In 2000, the U.S.

Census Bureau counted

281.4 million people in

the United States.1 Of

this number;

• 72.3 million, or 

26 percent of the

U.S. population,

were under age 18;

• 174.1 million, or 

62 percent, were

age 18 to 64; and 

• 35.0 million, or 

12 percent, were

age 65 and over. 

The age groups under 18 years, 18 to 64

years, and 65 years and over experienced similar growth rates over the past

decade — 13.7 percent, 13.2 percent,

and 12.0 percent, respectively. Median

age increased from 32.9 in 1990 to 35.3

in 2000, reflecting a change in age distribution toward the older ages within the

age range 18 to 64.2

This report, part of a series that analyzes

population and housing data collected

from Census 2000, provides a portrait of

the age structure of people in the United

States. It highlights information about

various age groups in the country as a

whole, the four regions, states, counties,

and places with populations of 100,000

or more. It also includes comparisons

with data from the 1990 census.3

A question on age has been asked since

the first census of the population in 1790.

The Census 2000 age data were derived

from a two-part question that was asked

of all people. The first part asked for the

age of the person, and the second part

asked for the date of birth (see Figure 1). 

The Census 2000 age question

added month and day of birth.

The Census 2000 age question differs

slightly from the 1990 question. In the

1990 census, the question asked for a

respondent’s age and year of birth. In

contrast, the Census 2000 age question

asked respondents to report their age and

date of birth, which included month,

day, and year of birth. 

U S C E N S U S B U R E A U

Helping You Make Informed Decisions

U.S.Department of Commerce

Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Issued October 2001

C2KBR/01-12

Age: 2000

Census 2000 Brief

By 

Julie Meyer Figure 1.

Reproduction of the Question on Age

From Census 2000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 questionnaire.

What is this person's age and what is this person's date

of birth? Print numbers in boxes.

4.

Age on April 1, 2000 Month Day Year of birth

1

The text of this report discusses data for the United

States, including the 50 states and the District of

Columbia. Data for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

are shown in Table 2 and Figure 6. 2

Median age splits the population into halves. Onehalf of the population is older than the median age and

the other half is younger.

3

1990 populations shown in this report were originally published in 1990 census reports and do not

include subsequent revisions resulting from boundary or

other changes.
2 U.S. Census Bureau

The figure below is a snapshot of

the population in 1990 and 2000.

It presents age information in 5-

year age groups by sex. 

In 2000, the largest 5-year age

group was 35-to-39 year olds with

22.7 million people, representing

8.1 percent of the total population.

The second largest 5-year age

group was 40-to-44 year olds with

22.4 million people, representing

8.0 percent of the population. The

relatively large number in these two

age groups is represented in Figure

2 by a bulge in the age distribution.

People in these two age groups

were primarily born during the

post-World War II “Baby Boom”

(those born from 1946 through

1964). In Census 2000, the babyboom cohort was age 36 to 54 and

represented 28 percent of the total

U.S. population.

The 50-to-54-year age group

experienced the largest percentage growth.4

Of the 5-year age groups, 50-to-54

year olds experienced the largest

percentage growth in population

over the past decade, 55 percent

(see Figure 3 and Table 1). The second fastest-growing group was the

age group 45 to 49, which experienced a 45-percent increase. The

baby-boom cohort entered these two

age groups during the past decade.

The third fastest-growing group in

the past decade was 90-to-94 year

olds, which increased by 45 percent. 

Some of the younger age groups

also grew. The 10-to-14-year group

gained almost 20 percent, while 5-

to-9 year olds and 15-to-19 year

olds each increased by almost 

14 percent.

Four age groups shown in the figure and table declined over the past

decade: 25-to-29 year olds (9-percent decrease), 30-to-34 year olds

(6-percent decrease), 65-to-69 year

olds (6-percent decrease), and 20-

to-24 year olds (0.3-percent

decrease). The number of people in

the younger age groups, especially

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Figure 2.

Population by Age and Sex: 1990 and 2000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 1; 1990 Census of Population, General Population Characteristics, United States (1990 CP-1-1).

Millions

12 10 8 6 4 2

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-79

80-84

85-89

90-94

95+ Male Female

Age

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see 

www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf1.pdf.) 1990

2000

4

The changes in age structure between

1990 and 2000 may reflect changes in census

coverage, as well as births, deaths, and net

immigration.
those age 25 to 34, fell as the babyboom cohort aged into older age

groups. The decline in 65-to-69

year olds is associated with a relatively low number of births during

the early 1930s. 

There were more older women

than older men.

In general, the ratio of the male

population to the female population declined with age. That is,

the female population exceeded

the male population at older ages,

but the reverse was true at

younger ages. In 2000, there were

20.6 million women aged 65 and

over compared with only 14.4 million men. In contrast, there were

37.1 million males under 18 while

there were 35.2 million females.

The balance shifted toward more

women at age 36.5

The median age for people of

Two or more races was nearly

13 years younger than the

median age for people of 

one race.

Figure 4 shows age information by

race using two ways to summarize

race data. In Census 2000, individuals could report more than one

race. For a detailed discussion on

race reporting, see the Census 2000

Brief, Overview of Race and

Hispanic Origin.

6 People who

responded to the question on race

by indicating only one race are

referred to as the race alone population, or the group who reported

only one race. For example, respondents who marked only the White

category on the census questionnaire would be included in the

White alone population. Six categories make up the population

reporting only one race: White

alone, Black or African American

alone, American Indian and Alaska

Native alone, Asian alone, Native

Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

alone, and Some other race alone.

7

Individuals who chose more than

one of the six race categories are

referred to as the race in combination population, or as the group

who reported Two or more races.

For example, respondents who

reported they were “White and

Black or African American” or “White

and Asian and American Indian

and Alaska Native”8 would be

U.S. Census Bureau 3

Figure 3.

Percent Change by Age: 1990 to 2000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 1; 1990 Census of Population, 

General Population Characteristics, United States (1990 CP-1-1).

Under 5 years

5 to 9 years

10 to 14 years

15 to 19 years

20 to 24 years

25 to 29 years

30 to 34 years

35 to 39 years

40 to 44 years

45 to 49 years

50 to 54 years

55 to 59 years

60 to 64 years

65 to 69 years

70 to 74 years

75 to 79 years

80 to 84 years

85 to 89 years

90 to 94 years

95 years and over

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and 

definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf1.pdf)

34.7

4.5

13.5

19.9

13.9

-0.3

-9.1

-6.2

13.7

27.4

44.8

54.9

27.9

1.8

-5.7

10.8

21.1

25.7

35.4

44.6

5 For more Census 2000 information about

the male and female populations, see Smith,

Denise I. and Reneé E. Spraggins, 2001, Gender:

2000, Census 2000 Brief, C2KBR/01-9, U.S.

Census Bureau, Washington, DC,

www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/

c2kbr01-9.pdf.

6

Grieco, Elizabeth M. and Rachel C. Cassidy,

2001, Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin,

Census 2000 Brief, C2KBR/01-1, U.S. Census

Bureau, Washington, DC,

www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/

c2kbr01-1.pdf. 7

Some other race is not a standard Office of

Management and Budget race category. 8

The race in combination categories are

denoted by quotations around the combinations with the conjunction and in bold and italicized print to indicate the separate race groups

that comprise the combination.
included in the in combination population of each race.9

In 2000, median age varied significantly by race. People who reported

Two or more races had a significantly younger median age (22.7) than

the population reporting one race

(35.6). The difference between the

races with the youngest and oldest

median ages was about 13 years.

Of those respondents reporting only

one race, individuals who reported

Some other race had the youngest

median age (24.6), which reflects

the fact that 97 percent of people

choosing this race were Hispanic10

and people reporting Hispanic origin, who may be of any race, had a

relatively young median age. The

next youngest group was Native

Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

alone (27.5), followed by American

Indian and Alaska Native alone

(28.0), Black or African American

alone (30.2), Asian alone (32.7), and

White alone (37.7). 

Across all races, people who reported more than one race tended to be

younger than those who reported

only one race. Figure 4 shows that

42 percent of people who reported

Two or more races were under age

18 compared with 25 percent of

people who reported one race.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION

OF PEOPLE IN THREE

BROAD AGE CATEGORIES

Median age was highest in the

Northeast and lowest in the

West.

In 2000, the Northeast had the

highest median age (36.8) followed

by the Midwest (35.6), and the

South (35.3) as shown in Table 2.11

The West had the youngest median

age, 33.8. This ranking reflects the

relative proportions of population in

the broad age groups for each

region. The Northeast had the

largest proportion of people age 65

and over, while it had the smallest

proportion of people under age 18.

The West had the opposite situation. More specifically, the 65-andover population made up 14 percent of the population in the

Northeast, 13 percent in the

4 U.S. Census Bureau

Table 1.

Population Change by Age: 1990 to 2000

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf1.pdf)

Age

1990 2000 Change, 1990 to 2000

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

Total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248,709,873 100.0 281,421,906 100.0 32,712,033 13.2

Under 5 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,354,443 7.4 19,175,798 6.8 821,355 4.5

5 to 9 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,099,179 7.3 20,549,505 7.3 2,450,326 13.5

10 to 14 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,114,249 6.9 20,528,072 7.3 3,413,823 19.9

15 to 19 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,754,015 7.1 20,219,890 7.2 2,465,875 13.9

20 to 24 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,020,312 7.6 18,964,001 6.7 –56,311 –0.3

25 to 29 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,313,045 8.6 19,381,336 6.9 –1,931,709 –9.1

30 to 34 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,862,887 8.8 20,510,388 7.3 –1,352,499 –6.2

35 to 39 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,963,117 8.0 22,706,664 8.1 2,743,547 13.7

40 to 44 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,615,786 7.1 22,441,863 8.0 4,826,077 27.4

45 to 49 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13,872,573 5.6 20,092,404 7.1 6,219,831 44.8

50 to 54 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,350,513 4.6 17,585,548 6.2 6,235,035 54.9

55 to 59 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,531,756 4.2 13,469,237 4.8 2,937,481 27.9

60 to 64 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,616,167 4.3 10,805,447 3.8 189,280 1.8

65 to 69 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,111,735 4.1 9,533,545 3.4 –578,190 –5.7

70 to 74 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,994,823 3.2 8,857,441 3.1 862,618 10.8

75 to 79 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,121,369 2.5 7,415,813 2.6 1,294,444 21.1

80 to 84 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,933,739 1.6 4,945,367 1.8 1,011,628 25.7

85 to 89 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,060,247 0.8 2,789,818 1.0 729,571 35.4

90 to 94 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 769,481 0.3 1,112,531 0.4 343,050 44.6

95 years and over . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250,437 0.1 337,238 0.1 86,801 34.7

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 1; 1990 Census of Population, General Population Characteristics,

United States (1990 CP-1-1).

9

See Grieco, Elizabeth M. and Rachel C.

Cassidy, 2001, Overview of Race and Hispanic

Origin, Census 2000 Brief, C2KBR/01-1, U.S.

Census Bureau, Washington, DC,

www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/

c2kbr01-1.pdf. 10Ibid.

11The Northeast region includes

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New

Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,

Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The

Midwest includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,

Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North

Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

The South includes Alabama, Arkansas,

Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida,

Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland,

Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South

Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West

Virginia. The West includes Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana,

Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,

Washington, and Wyoming.
U.S. Census Bureau 5

Midwest, 12 percent in the South,

and 11 percent in the West. In contrast, children made up 27 percent

of the population in the West followed by 26 percent in both the

Midwest and South. The Northeast

had 24 percent. All four regions

had roughly the same proportion of

people age 18 to 64 (61 or 62 percent). 

The West had the highest

growth rates in all three age

groups.

Growth rates for each age group

varied significantly by region (see

Figure 5). For children, the growth

rate in the West (21 percent) was

more than three times that in the

Midwest and more than twice that

in the Northeast.

For the population age 18 to 64,

the growth rates in the South and

West (18 percent and 19 percent,

Figure 4.

Percent of Population by Selected Age Groups, Race, and 

Hispanic or Latino Origin: 2000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 1.

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see 

www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf1.pdf)

White alone, not Hispanic or Latino

Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

Some other race alone or in combination

Some other race alone

Native Hawaiian

and Other Pacific Islander alone or in combination

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone

Asian alone or in combination

Asian alone

American Indian and Alaska Native alone or in combination

American Indian and Alaska Native alone

Black or African American alone or in combination

Black or African American alone

White alone or in combination

White alone

Two or more races

One race

Total 25.7 9.6 30.2 22.0 12.4

25.3 9.6 30.3 22.2 12.6

41.9 11.7 27.7 13.7 5.0

23.5 8.9 29.6 23.7 14.4

24.0 8.9 29.5 23.4 14.1

31.4 11.0 30.9 18.6 8.1

32.5 11.0 30.4 18.2 7.9

33.9 11.6 30.9 18.0 5.6

33.6 11.2 29.9 19.0 6.3

24.1 11.1 36.0 21.0 7.8

27.1 11.3 34.7 19.6 7.2

31.9 13.7 32.6 16.6 5.2

35.8 13.5 30.4 15.2 5.0

35.9 15.0 34.2 11.9 3.0

36.0 14.5 33.9 12.3 3.4

35.0 13.4 33.0 13.7 4.9

22.6 8.6 29.4 24.4 15.0

Under 18 18 to 24 25 to 44 45 to 64 65 and over Median age

38.6

25.8

24.8

24.6

25.4

27.5

31.1

32.7

28.7

28.0

29.5

30.2

37.3

37.7

22.7

35.6

35.3
6 U.S. Census Bureau

Table 2.

Population by Selected Age Groups for the United States, Regions, and States, and for

Puerto Rico: 1990 and 2000

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf1.pdf)

Area

1990 2000

Total

Under 18 65 and over

Median

age Total

Under 18 65 and over

Median

Number age

Percent NumberPercent NumberPercent NumberPercent

United States ..... 248,709,873 63,604,432 25.6 31,241,831 12.6 32.9 281,421,906 72,293,812 25.7 34,991,753 12.4 35.3

Region

Northeast......... 50,809,229 11,913,007 23.4 6,995,156 13.8 34.2 53,594,378 13,047,783 24.3 7,372,282 13.8 36.8

Midwest .......... 59,668,632 15,614,783 26.2 7,749,130 13.0 32.9 64,392,776 16,647,666 25.9 8,259,075 12.8 35.6

South............ 85,445,930 22,008,378 25.8 10,724,182 12.6 32.7 100,236,820 25,566,903 25.5 12,438,267 12.4 35.3

West . . . . . . . . . . . . 52,786,082 14,068,264 26.7 5,773,363 10.9 31.8 63,197,932 17,031,460 26.9 6,922,129 11.0 33.8

State

Alabama ......... 4,040,587 1,058,788 26.2 522,989 12.9 33.0 4,447,100 1,123,422 25.3 579,798 13.0 35.8

Alaska ........... 550,043 172,344 31.3 22,369 4.1 29.4 626,932 190,717 30.4 35,699 5.7 32.4

Arizona . . . . . . . . . . 3,665,228 981,119 26.8 478,774 13.1 32.2 5,130,632 1,366,947 26.6 667,839 13.0 34.2

Arkansas . ........ 2,350,725 621,131 26.4 350,058 14.9 33.8 2,673,400 680,369 25.4 374,019 14.0 36.0

California ......... 29,760,021 7,750,725 26.0 3,135,552 10.5 31.4 33,871,648 9,249,829 27.3 3,595,658 10.6 33.3

Colorado ......... 3,294,394 861,266 26.1 329,443 10.0 32.5 4,301,261 1,100,795 25.6 416,073 9.7 34.3

Connecticut ....... 3,287,116 749,581 22.8 445,907 13.6 34.4 3,405,565 841,688 24.7 470,183 13.8 37.4

Delaware ......... 666,168 163,341 24.5 80,735 12.1 32.8 783,600 194,587 24.8 101,726 13.0 36.0

District of Columbia . 606,900 117,092 19.3 77,847 12.8 33.4 572,059 114,992 20.1 69,898 12.2 34.6

Florida ........... 12,937,926 2,866,237 22.2 2,369,431 18.3 36.3 15,982,378 3,646,340 22.8 2,807,597 17.6 38.7

Georgia .......... 6,478,216 1,727,303 26.7 654,270 10.1 31.5 8,186,453 2,169,234 26.5 785,275 9.6 33.4

Hawaii . . . . . . . . . . . 1,108,229 280,126 25.3 125,005 11.3 32.6 1,211,537 295,767 24.4 160,601 13.3 36.2

Idaho . . . ......... 1,006,749 308,405 30.6 121,265 12.0 31.5 1,293,953 369,030 28.5 145,916 11.3 33.2

Illinois ........... 11,430,602 2,946,366 25.8 1,436,545 12.6 32.8 12,419,293 3,245,451 26.1 1,500,025 12.1 34.7

Indiana. .......... 5,544,159 1,455,964 26.3 696,196 12.6 32.8 6,080,485 1,574,396 25.9 752,831 12.4 35.2

Iowa. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,776,755 718,880 25.9 426,106 15.3 34.0 2,926,324 733,638 25.1 436,213 14.9 36.6

Kansas .......... 2,477,574 661,614 26.7 342,571 13.8 32.9 2,688,418 712,993 26.5 356,229 13.3 35.2

Kentucky ......... 3,685,296 954,094 25.9 466,845 12.7 33.0 4,041,769 994,818 24.6 504,793 12.5 35.9

Louisiana ......... 4,219,973 1,227,269 29.1 468,991 11.1 31.0 4,468,976 1,219,799 27.3 516,929 11.6 34.0

Maine. ........... 1,227,928 309,002 25.2 163,373 13.3 33.9 1,274,923 301,238 23.6 183,402 14.4 38.6

Maryland ......... 4,781,468 1,162,241 24.3 517,482 10.8 33.0 5,296,486 1,356,172 25.6 599,307 11.3 36.0

Massachusetts..... 6,016,425 1,353,075 22.5 819,284 13.6 33.5 6,349,097 1,500,064 23.6 860,162 13.5 36.5

Michigan . . . ...... 9,295,297 2,458,765 26.5 1,108,461 11.9 32.6 9,938,444 2,595,767 26.1 1,219,018 12.3 35.5

Minnesota . . . ..... 4,375,099 1,166,783 26.7 546,934 12.5 32.4 4,919,479 1,286,894 26.2 594,266 12.1 35.4

Mississippi . ....... 2,573,216 746,761 29.0 321,284 12.5 31.1 2,844,658 775,187 27.3 343,523 12.1 33.8

Missouri. . . . . . . . . . 5,117,073 1,314,826 25.7 717,681 14.0 33.5 5,595,211 1,427,692 25.5 755,379 13.5 36.1

Montana ......... 799,065 222,104 27.8 106,497 13.3 33.8 902,195 230,062 25.5 120,949 13.4 37.5

Nebraska ......... 1,578,385 429,012 27.2 223,068 14.1 33.0 1,711,263 450,242 26.3 232,195 13.6 35.3

Nevada . . . . . . . . . . 1,201,833 296,948 24.7 127,631 10.6 33.3 1,998,257 511,799 25.6 218,929 11.0 35.0

New Hampshire.... 1,109,252 278,755 25.1 125,029 11.3 32.8 1,235,786 309,562 25.0 147,970 12.0 37.1

New Jersey ....... 7,730,188 1,799,462 23.3 1,032,025 13.4 34.4 8,414,350 2,087,558 24.8 1,113,136 13.2 36.7

New Mexico. ...... 1,515,069 446,741 29.5 163,062 10.8 31.2 1,819,046 508,574 28.0 212,225 11.7 34.6

New York . . . . . . . . . 17,990,455 4,259,549 23.7 2,363,722 13.1 33.8 18,976,457 4,690,107 24.7 2,448,352 12.9 35.9

North Carolina ..... 6,628,637 1,606,149 24.2 804,341 12.1 33.1 8,049,313 1,964,047 24.4 969,048 12.0 35.3

North Dakota . . . . . . 638,800 175,385 27.5 91,055 14.3 32.4 642,200 160,849 25.0 94,478 14.7 36.2

Ohio............. 10,847,115 2,799,744 25.8 1,406,961 13.0 33.3 11,353,140 2,888,339 25.4 1,507,757 13.3 36.2

Oklahoma ........ 3,145,585 837,007 26.6 424,213 13.5 33.1 3,450,654 892,360 25.9 455,950 13.2 35.5

Oregon .......... 2,842,321 724,130 25.5 391,324 13.8 34.6 3,421,399 846,526 24.7 438,177 12.8 36.3

Pennsylvania ...... 11,881,643 2,794,810 23.5 1,829,106 15.4 35.0 12,281,054 2,922,221 23.8 1,919,165 15.6 38.0

Rhode Island . . . . . . 1,003,464 225,690 22.5 150,547 15.0 33.9 1,048,319 247,822 23.6 152,402 14.5 36.7

South Carolina..... 3,486,703 920,207 26.4 396,935 11.4 32.0 4,012,012 1,009,641 25.2 485,333 12.1 35.4

South Dakota...... 696,004 198,462 28.5 102,331 14.7 32.5 754,844 202,649 26.8 108,131 14.3 35.6

Tennessee ........ 4,877,185 1,216,604 24.9 618,818 12.7 33.5 5,689,283 1,398,521 24.6 703,311 12.4 35.9

Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,986,510 4,835,839 28.5 1,716,576 10.1 30.7 20,851,820 5,886,759 28.2 2,072,532 9.9 32.3

Utah............. 1,722,850 627,444 36.4 149,958 8.7 26.3 2,233,169 718,698 32.2 190,222 8.5 27.1

Vermont.......... 562,758 143,083 25.4 66,163 11.8 33.0 608,827 147,523 24.2 77,510 12.7 37.7

Virginia .......... 6,187,358 1,504,738 24.3 664,470 10.7 32.6 7,078,515 1,738,262 24.6 792,333 11.2 35.7

Washington ....... 4,866,692 1,261,387 25.9 575,288 11.8 33.1 5,894,121 1,513,843 25.7 662,148 11.2 35.3

West Virginia . . . . . . 1,793,477 443,577 24.7 268,897 15.0 35.4 1,808,344 402,393 22.3 276,895 15.3 38.9

Wisconsin ........ 4,891,769 1,288,982 26.4 651,221 13.3 32.9 5,363,675 1,368,756 25.5 702,553 13.1 36.0

Wyoming ........ 453,588 135,525 29.9 47,195 10.4 32.1 493,782 128,873 26.1 57,693 11.7 36.2

Puerto Rico ........ 3,522,037 1,154,527 32.8 340,884 9.7 28.4 3,808,610 1,092,101 28.7 425,137 11.2 32.1

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 1; 1990 Census of Population, General Population Characteristics, United States (1990 CP-1-1)

and Puerto Rico (1990 CP-1-53).
U.S. Census Bureau 7

respectively) were more than four

times that in the Northeast for the

same age group and more than

twice that in the Midwest in this

age group.

For the population 65 years and

over, the growth rate in the South

(16 percent) was nearly three times

the growth rate in the Northeast.

And the growth rate in the West 

(20 percent) was more than three

times that of both the Northeast

and the Midwest for this age group.

In the Northeast and West, the

population under age 18 grew

the fastest; in the Midwest

and South, the 18-to-64-year

age group grew the fastest.

A comparison of growth rates for

each age group within each region

showed differences. In the

Northeast and West, the population

under 18 grew the fastest of the

three age groups. More specifically,

the population under 18 years in

the Northeast grew at a rate of 

10 percent, compared with the

lower growth rates of 5 percent for

those 65 years and over and 4 percent for those 18 to 64. In the

West, the population under 18 years

old also grew the fastest of the

three age groups between 1990

and 2000, although the other two

groups grew quickly as well.

The fastest growing age group in

both the Midwest and South was

18-to-64 year olds. In the Midwest,

this age group grew 9 percent, a

slightly higher growth rate than for

the other two broad age groups,

each with 7 percent. In the South,

the age group 18 to 64 also grew

the fastest of the three age groups,

18 percent during the decade. Both

the population under age 18 and

the population age 65 and over

increased at a slightly lower rate of

16 percent.

West Virginia had the highest

median age.

The Northeast was the only region

where all states had median ages

above the national level. In contrast, the West was the only region

where states with median ages

below the U.S. median outnumbered states with older median ages

(see Figure 6).

The states with the highest median

ages were West Virginia (38.9),

Florida (38.7), Maine (38.6), and

Pennsylvania (38.0). Utah had the

youngest population and was the

only state with a median age

below 30 years (27.1). Other

states with low median ages were

Texas (32.3) and Alaska (32.4) as

shown in Table 2.

Florida had the highest

proportion 65 years and over.

The proportion 65 years and over

ranged from a low of 6 percent in

Alaska to 18 percent in Florida.12 In

addition to Alaska, states that had a

relatively low percentage of older

adults were Utah (9 percent) and

Georgia, Colorado, and Texas (each

10 percent). States along with

Figure 5.

Percent Change in Population by Selected Age 

Groups and Regions: 1990 to 2000

Under 18

18 to 64

65 and over

West

South

Midwest

Northeast

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 1; 1990 Census of Population, 

General Population Characteristics, United States (1990 CP-1-1).

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and 

definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf1.pdf)

19.9

9.5

4.0

5.4

6.6

8.8

6.6

16.2

18.1

16.0

21.1

19.1

12For more Census 2000 information about

the population 65 years and over, see Hetzel,

Lisa and Annetta Smith, 2001, The 65 Years

and Over Population: 2000, Census 2000

Brief, C2KBR/01-10, U.S. Census Bureau,

Washington, DC, www.census.gov/prod/

2001pubs/c2kbr01-10.pdf.
8 U.S. Census Bureau 

Median Age: 2000 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 1. American Factfinder at factfinder.census.gov provides census data and mapping tools. 

U

U

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf1.pdf) Figure 6. 0 100 Miles 0 100 Miles 

0 100 Miles
Florida that had a relatively high

percentage of older adults were

Pennsylvania (16 percent) and West

Virginia, Iowa, North Dakota, and

Rhode Island (each 15 percent).

In 14 states, the older population13

grew by more than 20 percent relative to the U.S. rate of 12 percent.

Nevada had the highest growth rate

for this age group (72 percent).14

Alaska also experienced a large percentage increase (60 percent). Only

the District of Columbia experienced a decline in the number of

older adults (10-percent decrease). 

The District of Columbia still had

the largest proportion of people age

18 to 64 (67.7 percent), although

this proportion was even higher in

1990 (67.9 percent). The proportion of people in this age group

ranged from 59 percent to 65 percent across states. The states with

the highest proportions (64 or 

65 percent) were Colorado, Virginia,

Georgia, Alaska, and North Carolina.

The states with the lowest proportions (59 or 60 percent) were South

Dakota, Utah, Florida, Iowa, and

Nebraska.

The number of children grew

by more than 25 percent in

five states; five states

experienced a percentage

decline. 

In five states, the population under

18 years grew by more than 25 percent, much higher than the U.S.

increase of 14 percent. Those five

states were Nevada (72 percent),

Arizona (39 percent), Colorado 

(28 percent), Florida (27 percent),

and Georgia (26 percent).

Five states and the District of

Columbia experienced a decline in

the population under age 18

between 1990 and 2000 — West

Virginia (9-percent decrease), North

Dakota (8-percent decrease),

Wyoming (5-percent decrease),

Maine (3-percent decrease), and

Louisiana (1-percent decrease). The

District of Columbia experienced a

decrease of 2 percent.

Counties with low median

ages were mostly in the

southern and western

portions of the country.

Median age varied among counties

in the United States. Figure 6

shows median age for the country’s 3,141 counties and equivalent

areas. There were 734 counties

with median age 40.0 and over

and 131 counties with median age

under 30.0. The areas with median age generally at the U.S. median

or younger were in the southwest

border region. In contrast, two

bands of counties had older median ages — in the interior Northeast

and Appalachia, and across the

Great Plains states from the

Mexican border to the Canadian

border.

The Midwest had the highest

percentage of counties with

older median ages.

In terms of proportion, the Midwest

had the largest percentage of its

counties with median ages 40.0 and

over (31 percent), followed by the

West (29 percent), Northeast 

(19 percent), and South (17 percent). In contrast, the West had the

largest proportion of counties with

median ages less than 30.0 (10 percent), followed by the Midwest 

(4 percent), the South (3 percent),

and the Northeast (1 percent). 

There were three counties with

100,000 or more population where

median ages were very high (50.0

and over). All of them — Charlotte

County (54.3), Citrus County (52.6),

and Sarasota County (50.5) — were

in Florida. 

In contrast, four counties with

100,000 or more population had

median ages below 26.0: Utah

County, Utah (23.3); Brazos County,

Texas (23.6); Onslow County, North

Carolina (25.0); and Clarke County,

Georgia (25.4).

In four states, all the counties in the

state had median ages at or above

the national median of 35.3. Those

states were: Connecticut, Maine,

Rhode Island, and Hawaii. There

were no states where all the counties had median ages less than the

national median. Utah came closest

with 86 percent of its counties having median ages below the national

median.

The places with the oldest

populations (in terms of

median age) were in the

regions with the youngest

median ages.

Five of the ten places (population of

100,000 or more) with the lowest

median ages in 2000 were in

California, and all were either in the

South or West. Provo, Utah, had the

lowest median age (22.9) as shown

in Table 3. Although the South and

West were the regions with the lowest median ages, all but one of the

top ten places with the highest

median ages were also in these two

regions (see Table 4). The one

exception was Livonia, Michigan

(40.2). Five of the ten places with

the highest median ages were in

Florida, where Clearwater, Florida,

had the highest (41.8). All of the

ten largest cities had median ages

below the national median (see

Table 5).

U.S. Census Bureau 9

13For this report, the older population is

defined as people 65 years and over. 14Nevada had the highest growth rate for all

three age groups.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

ON AGE

Which states had the highest

concentration of baby

boomers?

Earlier in this report, the baby-boom

cohort (people ages 36 to 54 in

2000) was shown to make up a

large share of the total U.S. population. In 2000, the proportion of

baby boomers in the states ranged

from 23 percent to 32 percent. The

states where baby boomers made

up 30 percent or more of their populations were Alaska (32 percent),

New Hampshire (31 percent),

Vermont (31 percent), and Maine

(30 percent). In contrast, Utah 

(23 percent) was the only state

where baby boomers constituted

less than 25 percent.

How many school-age children

were there in 2000?

In 2000, there were 53.1 million

elementary- and high school-age

children (5-to-17 year olds), 73 percent of the population under age

18. There were 7.8 million preschool-age children (3-to-4 year

olds). Infants and toddlers (0-to-2

year olds) represented 16 percent of

the population under age 18.

10 U.S. Census Bureau

Table 3.

Ten Places of 100,000 or More Population With the Lowest Median Age: 2000

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf1.pdf)

Place1

Total population Median age Percent under 18

Percent

65 and over

Provo, UT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105,166 22.9 22.3 5.7

Athens-Clarke County, GA* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101,489 25.4 17.8 8.1

Fontana, CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128,929 26.2 37.8 4.7

Tallahassee, FL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150,624 26.3 17.4 8.2

East Los Angeles, CA*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124,283 26.5 34.6 7.9

Pomona, CA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149,473 26.5 34.6 6.4

Santa Ana, CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337,977 26.5 34.2 5.5

West Valley City, UT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108,896 26.8 33.7 5.4

Laredo, TX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176,576 26.9 35.5 7.8

El Monte, CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115,965 27.1 34.1 6.9

*Athens-Clarke County, GA, is a city-county consolidation. East Los Angeles, CA, is a census desigated place and is not legally

incorporated.

1

Census 2000 showed 245 places in the United States with 100,000 or more population. They included 238 incorporated places

(including 4 city-county consolidations) and 7 census designated places that were not legally incorporated. For a list of these places

by state, see www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/phc-t6.html.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 1.

Table 4.

Ten Places of 100,000 or More Population With the Highest Median Age: 2000

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf1.pdf)

Place1

Total population Median age Percent under 18

Percent

65 and over

Clearwater, FL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108,787 41.8 19.1 21.5

Cape Coral, FL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102,286 41.6 22.6 19.6

Scottsdale, AZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202,705 41.0 19.3 16.7

Livonia, MI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100,545 40.2 23.8 16.9

Honolulu, HI* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371,657 39.7 19.2 17.8

Metairie, LA*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146,136 39.5 20.6 16.4

St. Petersburg, FL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248,232 39.3 21.5 17.4

Fort Lauderdale, FL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152,397 39.3 19.4 15.3

Hollywood, FL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139,357 39.2 21.3 17.3

Torrance, CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137,946 38.7 23.0 14.1

*Honolulu, HI, and Metairie, LA, are census designated places and are not legally incorporated.

1

Census 2000 showed 245 places in the United States with 100,000 or more population. They included 238 incorporated places

(including 4 city-county consolidations) and 7 census designated places that were not legally incorporated. For a list of these places by

state, see www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/phc-t6.html.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 1.
ABOUT CENSUS 2000

Why did Census 2000 ask the

question on age?

The Census Bureau collects age

data to support two basic activities:

• Legislative redistricting and

• Allocating funds from federal programs to targeted age groups.

For example, age data are used in

calculating the proportion of schoolage children in poverty for each

school district for allocating federal

funds to assist educationally disadvantaged children. The Department

of Veterans Affairs uses age data to

develop state projections on the

need for hospitals, nursing homes,

cemeteries, and other services for

veterans. 

Communities can use census age

data to aid them in making

informed decisions about how to

meet the needs of their older and

their younger citizens. Researchers

can use these data in their research

on school-age children and many

other age-related topics. Business

owners can use these data in planning a new business around the

needs of a certain age group in the

community.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

More information on age data is

available by visiting the U.S. Census

Bureau’s Web site at

www.census.gov (click “A” for Age

Data in the Subjects A to Z list).

Data on age from the Census 2000

Summary File 1 were released on a

state-by-state basis during the summer of 2001 and are available via

factfinder.census.gov and for purchase on DVD. 

For information on confidentiality

protection, nonsampling error, and

definitions, see www.census.gov/

prod/cen2000/doc/sf1.pdf, or contact our Customer Services Center

at 301-763-INFO (4636).

Information on other population

and housing topics is presented in

the Census 2000 Brief series, located on the U.S. Census Bureau’s Web

site at www.census.gov/population/

www/cen2000/briefs.html. This

series presents information about

race, Hispanic origin, age, sex,

household type, housing tenure,

and other social, economic, and

housing characteristics.

For more information about Census

2000, including data products, call

our Customer Services Center at

301-763-INFO (4636) or e-mail 

webmaster@census.gov.

U.S. Census Bureau 11

Table 5.

Ten Largest Cities by Age: 2000

(For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf1.pdf)

City Total population Median age Percent under 18

Percent

65 and over

New York, NY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,008,278 34.2 24.2 11.7

Los Angeles, CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,694,820 31.6 26.6 9.7

Chicago, IL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,896,016 31.5 26.2 10.3

Houston, TX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,953,631 30.9 27.5 8.4

Philadelphia, PA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,517,550 34.2 25.3 14.1

Phoenix, AZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,321,045 30.7 28.9 8.1

San Diego, CA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,223,400 32.5 24.0 10.5

Dallas, TX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,188,580 30.5 26.6 8.6

San Antonio, TX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,144,646 31.7 28.5 10.4

Detroit, MI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 951,270 30.9 31.1 10.4

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 1.
FIRST-CLASS MAIL

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

U.S. Census Bureau

Permit No. G-58

U.S. Department of Commerce

Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Washington, DC 20233

OFFICIAL BUSINESS

Penalty for Private Use $300