Census Bureau News: Nation Continues to Age as It Becomes More Diverse

Vintage 2021 Population Estimates by Age, Sex, Race and Hispanic Origin Now Available

Nation Continues to Age as It Becomes More Diverse Vintage 2021 Population Estimates by Age, Sex, Race and Hispanic Origin Now Available  JUNE 30, 2022 — The last two decades have seen the country grow continuously older. Since 2000, the national median age – the point at which one-half the population is older and one-half younger – has increased by 3.4 years, with the largest single-year gain of 0.3 years coming in 2021, bringing it to 38.8 years, according to newly released 2021 Population Estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Median age for most states also increased from 2020 to 2021, indicating their populations are getting older overall. "The states with the lowest median ages saw the largest increases between 2020 to 2021. While Utah remained the youngest state in the nation, the state's median age increased by 0.3 years from 31.5 to 31.8. Similarly, the District of Columbia had the second-lowest median age but saw the largest increase of 0.5 years from 34.4 to 34.9," said Kristie Wilder, a demographer in the Census Bureau's Population Division. "With birth rates trending downwards and the aging of the Baby Boom and Generation X cohorts, the median age will likely continue to rise in the coming years." Learn More New on America Counts: Fewer Younger Adults Drives Population Loss in Some U.S. Cities The significant declines in population in some central counties of large metropolitan areas last year were due largely to a loss of population in one specific group — younger adults in their early 20s to mid-30s. Previously released population estimates for counties showed core counties of many large metro areas experienced large declines in their population from July 1, 2020-2021. Estimates by population characteristics released today show us why. Today's release tells us that changes in age structure were a major contributor to population declines in central counties of some of the nation's most populous metro areas, including New York-Newark-Jersey City, San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley and Boston-Cambridge-Newton. Read More Help us spread the word about Census Bureau data! Share this on social media or forward it to a friend. Share This About the Census Bureau We serve as the nation's leading provider of quality data about its people and economy. The Census Bureau is the federal government's largest statistical agency. As the world's premier statistical agency, we are dedicated to making our nation a better place. Policy-makers, businesses, and the public use our data to make informed decisions. Resources for Media For media interviews, please contact the Public Information Office Toll Free at 877-861-2010, 301-763-3030, or pio@census.gov.

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