The Ratio of Older People to Children Grew in Every State

This story by Tim Henderson was originally published in Washington State Standard.

The ratio of people older than 65 to children younger than 18 grew in every state, according to a Stateline analysis of the estimates, which measure age changes in mid-2024 compared with earlier years.

Other states where older people already outnumbered children in 2023: Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia. That grew from just four in 2020: Florida, Maine, Vermont and West Virginia.

The trend bodes poorly for the future number of young adults who can help care for older relatives, according to a report published last year by the Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs at Syracuse University.

Florida has many of the counties with the highest ratios of older people to children, the census estimates show.

The nation’s median age reached a new historical high at 39.1, up from 38.9 in 2023, the census also found. The median age was below 30 until 1980 and below 20 until 1870.

Maine’s population in 2024 was the oldest of any state, with a median age of 44.8; Utah’s was the youngest at 32.4 as of 2024.