Introduction
The median age indicates the age distribution of a population. Much like a person, a high median age can be indicative of an aging state, specifically if it increases over the years. When a state has a large number of elderly citizens, it needs a similarly large number of young people to counterbalance. Social Security, Medicare, and state retirement plans are just a few programs that require a healthy working-age population in order to provide for the elderly. The median age, therefore, helps policymakers to take measures according to the age of the population and most importantly according to the way this population evolves – if it is getting older or younger.
According to the CIA’s World Factbook, the median age for the United States as a whole is 38.5 years. However, a different picture is painted when broken down to the state level. Some states have a much younger population than other states. Those differences can be due to a wide variety of social, health, economic, and cultural factors.
Learn for yourself how the median age differs by state by looking at the data in the charts.
| # | State | Median Age | Population Over 65 Years Old | Population Under 18 Years Old |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | 45 | 21.8% | 18.2% |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 43 | 19.3% | 18.4% |
| 3 | Vermont | 43 | 20.6% | 18.1% |
| 4 | West Virginia | 43 | 20.9% | 20.3% |
| 5 | Florida | 42 | 21.3% | 19.7% |
| 6 | Connecticut | 41 | 18.2% | 20.2% |
| 7 | Delaware | 41 | 20% | 20.8% |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 41 | 19.1% | 20.6% |
| 9 | Massachusetts | 40 | 17.4% | 19.5% |
| 10 | Michigan | 40 | 18.2% | 21.4% |
| 11 | Montana | 40 | 19.7% | 21.3% |
| 12 | New Jersey | 40 | 17% | 21.8% |
| 13 | Ohio | 40 | 17.9% | 22.1% |
| 14 | Oregon | 40 | 18.6% | 20.2% |
| 15 | Rhode Island | 40 | 18.2% | 19% |
| 16 | South Carolina | 40 | 18.7% | 21.5% |
| 17 | Wisconsin | 40 | 18% | 21.6% |
| 18 | Alabama | 39 | 17.8% | 22.2% |
| 19 | Hawaii | 39 | 19.6% | 21.1% |
| 20 | Kentucky | 39 | 17.2% | 22.5% |
| 21 | Maryland | 39 | 16.3% | 22.1% |
| 22 | Missouri | 39 | 17.7% | 22.4% |
| 23 | New York | 39 | 17.4% | 20.7% |
| 24 | North Carolina | 39 | 17.1% | 21.8% |
| 25 | Tennessee | 39 | 17.1% | 22% |
| 26 | Arizona | 38 | 18.5% | 22.2% |
| 27 | Arkansas | 38 | 17.7% | 23.3% |
| 28 | Illinois | 38 | 16.6% | 22.1% |
| 29 | Indiana | 38 | 16.5% | 23.3% |
| 30 | Iowa | 38 | 17.9% | 23.1% |
| 31 | Minnesota | 38 | 16.8% | 22.9% |
| 32 | Mississippi | 38 | 16.9% | 23.5% |
| 33 | Nevada | 38 | 16.5% | 22.2% |
| 34 | New Mexico | 38 | 18.5% | 22.3% |
| 35 | Virginia | 38 | 16.3% | 21.8% |
| 36 | Washington | 38 | 16.2% | 21.7% |
| 37 | Wyoming | 38 | 17.8% | 22.7% |
| 38 | California | 37 | 15.2% | 22.4% |
| 39 | Colorado | 37 | 15.1% | 21.4% |
| 40 | Georgia | 37 | 14.7% | 23.4% |
| 41 | Idaho | 37 | 16.7% | 24.7% |
| 42 | Kansas | 37 | 16.8% | 23.9% |
| 43 | Louisiana | 37 | 16.4% | 23.4% |
| 44 | Nebraska | 37 | 16.5% | 24.6% |
| 45 | Oklahoma | 37 | 16.4% | 24% |
| 46 | South Dakota | 37 | 17.6% | 24.6% |
| 47 | Alaska | 35 | 13.1% | 24.5% |
| 48 | North Dakota | 35 | 16.1% | 23.6% |
| 49 | District of Columbia | 34 | 18.8% | |
| 50 | Utah | 31 | 11.7% | 28.3% |
Median Age by State
Alabama
Median Age
39
Ranked in the US
#18
Ranked in the US
#20
Ranked in the US
#22
Alaska
Median Age
35
Ranked in the US
#47
Ranked in the US
#49
Ranked in the US
#6
Arizona
Median Age
38
Ranked in the US
#26
Ranked in the US
#12
Ranked in the US
#23
Arkansas
Median Age
38
Ranked in the US
#27
Ranked in the US
#22
Ranked in the US
#13
California
Median Age
37
Ranked in the US
#38
Ranked in the US
#45
Ranked in the US
#19
Colorado
Median Age
37
Ranked in the US
#39
Ranked in the US
#46
Ranked in the US
#35
Connecticut
Median Age
41
Ranked in the US
#6
Ranked in the US
#14
Ranked in the US
#43
Delaware
Median Age
41
Ranked in the US
#7
Ranked in the US
#5
Ranked in the US
#39
District of Columbia
Median Age
34
Ranked in the US
#49
Ranked in the US
#48
Florida
Median Age
42
Ranked in the US
#5
Ranked in the US
#2
Ranked in the US
#45
Georgia
Median Age
37
Ranked in the US
#40
Ranked in the US
#47
Ranked in the US
#11
Hawaii
Median Age
39
Ranked in the US
#19
Ranked in the US
#7
Ranked in the US
#38
Idaho
Median Age
37
Ranked in the US
#41
Ranked in the US
#34
Ranked in the US
#3
Illinois
Median Age
38
Ranked in the US
#28
Ranked in the US
#35
Ranked in the US
#25
Indiana
Median Age
38
Ranked in the US
#29
Ranked in the US
#36
Ranked in the US
#14
Iowa
Median Age
38
Ranked in the US
#30
Ranked in the US
#18
Ranked in the US
#15
Kansas
Median Age
37
Ranked in the US
#42
Ranked in the US
#32
Ranked in the US
#8
Kentucky
Median Age
39
Ranked in the US
#20
Ranked in the US
#27
Ranked in the US
#18
Louisiana
Median Age
37
Ranked in the US
#43
Ranked in the US
#39
Ranked in the US
#12
Maine
Median Age
45
Ranked in the US
#1
Ranked in the US
#1
Ranked in the US
#50
Maryland
Median Age
39
Ranked in the US
#21
Ranked in the US
#41
Ranked in the US
#26
Massachusetts
Median Age
40
Ranked in the US
#9
Ranked in the US
#25
Ranked in the US
#46
Michigan
Median Age
40
Ranked in the US
#10
Ranked in the US
#15
Ranked in the US
#36
Minnesota
Median Age
38
Ranked in the US
#31
Ranked in the US
#33
Ranked in the US
#16
Mississippi
Median Age
38
Ranked in the US
#32
Ranked in the US
#31
Ranked in the US
#10
Missouri
Median Age
39
Ranked in the US
#22
Ranked in the US
#23
Ranked in the US
#20
Montana
Median Age
40
Ranked in the US
#11
Ranked in the US
#6
Ranked in the US
#37
Nebraska
Median Age
37
Ranked in the US
#44
Ranked in the US
#37
Ranked in the US
#4
Nevada
Median Age
38
Ranked in the US
#33
Ranked in the US
#38
Ranked in the US
#24
New Hampshire
Median Age
43
Ranked in the US
#2
Ranked in the US
#8
Ranked in the US
#49
New Jersey
Median Age
40
Ranked in the US
#12
Ranked in the US
#30
Ranked in the US
#29
New Mexico
Median Age
38
Ranked in the US
#34
Ranked in the US
#13
Ranked in the US
#21
New York
Median Age
39
Ranked in the US
#23
Ranked in the US
#26
Ranked in the US
#40
North Carolina
Median Age
39
Ranked in the US
#24
Ranked in the US
#28
Ranked in the US
#30
North Dakota
Median Age
35
Ranked in the US
#48
Ranked in the US
#44
Ranked in the US
#9
Ohio
Median Age
40
Ranked in the US
#13
Ranked in the US
#19
Ranked in the US
#27
Oklahoma
Median Age
37
Ranked in the US
#45
Ranked in the US
#40
Ranked in the US
#7
Oregon
Median Age
40
Ranked in the US
#14
Ranked in the US
#11
Ranked in the US
#44
Pennsylvania
Median Age
41
Ranked in the US
#8
Ranked in the US
#9
Ranked in the US
#41
Rhode Island
Median Age
40
Ranked in the US
#15
Ranked in the US
#16
Ranked in the US
#47
South Carolina
Median Age
40
Ranked in the US
#16
Ranked in the US
#10
Ranked in the US
#34
South Dakota
Median Age
37
Ranked in the US
#46
Ranked in the US
#24
Ranked in the US
#5
Tennessee
Median Age
39
Ranked in the US
#25
Ranked in the US
#29
Ranked in the US
#28
Utah
Median Age
31
Ranked in the US
#50
Ranked in the US
#50
Ranked in the US
#1
Vermont
Median Age
43
Ranked in the US
#3
Ranked in the US
#4
Ranked in the US
#51
Virginia
Median Age
38
Ranked in the US
#35
Ranked in the US
#42
Ranked in the US
#31
Washington
Median Age
38
Ranked in the US
#36
Ranked in the US
#43
Ranked in the US
#32
West Virginia
Median Age
43
Ranked in the US
#4
Ranked in the US
#3
Ranked in the US
#42
Wisconsin
Median Age
40
Ranked in the US
#17
Ranked in the US
#17
Ranked in the US
#33
Wyoming
Median Age
38
Ranked in the US
#37
Ranked in the US
#21
Ranked in the US
#17
Need to survey a highly targeted audience?
Talk to our Experts