Age across the states
Maine is the oldest state, with half its residents older than 45.1 years in 2025, and Utah the youngest, with a median age of 32.6 years; for the whole country the figure is 39.5 years1. Since 2020 every state and DC has a smaller share of children and a larger share of residents 65 and older.
Data as of October 29, 2026 (newest release used on this page).
Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B01002; Census Bureau, 2024 Cartographic Boundary Files. Darker states are higher; DC is the dot. Period: 2025.
Show the numbers
| State | Median age |
|---|---|
| Maine | 45.1 |
| Vermont | 44.6 |
| New Hampshire | 44.2 |
| West Virginia | 43.5 |
| Florida | 43.1 |
| Hawaii | 42.4 |
| Delaware | 42.2 |
| Connecticut | 41.6 |
| Wyoming | 41.5 |
| Pennsylvania | 41.4 |
| Oregon | 41.3 |
| South Carolina | 41.3 |
| Wisconsin | 41.3 |
| Rhode Island | 41.2 |
| Montana | 41.0 |
| Michigan | 40.9 |
| New Mexico | 40.6 |
| Massachusetts | 40.4 |
| Ohio | 40.3 |
| Mississippi | 40.2 |
| New Jersey | 40.2 |
| Alabama | 40.0 |
| Maryland | 39.9 |
| Kentucky | 39.8 |
| Missouri | 39.8 |
| New York | 39.8 |
| Illinois | 39.7 |
| Nevada | 39.6 |
| North Carolina | 39.6 |
| Arizona | 39.5 |
| Minnesota | 39.5 |
| Tennessee | 39.5 |
| Virginia | 39.5 |
| Iowa | 39.4 |
| Louisiana | 39.4 |
| Arkansas | 39.3 |
| Washington | 38.9 |
| California | 38.7 |
| Indiana | 38.7 |
| South Dakota | 38.5 |
| Kansas | 38.4 |
| Georgia | 38.3 |
| Colorado | 38.1 |
| Idaho | 37.9 |
| Nebraska | 37.9 |
| Oklahoma | 37.8 |
| North Dakota | 37.4 |
| Alaska | 37.0 |
| Texas | 36.2 |
| District of Columbia | 35.0 |
| Utah | 32.6 |
The oldest and youngest states
Median age is the age that splits a population in half: half the residents are younger, half are older. In the 2025 American Community Survey the three oldest states were Maine (45.1 years, ±0.2 years), Vermont (44.6 years) and New Hampshire (44.2 years), all in northern New England. West Virginia (43.5 years) and Florida (43.1 years) come next. The youngest were Utah (32.6 years, ±0.2 years), the District of Columbia (35.0 years) and Texas (36.2 years, ±0.2 years1).
Median ages run from 32.6 years in Utah to 45.1 years in Maine. 27 states have a median age significantly above the national 39.5 years (±0.1 years) and 151, counting DC, significantly below it; the rest cannot be told apart from the US figure.
Largely the same states sit at the ends of the age groups readers ask about most:
- Residents 65 and older: highest in Maine (24.6%), Vermont (24.1%) and New Hampshire (23.0%); lowest in Utah (13.0%), the District of Columbia (13.6%) and Texas (14.9%). Nationally, 18.9%. Full list: older population by state.
- Children under 18: highest in Utah (26.1%), Texas (24.0%) and Nebraska (23.7%); lowest in Vermont (17.0%), New Hampshire and Maine (both 17.3%). Nationally, 21.1%. Full list: children by state.
- Residents 85 and older: highest in Hawaii (3.0%) and Florida (2.7%); lowest in Alaska (1.1%) and Utah (1.3%). Nationally, 2.1%3.
Every state ranked by median age, with its margin of error and change from 2024, is on the median age by state page.
Every state's age profile
The table puts the main age measures side by side. The three broad groups (children under 18; adults 18 to 64; residents 65 and older) add up to the whole population, so a state with a large share in one group has smaller shares in the others. The shares come from the Census Bureau's population estimates for July 1, 2025; median age comes from the 2025 survey.
| Maine | 45.1 ±0.2 | 17.3% | 58.2% | 24.6% | 2.6% | 71.9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | 44.6 ±0.3 | 17.0% | 58.9% | 24.1% | 2.4% | 69.8 |
| New Hampshire | 44.2 ±0.3 | 17.3% | 59.7% | 23.0% | 2.3% | 67.5 |
| West Virginia | 43.5 ±0.3 | 19.5% | 58.0% | 22.5% | 2.2% | 72.5 |
| Florida | 43.1 ±0.1 | 18.9% | 58.3% | 22.8% | 2.7% | 71.6 |
| Hawaii | 42.4 ±0.3 | 19.7% | 57.7% | 22.6% | 3.0% | 73.3 |
| Delaware | 42.2 ±0.3 | 19.8% | 57.4% | 22.8% | 2.1% | 74.2 |
| Connecticut | 41.6 ±0.3 | 19.5% | 60.1% | 20.4% | 2.5% | 66.3 |
| Wyoming | 41.5 ±0.4 | 21.6% | 57.7% | 20.7% | 1.9% | 73.3 |
| Pennsylvania | 41.4 ±0.1 | 19.7% | 58.9% | 21.4% | 2.5% | 69.8 |
| Oregon | 41.3 ±0.2 | 19.0% | 60.0% | 21.0% | 2.2% | 66.7 |
| South Carolina | 41.3 ±0.2 | 20.6% | 58.3% | 21.1% | 2.0% | 71.5 |
| Wisconsin | 41.3 ±0.2 | 20.5% | 58.8% | 20.8% | 2.2% | 70.2 |
| Rhode Island | 41.2 ±0.4 | 17.7% | 61.4% | 20.9% | 2.4% | 63.0 |
| Montana | 41.0 ±0.4 | 20.2% | 57.6% | 22.2% | 2.2% | 73.6 |
| Michigan | 40.9 ±0.2 | 20.4% | 59.1% | 20.5% | 2.1% | 69.1 |
| New Mexico | 40.6 ±0.3 | 20.7% | 58.2% | 21.1% | 2.1% | 71.7 |
| Massachusetts | 40.4 ±0.2 | 18.6% | 61.6% | 19.9% | 2.3% | 62.4 |
| Ohio | 40.3 ±0.1 | 21.3% | 58.6% | 20.2% | 2.2% | 70.7 |
| Mississippi | 40.2 ±0.3 | 22.3% | 58.4% | 19.3% | 1.9% | 71.3 |
| New Jersey | 40.2 ±0.1 | 20.9% | 60.6% | 18.5% | 2.2% | 64.9 |
| Alabama | 40.0 ±0.2 | 21.5% | 59.0% | 19.4% | 2.0% | 69.4 |
| Maryland | 39.9 ±0.2 | 21.3% | 60.3% | 18.4% | 2.0% | 65.8 |
| Kentucky | 39.8 ±0.2 | 22.1% | 59.1% | 18.8% | 1.8% | 69.2 |
| Missouri | 39.8 ±0.2 | 21.7% | 58.7% | 19.6% | 2.1% | 70.4 |
| New York | 39.8 ±0.1 | 19.5% | 61.2% | 19.3% | 2.4% | 63.5 |
| Illinois | 39.7 ±0.1 | 20.6% | 60.7% | 18.7% | 2.2% | 64.7 |
| Nevada | 39.6 ±0.2 | 20.7% | 61.1% | 18.3% | 1.6% | 63.7 |
| North Carolina | 39.6 ±0.2 | 21.1% | 60.0% | 18.9% | 1.9% | 66.7 |
| Arizona | 39.5 ±0.2 | 21.0% | 58.4% | 20.6% | 2.2% | 71.1 |
| Minnesota | 39.5 ±0.3 | 22.0% | 58.9% | 19.1% | 2.2% | 69.8 |
| Tennessee | 39.5 ±0.2 | 21.5% | 59.9% | 18.6% | 1.8% | 67.1 |
| Virginia | 39.5 ±0.2 | 20.9% | 60.7% | 18.4% | 1.9% | 64.9 |
| Iowa | 39.4 ±0.2 | 22.2% | 57.7% | 20.1% | 2.5% | 73.3 |
| Louisiana | 39.4 ±0.3 | 22.7% | 58.5% | 18.8% | 1.9% | 71.0 |
| Arkansas | 39.3 ±0.2 | 22.4% | 58.6% | 19.0% | 2.0% | 70.8 |
| Washington | 38.9 ±0.1 | 20.4% | 61.3% | 18.3% | 1.9% | 63.1 |
| California | 38.7 ±0.1 | 20.8% | 61.7% | 17.5% | 2.1% | 62.1 |
| Indiana | 38.7 ±0.2 | 22.6% | 59.0% | 18.4% | 1.9% | 69.6 |
| South Dakota | 38.5 ±0.4 | 23.5% | 57.1% | 19.4% | 2.3% | 75.2 |
| Kansas | 38.4 ±0.3 | 22.9% | 58.2% | 18.9% | 2.1% | 71.8 |
| Georgia | 38.3 ±0.2 | 22.2% | 61.2% | 16.7% | 1.6% | 63.5 |
| Colorado | 38.1 ±0.2 | 20.3% | 62.6% | 17.1% | 1.7% | 59.8 |
| Idaho | 37.9 ±0.3 | 23.3% | 58.1% | 18.7% | 1.8% | 72.2 |
| Nebraska | 37.9 ±0.3 | 23.7% | 58.0% | 18.3% | 2.0% | 72.4 |
| Oklahoma | 37.8 ±0.2 | 23.2% | 58.8% | 18.0% | 1.9% | 70.1 |
| North Dakota | 37.4 ±0.5 | 22.9% | 59.2% | 17.9% | 2.2% | 68.9 |
| Alaska | 37.0 ±0.3 | 23.3% | 61.0% | 15.8% | 1.1% | 64.1 |
| Texas | 36.2 ±0.2 | 24.0% | 61.2% | 14.9% | 1.5% | 63.5 |
| District of Columbia | 35.0 ±0.1 | 17.9% | 68.5% | 13.6% | 1.7% | 46.0 |
| Utah | 32.6 ±0.2 | 26.1% | 60.9% | 13.0% | 1.3% | 64.1 |
| United States | 39.5 ±0.1 | 21.1% | 60.0% | 18.9% | 2.1% | 66.6 |
Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B01002; Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. ± is the 90% margin of error.
Two ways to be young
Utah and the District of Columbia have the two lowest median ages and the two lowest shares of residents 65 and older, but for different reasons.
Utah is young because of its children. Children under 18 make up 26.1% of its residents: the highest in the nation, 5.0 percentage points above the US figure (21.1%)3. Every five-year band under 30 is wider than the US one, and the bars narrow steadily above that.
Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Share of the total population in each age group. Vertical ticks: the United States.
Show the numbers
| Age | Men (%) | Women (%) | US men (%) | US women (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 3.30 | 3.18 | 2.76 | 2.65 |
| 5-9 | 3.59 | 3.42 | 2.96 | 2.83 |
| 10-14 | 3.94 | 3.72 | 3.08 | 2.95 |
| 15-19 | 4.10 | 3.95 | 3.31 | 3.16 |
| 20-24 | 4.60 | 4.38 | 3.43 | 3.28 |
| 25-29 | 4.22 | 3.89 | 3.46 | 3.37 |
| 30-34 | 3.69 | 3.49 | 3.41 | 3.38 |
| 35-39 | 3.42 | 3.28 | 3.38 | 3.40 |
| 40-44 | 3.38 | 3.27 | 3.21 | 3.27 |
| 45-49 | 3.16 | 3.13 | 2.93 | 3.03 |
| 50-54 | 2.58 | 2.58 | 2.83 | 2.96 |
| 55-59 | 2.20 | 2.22 | 2.86 | 3.02 |
| 60-64 | 2.09 | 2.21 | 2.96 | 3.21 |
| 65-69 | 1.99 | 2.13 | 2.75 | 3.08 |
| 70-74 | 1.65 | 1.82 | 2.26 | 2.64 |
| 75-79 | 1.20 | 1.38 | 1.71 | 2.08 |
| 80-84 | 0.70 | 0.86 | 1.00 | 1.32 |
| 85+ | 0.54 | 0.73 | 0.78 | 1.28 |
The District is young because of adults of working age. Adults aged 18 to 64 make up 68.5% of its residents, the highest in the nation, while its share of children (17.9%) is the 5th lowest3. Its pyramid bulges for people in their late twenties and thirties and is narrow below them.
Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Share of the total population in each age group. Vertical ticks: the United States.
Show the numbers
| Age | Men (%) | Women (%) | US men (%) | US women (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 2.79 | 2.70 | 2.76 | 2.65 |
| 5-9 | 2.72 | 2.60 | 2.96 | 2.83 |
| 10-14 | 2.31 | 2.29 | 3.08 | 2.95 |
| 15-19 | 2.46 | 2.63 | 3.31 | 3.16 |
| 20-24 | 3.11 | 4.19 | 3.43 | 3.28 |
| 25-29 | 4.88 | 6.44 | 3.46 | 3.37 |
| 30-34 | 5.08 | 5.87 | 3.41 | 3.38 |
| 35-39 | 4.61 | 4.93 | 3.38 | 3.40 |
| 40-44 | 3.63 | 3.90 | 3.21 | 3.27 |
| 45-49 | 2.71 | 2.94 | 2.93 | 3.03 |
| 50-54 | 2.23 | 2.42 | 2.83 | 2.96 |
| 55-59 | 2.20 | 2.27 | 2.86 | 3.02 |
| 60-64 | 2.14 | 2.34 | 2.96 | 3.21 |
| 65-69 | 1.84 | 2.17 | 2.75 | 3.08 |
| 70-74 | 1.50 | 1.95 | 2.26 | 2.64 |
| 75-79 | 1.13 | 1.61 | 1.71 | 2.08 |
| 80-84 | 0.70 | 1.05 | 1.00 | 1.32 |
| 85+ | 0.63 | 1.05 | 0.78 | 1.28 |
The difference matters for services planned around children, such as schools. On the median alone the two places look alike (32.6 years and 35.0 years1); in the share of children they sit near opposite ends.
Two ways to be old
The oldest states share a pattern at both ends. Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire have the three highest shares of residents 65 and older and three of the four lowest shares of children (17.3%, 17.0% and 17.3%). Maine has 347,617 residents 65 and older and 244,2453 under 18.
Florida and Hawaii are old in a different way: the older population extends further up the age range. Hawaii has the largest share of residents 85 and older, 3.0%, while its share 65 and older (22.6%) is the 6th highest. Florida's 85-and-older share, 2.7%, is 2nd highest; Maine, with the largest 65-and-older share, is 3rd highest at 2.6%. Iowa, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, none of them in the top five by median age, are tied for 4th highest (all at 2.5%3).
Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Period: July 1, 2025.
Show the numbers
| State | 85 and older |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | 3.0% |
| Florida | 2.7% |
| Maine | 2.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 2.5% |
| Iowa | 2.5% |
| Connecticut | 2.5% |
| Vermont | 2.4% |
| Rhode Island | 2.4% |
| New York | 2.4% |
| Massachusetts | 2.3% |
| New Hampshire | 2.3% |
| South Dakota | 2.3% |
| United States | 2.1% |
At the other end, Alaska has 1.1% of its residents in this group, the lowest in the nation3.
Who depends on whom: the dependency ratio
The total dependency ratio counts residents under 18 plus residents 65 and older for every 100 residents aged 18 to 64. It is a rough measure of how many people of school or retirement age there are per person of working age, not of who actually works. The US figure is 66.63.
The highest ratio is not in the oldest state. South Dakota leads at 75.2, followed by Delaware (74.2) and Montana (73.6). South Dakota combines many children (23.5%, 4th highest) with a share of older residents close to the national one (19.4%). That leaves 57.1% of its residents in the 18 to 64 group, the lowest in the nation. Maine, the oldest state, is 10th highest at 71.93.
Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Period: July 1, 2025.
Show the numbers
| State | Total dependency ratio, 2025 |
|---|---|
| South Dakota | 75.2 |
| Delaware | 74.2 |
| Montana | 73.6 |
| Wyoming | 73.3 |
| Hawaii | 73.3 |
| Iowa | 73.3 |
| West Virginia | 72.5 |
| Nebraska | 72.4 |
| Idaho | 72.2 |
| Maine | 71.9 |
| Kansas | 71.8 |
| New Mexico | 71.7 |
| Florida | 71.6 |
| South Carolina | 71.5 |
| Mississippi | 71.3 |
| Arizona | 71.1 |
| Louisiana | 71.0 |
| Arkansas | 70.8 |
| Ohio | 70.7 |
| Missouri | 70.4 |
| Wisconsin | 70.2 |
| Oklahoma | 70.1 |
| Pennsylvania | 69.8 |
| Minnesota | 69.8 |
| Vermont | 69.8 |
| Indiana | 69.6 |
| Alabama | 69.4 |
| Kentucky | 69.2 |
| Michigan | 69.1 |
| North Dakota | 68.9 |
| New Hampshire | 67.5 |
| Tennessee | 67.1 |
| Oregon | 66.7 |
| North Carolina | 66.7 |
| United States | 66.6 |
| Connecticut | 66.3 |
| Maryland | 65.8 |
| New Jersey | 64.9 |
| Virginia | 64.9 |
| Illinois | 64.7 |
| Utah | 64.1 |
| Alaska | 64.1 |
| Nevada | 63.7 |
| Georgia | 63.5 |
| Texas | 63.5 |
| New York | 63.5 |
| Washington | 63.1 |
| Rhode Island | 63.0 |
| Massachusetts | 62.4 |
| California | 62.1 |
| Colorado | 59.8 |
| District of Columbia | 46.0 |
The lowest ratio is in the District of Columbia (46.0), then Colorado (59.8) and California (62.1). Utah, the youngest state, is only tied for 11th lowest at 64.1: it has few older residents (an old-age ratio of 21.3, against 31.53 nationally) but many children.
Counting only the older group gives the old-age ratio, residents 65 and older per 100 aged 18 to 64. Across the states it runs from 19.9 in the District of Columbia to 42.2 in Maine, and for the country it rose from 27.7 in 2020 to 31.53 in 2025.
Five years of aging, in every state
Between July 1, 2020 and July 1, 2025 the number of US residents 65 and older grew by 8,669,081 (15.5%), to 64.6 million. The number under 18 fell by 1,638,599 (2.2%), to 72.0 million. The share 65 and older went from 16.9% to 18.9%, and the share of children from 22.2% to 21.1%3.
No state escaped the shift. In all 50 states and DC the share of children is lower than in 2020 and the share 65 and older is higher. The pace differed:
- The share 65 and older rose most in New Hampshire (19.4% to 23.0%), Vermont (20.7% to 24.1%) and Hawaii (19.5% to 22.6%).
- It rose least in the District of Columbia (12.7% to 13.6%), Utah (11.7% to 13.0%), Texas and Arkansas.
- The share of children fell most in Utah, from 28.9% to 26.1%, a drop of 2.8 percentage points. In the District it barely moved (18.1% to 17.9%3).
Utah is still the youngest state by a wide margin, but its share of children fell more than any other state's. Over the longer run, the national median age measured by the survey rose from 36.4 years in 2005 to 39.5 years in 2025; Utah's rose from 28.5 years4 to 32.6 years1.
Median age of women and men
In the 2025 survey the median age of women was higher than that of men in every state. Nationally it was 40.8 years for women and 38.2 years for men; in Maine, 46.6 years and 43.8 years; in Utah, 33.3 years and 31.9 years. The District of Columbia is the exception: its median age was 35.0 years1 for both.
Two sources for median age
This site reports age from two Census Bureau sources, and they do not always give the same number.
- Population estimates (Vintage 2025). Counts by single year of age and sex for July 1, 2025, built from the 2020 Census and updated with births, deaths and migration. They have no margin of error. All the age-group shares on this page and the dependency ratios come from these estimates. A median age computed from them gives 39.4 years3 for the US.
- American Community Survey (2025, 1-year). A large annual household survey that publishes median age with a 90% margin of error, for the whole calendar year. It gives 39.5 years1 for the US. Rankings of median age on this site use the survey, because it also reports median age for men and women and has annual figures back to 2005 (except 2020).
The two medians usually differ by a few tenths of a year. Maine is 45.1 years in the survey and 44.9 years in the estimates; Utah is 32.6 years in both. The largest gap is in Wyoming: 41.5 years (±0.4 years1) in the survey, 40.2 years3 in the estimates. That gap is larger than the survey's margin of error, so it reflects the different methods of the two sources, not only sampling.
A few more points when comparing figures:
- Dates. Estimate shares refer to July 1, 2025; survey figures to the 2025 calendar year. "Since 2020" compares with the estimate for July 1, 2020.
- Revisions. Each new vintage of estimates revises every year back to 2020. State estimates by age for Vintage 2026 are due in June 2027.
- States only. This site covers the 50 states and DC; it does not publish ages for counties or cities.
Questions about age by state
What is the oldest state in the US?
Maine, by median age: 45.1 years (±0.2 years) in the 2025 American Community Survey, against 39.5 years nationally. Vermont (44.6 years) and New Hampshire (44.2 years1) follow. Maine also has the largest share of residents 65 and older, 24.6%3 on July 1, 2025.
What is the youngest state?
Utah, with a median age of 32.6 years (±0.2 years) in 2025. The District of Columbia is next at 35.0 years, then Texas at 36.2 years1. Utah also has the largest share of residents under 18 (26.1%) and the smallest share 65 and older (13.0%3).
What percent of Florida is over 65?
22.8% of Floridians were 65 or older on July 1, 2025, 3.9 percentage points above the US figure (18.9%). That is 5.3 million people, the 2nd most of any state, after California. Florida's share of residents 85 and older, 2.7%, is the 2nd highest3 in the country.
Which state has the most retirees?
The Census Bureau does not count retirees by state; the closest measure is residents 65 and older. By number, California has the most (6,901,168), then Florida (5,346,788) and Texas (4,711,381). As a share of residents, Maine ranks first (24.6%3).
Which states have the most kids?
As a share of the population, Utah (26.1% under 18), Texas (24.0%) and Nebraska (23.7%). By number, California (8,174,798) and Texas (7,600,5143). The children by state ranking has every state.
Rankings on this topic
Sources
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B01002; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
- Census Bureau, 2024 Cartographic Boundary Files; table cb_2024_us_state_20m; 2024; released April 10, 2025. www2.census.gov
- Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025; Vintage 2025 (July 1 2020-2025); released June 25, 2026. www2.census.gov
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2005-2019 and 2021-2025; 2005-2025 (no standard 2020 1-year release); released October 29, 2026. api.census.gov
Margins of error (±) are at the 90% confidence level. A difference is called significant only when it passes the Census Bureau's test at that level. How every figure is built: methodology. Found an error? Write to [email protected]; corrections are listed on the updates page.