Median Age of the American Population
As the baby boomers age, the median age of America is growing. In fact, last year the country’s median age was at its highest level ever at 38.9 years. This rise is due to decades of lower birth rates and a higher life expectancy. And it’s likely to continue, thanks to the aging baby boomers and their kids known as echo boomers.
The median age is the age in the middle of a America population when the number of people younger than that is divided by the number of people older than that, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. A lopsided pyramid, however, can reflect different factors such as male or female births, migration into or out of a population and the difference in life spans between men and women.
In the United States, there are a lot of things that can affect the median age including a state’s economic situation and the varying health of its residents. The most recent median age data comes from the American Community Survey (ACS). The ACS is an annual survey of millions of Americans on social, economic and demographic characteristics of their communities.
What is the Median Age of the American Population?
The ACS has data on the median age of every state in the country as well as its districts and counties. And while the overall median age in the United States is rising, some states have a much lower average.
One of the biggest reasons for this is because the birthrate in the United States is falling. The rate is now below replacement levels, meaning that more adults are born each year than there are children being raised by those adults. This is a global trend as birthrates are declining in many high-income countries around the world.
When broken down by racial and ethnic groups, non-Hispanic whites have the oldest median age of any group. That means that if you lined up all white Americans from youngest to oldest, the person in the middle would be 44 years old. This is because the majority of White Americans are boomers, who are aging at a faster rate than their younger counterparts.
At the heart of America’s population growth is its history of immigration. Since its inception, the United States has been a beacon for immigrants seeking refuge, opportunity, and a better life. From the early waves of European settlers to the millions of individuals who arrived through Ellis Island in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, immigration has played a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s demographic landscape. Today, immigrants continue to come to America from every corner of the globe, drawn by economic prospects, political freedoms, and the promise of a brighter future.
Other racial and ethnic groups tend to have younger median ages than whites, as the result of immigration and higher birth rates in some cases. For example, African Americans and Hispanics have birth rates that are higher than those of White Americans, which can lower the median age for these groups.