2010 Census shows the nation’s population is aging
The U.S. population is growing grayer, with the median age of Americans is now 37.2, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Also, the male population grew faster than the female population over the last decade, the 2010 Census found.
The country’s median age has risen 1.9 years from the 35.3 years a decade ago. Seven states recorded a median age of 40 or older, according to the Census Bureau’s “Age and Sex Composition: 2010” brief, released in mid-May. The brief also shows the male population grew 9.9 percent between 2000 and 2010, while the female population grew 9.5 percent. Of the total 2010 Census population, 157.0 million people were female (50.8 percent) and 151.8 million were male (49.2 percent).
Between 2000 and 2010, the population 45 to 64 years old, which accounts for 26.4 percent of the total U.S. population, grew 31.5 percent to 81.5 million. The large growth in that age bracket is primarily because of the aging of the baby boom population, according to the brief. The 65-and-older population also grew faster than most younger population groups.
Also, there were 96.7 males for every 100 females in the United States in 2010, representing an increase from 2000 when the male-to-female ratio was 96.3 males for every 100 females. The increase was most notable in men between the ages of 60 and 74, which increased by 35.2 percent, while females in the same age group increased by just 29.2 percent. This increase in the older male population may be because of the narrowing gap in mortality between older men and women.
Read more about the 2010 Census findings on the U.S. population’s changes in age and gender.
