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Mapping the U.S. Median Age by State

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Mapping the U.S. Median Age by State

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In 2022, the median age for the United States as a whole was 39 years, but the median age by state has a lot more variance.

Some states have more work or school available for younger workforces and families. Others have better work or retirement support for older populations, or are struggling to attract families.

We map the median age of each U.S. state using the latest 2022 data available from the U.S. Census Bureau as compiled by StatsAmerica.

Ranking The Oldest U.S. States by Median Age

Overall, Maine had the highest median age by state in 2022 at 45 years old. That puts it on the higher end and in line with countries like Italy and Greece.

Here are all states and Washington D.C. ordered from the oldest to youngest by median age:

Rank State Median Age (2022)
1 Maine 45
2 New Hampshire 43
3 Vermont 43
4 West Virginia 43
5 Florida 43
6 Delaware 42
7 Connecticut 41
7 Pennsylvania 41
9 Hawaii 41
10 Rhode Island 41
11 Wisconsin 40
12 New Jersey 40
12 Oregon 40
12 South Carolina 40
15 Michigan 40
15 Montana 40
17 Massachusetts 40
18 New York 40
19 Ohio 40
20 Maryland 40
21 Alabama 39
21 Kentucky 39
23 Illinois 39
23 Missouri 39
23 North Carolina 39
23 Wyoming 39
27 Tennessee 39
28 New Mexico 39
28 Virginia 39
30 Minnesota 39
30 Nevada 39
32 Iowa 39
33 Arizona 39
34 Arkansas 39
35 Mississippi 39
36 Washington 38
37 Indiana 38
38 Louisiana 38
39 South Dakota 38
40 California 38
41 Colorado 38
42 Georgia 38
42 Kansas 38
44 Idaho 37
44 Nebraska 37
46 Oklahoma 37
47 Alaska 36
47 North Dakota 36
49 Texas 36
50 District of Columbia (D.C.) 35
51 Utah 32

Overall we can see that Northeast states have the highest median ages, along with West Virginia and Florida.

On the flip side, Utah (32 years) and Washington D.C. (35 years) were the youngest American states or jurisdictions by median age. Utah’s is closer in line to the global average, which was 31 years of age in 2020 according to UN estimates.

Zooming in, most states see significant differences at the county level, with cities, colleges, and natural resource sites generally lowering the median age in a county.

For example, the energy industry attracted a significant number of younger workers to North Dakota, Texas, and Alaska. Meanwhile, the rapid growth of retirement communities in Florida’s Sumter County gives it the nation’s highest median age at 68 years old.

The post Mapping the U.S. Median Age by State appeared first on Visual Capitalist.

Source
Social Issues
United States