The growth of the U.S. population age 65 and older exceeds that of the total population and the population under age 65. Lower birth rates and increased longevity have led to this rapid growth not just in the United States but across the world. So what does it mean to be a part of this increasingly larger segment of American society?
Full Answer
“The first Baby Boomers reached 65 years old in 2011,” said Dr. Luke Rogers, chief of the Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Branch. “Since then, there’s been a rapid increase in the size of the 65-and-older population, which grew by over a third since 2010. No other age group saw such a fast increase.
The 65-and-older population grew by over a third (34.2% or 13,787,044) during the past decade, and by 3.2% (1,688,924) from 2018 to 2019. The growth of this population contributed to an increase in the national median age from 37.2 years in 2010 to 38.4 in 2019, according to the Census Bureau’s 2019 Population Estimates .
The aging of baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, who were ages 57 to 75 in 2021, is partly driving the growth in the adult population. The 2020 Census shows that the Northeast had the largest proportion of adult population (79.7%) and the smallest proportion of people under age 18 (20.3%).
In 2019, Sumter County, Florida, had the highest median age (68.1 years), and Madison County, Idaho, had the lowest median age (23.3 years). Population estimates released by the Census Bureau today show a shift in the size of the working-age population relative to older and younger Americans.
The 2020 Census shows that the Northeast had the largest proportion of adult population (79.7%) and the smallest proportion of people under age 18 (20.3%) (Table 2a).
Public Law 94-171 requires the Census to provide state legislatures with the small area census population tabulations necessary for legislative redistricting.
This is the first 2020 Census data release available on the Census Bureau’s data dissemination platform, data.census.gov. The site allows data users to search geographies down to the block level and access data through tables, maps and downloads.
The U.S. Census Bureau is providing redistricting data as legacy format summary files for all states on August 12, 2021.
People living in group quarters, such as nursing homes, military barracks, and college/university student housing, are among the unique populations counted in the 2020 Census.
The U.S. Census Bureau today released additional 2020 Census results showing an increase in the population of U.S. metro areas compared to a decade ago.
View Census Academy resources about the 2020 Census including Data Gems, courses, and webinars.
The 65-and-older population grew by over a third (34.2% or 13,787,044) during the past decade, and by 3.2% (1,688,924) from 2018 to 2019. The growth of this population contributed to an increase in the national median age from 37.2 years in 2010 to 38.4 in 2019, according to the Census Bureau’s 2019 Population Estimates.
In 2019, Sumter County, Florida, had the highest median age (68.1 years), and Madison County, Idaho, had the lowest median age (23.3 years). Population estimates released by the Census Bureau today show a shift in the size of the working-age population relative to older and younger Americans.
In 2019, the median age of the Asian population was 35 years, up from 32.9 in 2010. Los Angeles County, California, had the largest Asian population (1,716,196) in 2019, as well as the largest numeric increase (180,084 or 11.7%) in the population from 2010 to 2019.
Cook County, Illinois, had the largest Black or African American population, which was 1,276,728 in 2019. Arizona’s Maricopa County had the largest numeric increase (13,277 or 4%) in this population between 2018 and 2019.
In 2019, North Dakota’s median age was 35.3 years. Of the 3,142 counties in the United States in 2019, 57.3% (1,799) had a median age between 40.0 and 49.9 years; 34.2% (1,076) had a median age between 30 and 39.9; 6.8% (215) had a median age 50 or older; and 1.7% (52) had a median age younger than 30 years.
The 65-and-older population grew by over a third (34.2% or 13,787,044) during the past decade, and by 3.2% (1,688,924) from 2018 to 2019. The growth of this population contributed to an increase in the national median age from 37.2 years in 2010 to 38.4 in 2019, according to the Census Bureau’s 2019 Population Estimates.
In 2019, the median age of the White population was 39.5 years, up from 38.4 in 2010. Los Angeles County, California, had the largest White population at 7,371,934 people in 2019. Arizona’s Maricopa County had the largest increase in its White population (1.6% or 61,269) between 2018 and 2019.