just how hard or easy it will be to find others around our age. I'm a stay-at-home mom, and while I tend to get along quite well with everybody, I do want to make sure I'll have no problem finding other 40+ couples (I'm 40, husband is 42) with young kids. Thanks so much for any input - and please, I'd prefer responses from people with first-hand knowledge of these areas, thanks.

Naperville
Hinsdale
Glen Ellyn
Oak Brook

[chet everett]

Naperville tends to be a little bit younger than the other towns, but with the costs to live in the nicer areas being well outside the "new hire" income category even there the incidence of families getting a "late-ish start" is pretty high.

In particular towns like Oak Brook have a very much skewed to older side demographic profile, with some exceptions being the more recent imigrants that come from countries where a younger marriage is still the norm... (and of course the tiny {in both number and physique ...} "trophy moms" that Oak Brook does harbor...)

It is a little funny in towns like Hinsdale where the mix of folks who do "make it big and do it early" is contrasted with others that start on a family a bit later -- probably two decade or more of "new moms" present at any given toddler centric event. Toss in the fact that some folks really do play an awful of outdoor tennis or jog w/o sunscreen and some parents show up to kindergarten registration looking a generation older than others.

Glen Ellyn is very similar with the caveat that the range of prices has retreated signficantly at the top end, and the various desirability of homes further from the core has made more homes again within reach of those starting out...

[whakru]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Naperville tends to be a little bit younger than the other towns, but with the costs to live in the nicer areas being well outside the "new hire" income category even there the incidence of families getting a "late-ish start" is pretty high.

In particular towns like Oak Brook have a very much skewed to older side demographic profile, with some exceptions being the more recent imigrants that come from countries where a younger marriage is still the norm... (and of course the tiny {in both number and physique ...} "trophy moms" that Oak Brook does harbor...)

It is a little funny in towns like Hinsdale where the mix of folks who do "make it big and do it early" is contrasted with others that start on a family a bit later -- probably two decade or more of "new moms" present at any given toddler centric event. Toss in the fact that some folks really do play an awful of outdoor tennis or jog w/o sunscreen and some parents show up to kindergarten registration looking a generation older than others.

Glen Ellyn is very similar with the caveat that the range of prices has retreated signficantly at the top end, and the various desirability of homes further from the core has made more homes again within reach of those starting out...

Disagree on Naperville assessment, Chet. I live in Naperville and fall right into her category as do most of the other moms that are in our neighborhoods. I have a 7 and 10 year old and in a group of around 15 moms with kids the same ages, the youngest is 36 and the oldest 46. Most of us are in the 40-44 range.

I also find that this is more the norm wherever I go and run into moms. There are still plenty of younger moms out there, including in Naperville, but I really find more of them in the 35 plus age group.

[chet everett]

When I said Naperville is a little bit more likely than Hinsdale or Glen Ellyn to have younger new mom's I meant "just a smidge" as in either a percentage or two / year or two. In fact, given the costs in just about every suburb in the region and the desirable parts of Chicago the liklihood of a couple starting a family on just one income / right out of school is vanishingly small.

These things are pretty consistent nationally too, the greater variability is race and rural areas --

Surprising facts about birth in the United States | BabyCenter

Ready: Why Women Are Embracing the New Later Motherhood

Originally Posted by whakru

Disagree on Naperville assessment, Chet. I live in Naperville and fall right into her category as do most of the other moms that are in our neighborhoods. I have a 7 and 10 year old and in a group of around 15 moms with kids the same ages, the youngest is 36 and the oldest 46. Most of us are in the 40-44 range.

I also find that this is more the norm wherever I go and run into moms. There are still plenty of younger moms out there, including in Naperville, but I really find more of them in the 35 plus age group.

[divakat]

I disagree that Naperville skews younger. I find the opposite to be true in fact. My husband and I had children starting in our late 20's and we are usually one of the youngest if not the youngest couples at events where children are the same age as ours. Anywhere where there are a lot of educated, higher income people there will be more parents who waited until mid 30's or 40's to start having children. This is even more pronounced in he North Shore from my experience.

[chet everett]

Anywhere where there are a lot of educated, higher income people there will be more parents who waited until mid 30's ...

This is descibes MOST OF THE REGION!!!

Of the towns the OP listed I really only singled out Oak Brook as being even OLDER than the others (except for the mom's from backgrounds where early marriage is still a cultural norm and the tiny number of "trophy moms").

I am also sure that given the EXTREME costs associated with fertility treatments that the incidence of first time moms in their 40's is something that happens largely among those with considerable resources.

Originally Posted by divakat

I disagree that Naperville skews younger. I find the opposite to be true in fact. My husband and I had children starting in our late 20's and we are usually one of the youngest if not the youngest couples at events where children are the same age as ours. Anywhere where there are a lot of educated, higher income people there will be more parents who waited until mid 30's or 40's to start having children. This is even more pronounced in he North Shore from my experience.

[ToriaT]

I agree. I had my son when I was thirty five and I live in Wheaton. Some moms are younger, some older, most by a few years or so. I think you should pick where you want to live and find kindred people in your community. Any you have mentioned are nice.

[ChacoGirl]

My families parish in Naperville has plenty of families who started having children in their late 30's to 40's. My husband (who also falls in this category) and I have noticed many families walking on the Riverwalk who also are in this range.

[krispro6]

I know this isn't relevant to the OP's target market areas, but I'm an older Mom (AMA of 35 for first, 38 second, 39 third) that moved from So. Cal., where most of my friends were also older Moms, to a small rural IL town and was really nervous about being ancient, but turns out most of the Moms are within 3 years of my age. A few are on second families, but it goes to show that there are all types everywhere.

[Doglover5]

OP here -- thanks for all the perspectives and any others that may trickle in. I'm finding this all very helpful!