Nation Continues to Age as It Becomes More Diverse
Jun 30, 2022
The last two decades have seen the country grow continuously older. Since 2000, the national median age – the point at which one-half the population is older and one-half younger – has increased by 3.4 years, with the largest single-year gain of 0.3 years coming in 2021, bringing it to 38.8 years, according to newly released 2021 Population Estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Median age for most states also increased from 2020 to 2021, indicating their populations are getting older overall.
While aging, the nation is also becoming more diverse. Nationally, all race and Hispanic origin groups experienced population increases, apart from the White population, which declined slightly by 0.03%. The Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population was the fastest-growing race or Hispanic origin category between 2020 and 2021, increasing by 1.54% in the 12-month period. Hispanic (of any race) was the largest gaining and second-fastest-growing race or Hispanic origin category, increasing by 767,907 or 1.24%.
For state and county data in Iowa, reports on the State Data Center's new website can be found using the link below.
2021 Annual Population Estimates