Older Adults Outnumber Children in More US States, Median Age Hits New High

Between 2020 and 2024, the number of states where seniors outnumber children rose from 3 to 11.

An elderly resident is escorted toward the John Knox Village, a retirement community in Pompano Beach, Fla., on March 21, 2020. Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

A new report from the Census Bureau indicates older adults now outnumber children in 11 states and almost half of the counties in the United States.

The census data shows that the U.S. population continues to age, with the share of the 65-year-plus group steadily increasing from 12.4 percent in 2004 to 18 percent in 2024, while the share of the under-18 population has decreased from 25 percent to 21.5 percent during the same period.