The United States is aging rapidly. The median age in the USA was 38.7 years old in 2023, a significant increase from the median age of 35.3 reported in the 2000 Census. The change may appear to be trivial at first glance, but the figure affects almost every economic, social, and political aspect of society.
From an economic perspective, an older workforce can be a less-productive workforce in many sectors. Older Americans spend more on healthcare and leisure, but less on housing and tech. They’re less likely to move and generally live in smaller households. And the political concerns of older Americans are more likely to focus on issues that affect healthcare and the state of the economy, rather than climate change and education.
The reasons for the increase in the U.S. median ages are well-understood. Birth rates have declined dramatically among some demographic cohorts. Most Americans are living much longer lives than their grandparents. And the nation’s rural population has plunged over the last century, leaving the median age in some states to skew far older than others.
Indeed, only one state – North Dakota – posted a lower median age in 2023 than in 2000, primarily because of economic opportunities in its booming oil and gas industry. The median age in 2000 was 36.2; it fell by six months to 35.7 in 2023.
Meanwhile, 49 states and the District of Columbia reported increases in their median age. Four states saw their median age increase by five years or more: Maine, New Hampshire, Delaware, and Vermont.
This article will discuss the median age in the five oldest and five youngest states and attempt to draw conclusions about factors that have affected their changing population characteristics.
Drag the map across the center line to compare the median age in each state according to the 2000 Census (left) and 2023 American Community Survey (right).
States With the Oldest Median Ages in the USA
Maine: 44.8
The state’s license plates may boast that Maine is “Vacationland,” but the 2019-2023 American Community Survey finds that a better moniker might be “Retirementland.” Maine's median age posted the largest increase of any state, rising 6.2 years from 38.6 in 2000 to 44.8 in 2023.
The largest increase occurred in the female population, where the median age rose from 39.6 years old to 46, a 6.4-year increase. The typical man in 2023 was 5.9 years older than in 2020, at 43.5 years old.
New Hampshire: 43.2
Maine’s neighbor was the second-oldest state in the nation, with its median age increasing 6.1 years between 2000 and 2023. The typical New Hampshire resident was 43.2 years old in 2023, a significant increase from the 37.1 years reported in the 2000 Census.
Unlike Maine, however, males drove much of the increase. The average New Hampshire woman was 44.3 years old in 2023, a 6.5-year leap from the 37.8-year figure posted in 2000. The median age for men grew 6.8 years, from 36.4 years old in 2000 to 43.2 years in 2023.
Vermont: 43
The third state in the aging New England troika reported a median age of 43 years old, a 5.3-year increase from the 37.7-year figure posted in 2000. The age of the typical Vermont male rose 3.1 years, climbing from 38.7 years old in 2000 to 41.8 years in 2023. The median age for females grew much faster, rising from 38.7 years in 2000 to 44.2 years in 2023.
West Virginia: 42.7
The oldest state in the nation in 2000, West Virginia fell to fourth place in 2023, with a median age of 42.7, still an increase from the 38.9-year figure posted in 2000. The 3.8-year difference was almost exactly mirrored by gender, with median age for males rising from 37.5 years old to 41.4 years, and from 40.2 years old to 44 years for females.
Florida: 42.6
Despite its longstanding reputation as a retirement Mecca, the Sunshine State has been able to attract young migrants for much of the twenty-first century. Its median age climbed 3.9 years, from 38.7 years old in 2000 to 42.6 years in 2023. The median age for males and females both rose by 3.9 years, with the typical Florida male age rising from 37.3 years old in 2000 to 41.2 years in 2023; the average female age climbed from 40.1 years old in 2000 to 44 years old in 2023.
Insights Regarding the States With the Highest Median Ages
The geographic disparity in our top 5 – from one of the nation’s northernmost states to one of its most southernmost – indicate few common reasons for the greater median ages. The high median ages in the three New England states and West Virginia can be traced to a lack of economic opportunities that have caused a multi-decade migration to Sunbelt states such as Florida. Meanwhile, Florida remains an older-than-average state because of its warm climate and lack of a state income tax – both major selling points for older Americans living on fixed incomes. As climate change continues to reshape the American landscape (and property values), however, the Sunshine State may become less appealing to older people.
States With the Youngest Median Ages in the USA
Utah: 31.7
Traditionally one of the youngest states in the United States largely because of its large concentration of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon) households, Utah posted a significant 4.6-year gain in median age between 2000 and 2023, rising to 31.7 years old. The gain was evenly distributed, with the median male age rising from 26.7 years old to 31.2 years, and the median female age climbing from 27.7 years old to 32.2 years.
District of Columbia: 34.9
The nation’s capital has always been a magnet for young, ambitious professionals, and the trend seems to have held during the first part of the twenty-first century. The district’s median age only rose 0.3 years, from 34.6 years old in 2000 to 34.9 years in 2023, the smallest increase in the nation. The median age for males jumped 1.2 years, from 33.7 years old to 34.9 years; it was one of only two places in the U.S. where the female median age declined, from 35.6 years old in 2000 to 35 years in 2023.
Texas: 35.5
Home to most of the fastest-growing places in the U.S. during the two decades, the median age in Texas climbed 3.2 years, from 32.3 years old in 2000 to 35.5 years in 2023. The median age for males climbed 3.4 years, from 31.3 years old in 2000 to 34.7 years in 2023. The median for women rose 2.9 years, from 33.4 years od in 2000 to 36.3 years during the same period.
Alaska: 35.6
The largest state in the country is also the coldest and most sparsely populated, making it a less-attractive destination for older Americans. Its median age growth, however, was more or less in line with the rest of the nation, growing 3.2 years, from 32.4 years in 2000 to 35.6 years old in 2023. The median age for Alaskan males rose 2.8 years, from 32.4 years old in 2000 to 35.2 years in 2023. The median age for women climbed 3.6 years, from 32.5 years old in 2000 to 36.1 years during the same period.
North Dakota: 35.7
The only state to record a decrease in median age, the typical resident’s age fell from 36.2 years old in 2000 to 35.7 years in 2023. The median age for males rose only 0.3 years, from 34.8 years old in 2000 to 35.1 years in 2023. During the same period, the median age for females fell 1.1 years, from 37.5 years old to 36.4 years in 2023.
Insights Regarding the States With the Youngest Median Ages
As with the oldest states, the youngest states share a few, although not all, common factors. The relative youth of Utah can be attributed primarily to cultural factors, such as the large Mormon population that places a high priority on families. The District of Columbia is notorious for relying on young labor to carry out administrative tasks for the federal government. Meanwhile, North Dakota’s decrease in median age can be traced almost entirely to the shale oil drilling boom in the early part of the century; likewise, resource extraction (especially oil) is a significant part of the Alaska and Texas economies and has mitigated the national trend.
Ramifications of Aging America
The increase in the median age in the USA has enormous implications for the United States; indeed, it has consequences for the global economy, given the outsized share of goods and services that are exported from and imported to the U.S.
Five major issues caused by an aging population stand out:
- Economic growth is likely to slow as a larger percentage of the population ages out of the workplace or retires. Already, shortages in critical industries such as blue-collar trades and primary healthcare are being reported, and little relief is in sight.
- Healthcare services are likely to be strained as the population ages and requires more frequent and involved care. Assisted-living facilities will become more crowded, and it will become more difficult to find skilled employees willing to work for low wages.
- Schools will have fewer students, leading to greater consolidation and longer commutes for children. Competition for high-performing schools is likely to become even more intense as the number of schools shrinks.
- Housing may become a point of contention as older Americans begin to sell larger homes at a premium and downsize to more urbanized areas that require less travel. Younger Americans who are already struggling to find affordable housing are likely to have to continue spending more on housing.
- Finally, the political picture in the United States is likely to continue to be influenced by an older population. Older Americans tend to turn out to vote in much higher numbers than younger voters, and their political concerns often center around issues such as Medicare and Social Security – issues that younger voters tend to ignore in favor of longer-term issues such as climate change and income inequality.
Potential Responses to the Rising Median Age in the USA
It’s important to remember that an older population doesn’t necessarily translate to a less-productive or less-innovative population. In the United States, however, an increasingly older population spells trouble for politically popular programs such as Medicare and Social Security. To prevent either program from becoming insolvent, a number of demographic solutions have been considered:
- Larger tax credits for additional children. Congressional Republicans approved a measure that would raise the credit from $2,000 per child to $2,200 per child for most households that pay taxes (although it wouldn’t benefit most low-income families).
- Cash payments for additional children. The same measure provided $1,000 payments for U.S. citizens born between 2025 and 2028. The payments are envisioned as a type of savings account that can be used when the children reach adulthood.
- Indirect incentives for additional children. The United States is virtually alone among developed nations in its refusal to provide subsidized child care and/or paid parental leave for new parents. Programs that ease the economic burden of children can help overcome barriers to having children.
- Reduce young adult mortality. While the number of drug-related deaths in the U.S. is declining somewhat, policies that address so-called “deaths of despair” by increasing economic opportunities for young adults would reduce the nation’s median age.
- Changes in immigration policy. Although the Trump administration is actively discouraging immigration of any type, a number of business organizations have historically lobbied for increasing the number of foreign skilled workers allowed to reside in the U.S. Many foreign countries have far higher birth rates than the United States, and children born to foreign workers in the U.S. are presumed to be U.S. citizens, regardless of their parents’ citizenship.
Conclusions Regarding Median Age in the USA
The median age in the USA is more than a simple trivia question. It’s an essential variable for use in economic, social, and political activities, ranging from the location of businesses catering to a younger target clientele to policies that determine the need for elder care facilities. In one way or another, age defines a large part of daily life in the United States.
Demographic mapping software such as Social Explorer can shed light on applications of median age through its easy-to-use visualization and reporting tools. While this article has outlined findings on a state level, Social Explorer offers reports and visuals on multiple geographies, such as legislative districts, zip codes, counties, cities, and even neighborhood equivalents. Sign up for a free trial today to begin exploring median age at these scales across the USA. Social Explorer’s tools and vast data library can provide even novice users with the demographic data that’s needed to make important decisions for any and every business, non-profit, or government agency that needs to understand any part of the United States.
And, if you simply want the median age in the USA on a state-by-state basis in a tabular format, here is the rankings for the country and all 50 states, including the District of Columbia.