Counterfactual
The Parallel Lives of Bethel and Chelsey
In 45 girls, Bethel found its level. 50 years earlier, Chelsey occupied that same statistical address.
1890–2025
Bethel
Peak year
1922
Peak births
119
Latest count
45
Status
Declining
Peak generation
Greatest Generation
1969–2025
Chelsey
Peak year
1992
Peak births
2,880
Latest count
18
Status
Endangered
Peak generation
Millennial
In 45 girls, Bethel found its level. 50 years earlier, Chelsey occupied that same address. One peaked in the Millennial era; the other in the Greatest Generation world. They never met. But the data remembers them both.